Monument record DUN 005 - Chapel of St James Hospital

Leper chapel, chapel of St James' hospital, fine Norman arcading, in churchyard of St James' church. Founded shortly before 1200, probably by Walter de Riboff, with a master and several leprous brothers and sisters. A measured drawing of the chapel was published by architect William Wilkins in 1796 (R1) and an etching of the interior was made by Henry Davy in 1824 (see S3). For brief summary of history, illustration of seal of the hospital and holdings etc see (S3, copy in parish file).
A Norman chapel, consisting of an apsidal presbytery, chapel (ie the Chapel proper), footing of cross-wall and beginning of the nave (ie the Hall of the Hospital ?). The double-chamfered external string-course stops short on the N side, suggesting that there was an aisle, or other abutting building. Walls of coursed rubble-septaria and flint. Detail good and generally well preserved. Similar string on interior; much on blind arcade (12 arches) with cushion-caps remaining in apse, and traces in chancel. N window of chancel fairly complete, N window of apse complete. Walls generally remain up to heads of windows. Large modern burial vault in middle (S1).
1981: Chapel in good condition, fenced by stout iron railings so vandal free (S1).
1999: Report on vault and proposal to remove it (S2). Vault now removed.
Oct 1999: report by Hugh Feilden in parish file (S5).
July 2002: vault photographed prior to infill (in site archives).
2008: Prior to building consolidation a photographic record of the building was undertaken supplemented by digitised elevations (S4).

Recording was undertaken prior to the consolidation of the standing building, A full photographic record was made and digitised elevations produced in order to facilitate the interpretation of the building. A series of historical drawings were also examined to help assess the original character of the structure and its progressive deterioration.
The original structure was three celled, comprising an apsidal east chamber, central chancel and a nave/hall to the west. The building deteriorated markedly during the 18th century with the domed apse roof collapsing and the loss, possibly from robbing, of many of the tooled masonry dressings forming its architectural features. The second phase of building associated with the adjacent church during the later 19th century, financed by the Barne family, was probably accompanied by some rebuilding and consolidation of the leper chapel’s remaining walls and the insertion of the family tomb, the latter removed relatively recently. A second major phase of refurbishment was carried out during the later 20th century which included the repointing of the original fabric and consolidation of corework exposed after the loss of its ashlar facing. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2008 (S6).