Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Immediately east of the Infirmary Hall lies the Infirmary Chapel, or 'Capella Infirmorum', attached to it as the chancel of a church is to its nave, and having side aisles and a clerestory; but internally it was entirely separated from the Infirmary Hall by a wall rising to its roof, and having a door in the centre.

Monument Types

• CHAPEL (Medieval to Unknown - 1165 AD?)

Full description

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Immediately east of the Infirmary Hall lies the Infirmary Chapel, or 'Capella Infirmorum', attached to it as the chancel of a church is to its nave, and having side aisles and a clerestory; but internally it was entirely separated from the Infirmary Hall by a wall rising to its roof, and having a door in the centre. To the eastern extremity of the chapel is appended a real chancel, which in the Norman Drawing (Prior Wibert's Map of the Priory's waterworks dated c. 1165) is represented as a simple apse. During the latter part of the Norman period the chancel was rebuilt, but this time with a square east end.

At the Dissolution, the Infirmary buildings were ordered to be pulled down, and the site appropriated to certain prebendal houses. However some walls and parts of the fabric were used as ready made walls allowing a plan and certain details to be gained at a later date. The complete southern range of the piers and arches of the chapel survived to show its proportions and the form of its windows. The piers of the chapel are compound, and the arches have a roll-moulding between the square edged orders, and their capitals are richly carved. The chancel of the chapel underwent a thourough restoration during the middle of the 14th century which completely changed its Norman character into the new style of the period. The Chapel was some 100 feet in length E-W from the Infirmary Hall wall to the east end of the chancel and 60 feet wide N-S. The Nave was about 38 feet wide with side aisles, about 11-12 feet wide.

1971 survey map only, not included in 1973 list due to higher status as a SAM.

Willis, R., 1868, 'The Architectural History of the Conventual Buildings of the Monastery of Christchurch in Canterbury' (Article in serial). SKE30206.

Blockley, K., Sparks, M. & Tatton-Brown, T., 1997, Canterbury Cathedral Nave, Archaeology, History and Architecture (Monograph). SKE29723.

Sources and further reading