The walls of what is thought to be one of medieval England's earliest and largest leprosy hospitals have been uncovered in Lincoln by Time Team archaeologists. A three-day excavation began on Friday on the South Common at the site of the Hospital of the Holy Innocents.
This hospital is believed to have housed up to 20 people with leprosy around the late 11th to early 12th Centuries. Professor Carenza Lewis of Time Team stated that traces of square features, where people are thought to have been housed, have been found and "haven't been excavated before, anywhere".
The current dig marks the start of a three-year project, which has received support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The remains of the building were initially discovered last year during a Local Landscapes and Hidden Histories project, involving over 100 volunteers who excavated test pits.
A geophysical survey was conducted by Time Team, and volunteers have dug a 30m-long trench to connect two test pits where wall traces were found. Professor Lewis noted that a wall runs the entire length of the trench, with traces of small square features, approximately 5m across, on either side.
The City of Lincoln Council believes the hospital remained in use for about five centuries. The Hidden Histories Unearthed project, led by Anglia Ruskin University and supported by £248,139 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to learn more about the individuals who lived and died at the hospital.