| Administrative history | The Hospital of St Mary Magdalen was said to be founded by Archbishop Thurstan in the early 12th century for the care of lepers and bliind priests. By the mid-14th century, it had fallen into decay from disuse with the decline in the incidence of leprosy. The leper house was demolished and the foundation went on to offer care and lodging for the sick and homeless. All that remains of the original buildings is the practically unaltered Norman Chapel. New almshouses were built in 1674 and replaced in 1875, and the Master has, since 1689, usually been the Dean of Ripon.
In 1868 a new chapel was built on the other side of the road to accommodate a growing congregation, so the Norman chapel went out of use and became a farm building. Restorations took place in 1897 and 1917, but it was not until after further restoration in the 1980s that it was re-dedicated for worship on 23rd July 1989. The Victorian chapel was sold and is now a private house.
A Friends group was launched in 2002 to raise the profile of the chapel and to care for the building. The group was successful and has now been wound up as no longer needed. |