St Nicholas'S Hospital

MATERIALS: rubble flint with ashlar dressings and red and black brick with plain tile roof.

PLAN: the almshouses consist of two ranges set at right angles to the road, running east-west and a linking range to their east, which runs north-south. Buildings are of two storeys or one storey with attic.

EXTERIOR: the southern range (restored by G.R. Crickmay, 1884) has, to its north face, an arcade of five arches. These are supported by squat, circular piers and have moulded capitals. The double arches are chamfered. The surrounding walling is of flint with squared blocks of limestone at its west end and brick to the eastern end. The arches have been infilled with red brick and there is a low door with arched head at far left and C20 panelled doors approached by steps to two bays. At right of centre the bay has been infilled with flint and above this is a modern window of three clustered lancets set in ashlar walling. There are hipped dormer windows to the roof and C19 brick stacks with diagonal flues.

The eastern range is entirely C19 and of red brick with a stone band at the level of the first-floor casements. Between the floors is a band of blue brick diapering.

The north range is largely C19 work by Butterfield of flint rubble with ashlar dressings and a half-hipped tiled roof. The south front has two medieval doors with four-centred heads to the ground floor. Windows at ground-floor level are two-light casements and there are paired lancets with cusped heads to the first floor.

INTERIOR: the arches which are exposed on the north side of the southern range, are thought to have originally marked the middle of a large open ward, divided to house men and women on either side of a central screen, and with a separate chancel at the east end of each. Both chancels survive, but the northern side of the ward has been demolished, exposing the arcade. The interior of this oldest part has now been divided to provide the master's house, office space and individual flats for the residents. What was the south chancel has two lancets to the south and two to the east with a cusped octofoil in a circle above them. Of the north chancel two east lancets and a north lancet remain. Both chapels have a large piscina in the south wall with a trefoil head.