NHER 225 (Building record) - Remains of Monastic Infirmary, The Close

Built 1175 to 1200.
Stone remains of six piers with water holding bases belonging to the south façade of the Infirmary Hall.

December 1956.
Late medieval tripod pitcher with yellow glaze inside. From Dean and Chapter of Norwich Cathedral.
R.R. Clarke (NCM).

Infirmary block demolished 1804 to improve the view from the Deanery.
Doors with late 13th century ironwork rebuilt by Philip Martineau in chapel in Bracondale woods (NHER 759).

1940. Moved and presented by Messrs. J.and J.Coleman to NCM.
Now, 1986, form pair of doors to attendants' room in St. Peter Hungate.
E. B. Green (NCM) 1986.

The details on the piers are similar to those on the remaining arcade pier in the Music House (Wensum Lodge, NHER 604), see Wilson's Pevsner (S1).
In the rear of the house to the southwest is a flint wall, apparently once the south wall of the infirmary, containing two blocked doorways with stone outlines. Source states this area was the only section of the cathedral bombed in World War Two - is this correct? In the blocking of the round-arched door is a limestone fragment with a mason's mark; this is eroding away (drawing in file). Between the piers a pavement has been made of reused mullions, stone lumps, etc.
These now form part of 64 The Close and are discussed in the evaluation filed under NHER 26522.
See also report on 65 The Close (26079) which states that part of the arcade was only revealed after 1943 bombing, and that the hall was used as a workhouse from 1742 to 1756.
E. Rose (NLA), 19 April 1999.

See file for further details.