Chapel of St Mary Magdalen, Ripon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary Magdalen's, Ripon |
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| Chapel of St Mary Magdalen, Ripon | |
| Chapel of the Hospital of St Mary Magdalene St Mary Magdalen (Leper) Chapel, Ripon |
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St. Mary Magdalen Leper Chapel
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| 54°08′24″N 1°30′54″W / 54.140°N 1.515°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE318717 |
| Location | Ripon, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Archbishop Thurstan |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Early English Perpendicular |
| Years built | c. 1139-1140 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 48 feet 2 inches (14.68 m) |
| Width | 16 feet 6 inches (5.03 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ripon Cathedral Parish with Littlethorpe |
| Benefice | Ripon Cathedral |
| Deanery | Ripon Cathedral |
| Archdeaconry | Ripon Cathedral |
| Diocese | Leeds |
The Chapel of St Mary Magdalen, Ripon is an old and active church located on Magdalens Road in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. This special chapel is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, a friend of Jesus. It is quite close to Ripon Cathedral, about three-quarters of a mile away. The chapel is part of the cathedral's group of churches.
This chapel has a long history, starting in the 12th century. It was built by Archbishop Thurstan and was originally part of a hospital. This hospital cared for people with leprosy and later, blind priests. Most of the church you see today was built in the 15th century using strong limestone. The chapel has been repaired and updated many times over the years. It is now a grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historical site. It's also the only building left from Ripon's old medieval hospitals.
Contents
History of the Chapel
How the Chapel Started
Archbishop Thurstan is believed to have started the St Mary Magdalen Hospital between 1115 and 1139. The chapel was built around the same time. It is the only complete part of Ripon's old hospitals that still stands today. Even though there are no old papers that say exactly when it was built, people in the early 1300s said their grandparents told them Thurstan paid for the hospital. It was meant to be a place for all lepers born in the Ripon area. Later, it also helped blind priests from the same region. Hospitals for lepers were often named after St Mary Magdalen. She was seen as someone who was welcomed by Christ even though she was an "outcast."
About 300 leper hospitals were built in the Middle Ages. The chapel of St Mary Magdalen at Ripon is one of the few that still exists. This makes it very important for understanding history and archaeology. Not all leper hospitals had their own priest. But in cities like Ripon, which had many church leaders, this chapel did have one.
Location and Design
The road where the chapel is located was once called Stammergate. Today, it is known as Magdalens Road. The chapel is about three-quarters of a mile northeast of Ripon Cathedral. It is also near the River Ure. The chapel stands across the road from where the hospital used to be. Experts believe it was built far from the cathedral because it was a leper hospital. Back then, the hospital was in the countryside, away from the busy town. When leprosy became less common, the hospital changed. It then served other people under the care of a "master."
The chapel has a single support (buttress) and a small bell tower (bellcote) above the door at its west end. Another building, the leper-house, used to be attached to this west end. We don't know when that building was taken down, but now the chapel stands alone. Parts of the chapel, especially on the west side, show the Early English style. Other parts have Norman and Perpendicular designs. The chapel is about 47 feet 10 inches long, 17 feet 10 inches wide, and 18 feet 7 inches high. It has been described as a simple, rectangular building with no towers, side sections, or porches. The west end is thought to be the only original part of the building. The east end, with its patterned floor, was rebuilt after a Scottish attack in 1321. The patterned floor under the altar might even have come from an old Roman building.
The windows on the east side are in the Perpendicular style. The single window on the west side is Early English. In the middle of the north wall is a smaller window. This window was likely a special viewing hole (lychnoscope) that has been changed into a regular window. The font, which is a basin for baptisms, is very old, from the Norman period. It was returned to the chapel after being used as a water trough.
Building Materials and Changes
The first building was made from a type of stone called gritstone. But during repairs, especially in the 15th century, hammer-dressed limestone was used. The church leaders in Ripon did not own any stone quarries. However, records show that a lot of stone was bought from William de Kirkby in the late 1300s and early 1400s. Most of this stone was for rebuilding the cathedral. But some of it was also used for the hospital and the chapel. Detailed studies show that stone from the Quarry Moor area, south of Ripon, was used in the renovations.
Later Years and Restoration
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries (when many religious houses were closed), the Canon of Ripon Cathedral became the "Master" of the hospital. One famous Master was Marmaduke Bradley. He was also the last abbot at Fountains Abbey. Since 1608, the Archbishop of York has chosen the priest for this role. Since 1686, this person has been known as the Dean of Ripon Cathedral. In the 1800s, the chapel was not used much. It was even used as a pig-sty for a while! A second chapel was built across from the original one in the 1860s. This happened after the original chapel became too old to use. Reverend George Mason, one of the hospital's trustees, paid for this new chapel.
A screen that separated parts of the chapel was in place in 1875. But by 1902, the chapel was not being used, and the screen had been moved. Some thought it was put in the cathedral. In 1917, the chapel was repaired again. This work was led by George Bland, an architect from Harrogate.
The chapel was renovated again from 1985 to 1990. It was officially reopened in 1989. The chapel does not have a graveyard. However, during archaeological digs in the 1980s, several skeletons were found. They were found with pottery from the 1200s, when the hospital cared for lepers. But none of the skeletons showed signs of leprosy. The digs also showed that the original floor was lower than it is today. Many of the original large stones were replaced with a different type of limestone in the late 1600s.
The current priest in charge is Reverend Cliff Bowman. In the 1990s, Reverend John Langdon was in charge. Since it was reopened, the priest at St Mary Magdalen's also looks after St John the Baptist in Bondgate. This is another chapel in Ripon that used to serve a medieval hospital. Besides regular church services, the chapel is sometimes used for events, like the Ripon Poetry Festival.
The Wooden Bell of Ripon
In his book, Yorkshire Oddities, the writer Sabine Baring-Gould tells an interesting story about the chapel. He said that when the chapel was not used for worship, the people living in the nearby almshouses had to go to the cathedral for prayers. The dean, who was in charge, needed money. So, he sold the chapel's bell. The people were very angry and demanded he return the bell. With much anger, he did. But later, they found out it was a bell made of wood and painted to look like metal! The original bell had been sold to a metal factory, and the money was used by the dean. The chapel still has a wooden bell today.
