Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Site of the hospital of SS Peter and Paul, Maidstone (Almshouse type) probably founded circa 1245-61. It was incorporated in Maidstone College in 1395. The Church of St. Peters is the only remaining portion standing.

Monument Types

• PIT (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1250 AD)
• HOSPITAL (Medieval - 1258 AD? to 1400 AD?)
• INHUMATION CEMETERY (Medieval - 1258 AD? to 1400 AD?)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1539 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1258 AD? to 1400 AD?)

Full description

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[TQ 7560 5563] St. Peter's Church (C. of E.) and remains of (NAT) Hospital [NR] (1)

Hospital of St. Peter and St. Paul, Maidstone, Almshouse type;
probably founded circa 1245-61; dissolved 1547. It was incorporated in Maidstone College in 1295. [See TQ 75 NE 36]. The Church of St. Peters is the only remaining portion standing. (2-4)

Apart from the church, which is in normal use, there are no remains of the hospital. (5)

Additional bibliography. (7-18)

In 1999 Archaeology South-East carried out an evaluation. A medieval wall and floor were found below St Peter's Church. (19)

In 2006 Museum of London Archaeology carried out a watching brief. A medieval stone-built drain was encountered to the northeast of the church on the former site of St Peter's Wharf. (20) In 2006 Museum of London Archaeology carried out an evaluation. (21)

An excavation in 2008/9 by Museum of London Archaeology found that the medieval stone-built drain run west-east towards the river. It would have drained the hospital site. It was built of ragstone and the arch survived intact in places. It was 1.6m high, 1.15m wide (internally) and 33m of its length were recorded across the site. South of the drain a series of walls were found, forming part of the hospital buildings. Though of medieval construction the floor had been relaid in post medieval brick, indicating that the structure had continued in use after the closure of the hospital in c. AD 1400 [a structure is shown in this part of the site on the OS surveyor's drawing of 1797]. To the north of the drain the hospital's cemetery was located. A total of 55 full or partially articulated burials were excavated. The burials were mostly of men but women and children were also present. One male had evidence of violent death caused by bladed weapon blows to the head. Evidence was also found of medieval activity on the site pre-dating the hospital in the form of a pit below one of the buildings and 12th/13th century pottery. (22)

HE archive material: BF051876 ST PETERS CHURCH, MAIDSTONE File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<1> OS 1:1250 1958 (OS Card Reference). SKE48176.

<2> Med Rel Houses Eng & Wales 1953 290 (Knwoles & Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46780.

<3> Arch Cant 66 1953 footnote 152 (L R A Grove) (OS Card Reference). SKE35424.

<4> Arch Cant 48 1936 115 (H Wacher) (OS Card Reference). SKE35226.

<5> F1 ASP 25.02.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42271.

<6> DOE (HHR) Dist of Maidstone Area Kent 2.8.74 87 (OS Card Reference). SKE40288.

<7> Bldgs of Eng-West Kent & the Weald 1908 400 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38132.

<8> VCH Kent 2 1926 232-233 (R C Fowler) (OS Card Reference). SKE50970.

<9> The Medieval Hospitals of Eng 1966 298 (R M Clay) (OS Card Reference). SKE50414.

<10> Arch Cant 29 1911 262 (OS Card Reference). SKE34966.

<11> Arch J 81 1924 377 (OS Card Reference). SKE36687.

<12> Some Early & Later Houses of Pity 1926 85 (J M Hobson) (OS Card Reference). SKE49501.

<13> Med Rel Houses Eng & Wales 1971 327 376 (D Knowles R N Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46784.

<14> Arch Cant 51 1939 (W Ruck) (OS Card Reference). SKE35262.

<15> Old English Houses of Alms 1910 46-7 (S Heath) (OS Card Reference). SKE47866.

<16> JBAA 3 1897 72 (OS Card Reference). SKE44935.

<17> JBAA 10 1855 33 (J Whichord) (OS Card Reference). SKE44858.

<18> Field report for monument TQ 75 NE 42 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3813.

<19> Archaeology South-East, 1999, An Archaeological Evaluation at St Peters Church, St Peters Street, Maidstone, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE7415.

<20> Museum of London Archaeology Service, 2007, St Peter's Wharf, St Peter's Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14: Archaeological watching brief report (Unpublished document). SKE13541.

<21> Museum of London Archaeology Service, 2008, St Peter's Wharf, St Peter's Street, Maidstone, Kent: An archaeological evaluation report (Unpublished document). SKE13547.

<22> Henderson, M. and Knight, H., 2013, 'Le Newerk of Maydeston' - Excavation of a medieval hospital site at St Peter's Wharf, Maidstone (Article in serial). SKE24818.

Sources and further reading

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