Reasons for Designation
A medieval hospital is a group of buildings housing a religious or secular
institution which provided spiritual and medical care. The idea for such
institutions originated in the Anglo-Saxon period although the first definite
foundations were created by Anglo-Norman bishops and queens in the 11th
century. Documentary sources indicate that by the mid 16th century there were
around 800 hospitals. A further 300 are also thought to have existed but had
fallen out of use by this date. Half of the hospitals were suppressed by 1539
as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Some smaller institutions
survived until 1547 when they were dissolved by Edward VI. Many of these
smaller hospitals survived as almshouses, some up to the present day. Despite
the large number of hospitals known from documentary sources to have existed,
generally only the larger religious ones have been exactly located. Few
hospitals retain upstanding remains and very few have been examined by
excavation. In view of these factors all positively identified hospitals are
nationally important. A small number of hospitals were established solely for
the treatment of leprosy. These leprosy houses differ from other hospitals in
that they were specifically located and arranged to deal with contagious
disease. Their main aim was to provide the sufferer with permanent isolation
from society. In contrast to other hospitals they were normally located away
from population foci.
Details
The monument includes an immersion bath associated with the Leechwell holy
well in Totnes. The bath lies adjacent to a walled historic lane known
locally as Lepers Walk. The immersion bath survives as a triangular pond
denoted by coursed stone rubble walls and a slate slab-lined bottom. The
western corner of the pond has a flat face which may represent blocking of
the original culvert serving the bath. The immersion bath is now fed by a
terracotta pipe with water from the nearby Leechwell holy well. The interior
of the bath measures 4.5m long by up to 3.5m wide and it varies in depth
between 0.15m and 0.6m. Two small stone steps lead into the bath at its
southern corner.
The earliest known reference to the Leechwell dates from the early 12th
century, but the immersion bath may belong to the 13th century when the
nearby leprosy hospital dedicated to St Mary Magdalene was established. The
bath would have been used to treat leprosy and other skin diseases, as well
as forming a focus for religious activities.
The modern safety fence surrounding the bath is excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
36031
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
