The hospital of St John the Baptist
grade II listed
From the cathedral turn left down Bedern Bank, cross the roundabout and the bridge. St John's is on the left.
Artist's impression of Ripon looking north over Bondgate bridge to the Minster with Old Hall, home to the Oxley family and now the deanery, in front. On the right is the west end of the medieval chapel/hospital of St John the Baptist before it was demolished in 1868. From 1812 it had been used as a schoolroom. The path which still runs from the new bridge on Boroughbridge road to Bondgate bridge can be seen running behind the chapel.
From the cathedral, go down Bedern Bank, straight across the roundabout and over the bridge. Chapel and almshouses are on the left.
The hospital of St John the Baptist was the first of the three medieval hospitals to be built. It was founded by Archbishop of York Thomas II in 1119. It was built on land just south of the river Skell and so was in the township of Bondgate with Aismunderby and not in Ripon. The land given was on the road into Ripon from the south and next to a source of water. The Archbishop also gave land for the support of the hospital.
The Norman chapel was demolished in 1868 and replaced by a new, Victorian chapel set further back from the road than the original. Two almshouses were also demolished. These may have been built in 1674 by Richard Hooke, the master at the time who was also master of the hospital of St Mary magdalen and built six almshouses there. No photographs of the Norman chapel, or the two almshouses, have surfaced, but there is, above, a painting which includes the western end of the old chapel, possibly painted in the early 1800s. Notice that the west wall of the chapel forms the boundary of the chapel garth. When the old chapel was demolished it left a gap in the garth wall. This was filled with stone from the demolished chapel and is still there today.
Joshua Fawcett, in his book Churches of England, describes the Norman chapel as he saw it in 1864, just before its demolition. He says "It is of a decorated style, but very simple. The east and west windows are each of three lights, the plain mullions intersecting one another in the head. North and south windows are of one light, trefoiled in the head. Inside, nearly opposite the door, is the following inscription
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1812
THIS CHAPEL,
DEDICATED TO ST JOHN THE BAPTIST,
WAS APPROPRIATED FOR THE
NATIONAL SCHOOL,
BY
ROBERT DARLEY WADDILOVE,
DEAN,
AND MASTER OF THE HOSPITAL. ENLARGED BY
SUBSCRIPTION
ANNO DOMINI 1817
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So the chapel appears to have stopped being used for worship in 1812 when the dean used it for a school. It will also have stopped being used as a hospital in 1674, or whenever the two almshouses were built. The almshouses are shown on the 1853 map as "St John's hospital". By 1890 they are a mission toom.
Sketch of the chapel of St John the Baptist probabaly when it was being used as the national school between 1812 and 1850. The view is from the north east. Bondgate bridge is on the right and part of the brewery buildings are across the road. The path between the river and the chapel leads to New bridge on the Boroughbridge road.
maps courtesy of the National Library for Scotland
Ripon 1853
The map shows the Norman chapel with the west end facing Bondgate bridge. The two almshouses are labelled "St John's hospital". The other buildings in the chapel garth are probably farm and storage buildings.
Ripon 1890
​The map shows the new chapel of St John the Baptist built further back from the road. It also shows the Mission Room which was built when the old almshouses were demolished.
The Victorian chapel 1869. It has seating for 200 people and replaces the Norman chapel which had not been used as a chapel for 50 years. Why replace it? The new almshouses are behind the chapel (on the left)
The six new almshouses built in 1876 replacing two old almshouses from 1674.
Stone from the Norman chapel was used to fill the gap in the wall of the chapel garth when the old chapel was demolished.
The seal of the hospital of St John the Baptist.
Legal documents, such as leases of hospital land or buildings, required an official seal to make them legally binding. This metal seal, lost for many years, resurfaced in 2024.
It shows St John the Baptist sitting on a throne with a lamb on in his lap and two pennants over his shoulder.
The inscription around the seal reads SIGILLUM HOSPIT.S.JOHAN: BAPTISTAE JUXTA RIPON 1683
(juxta = near to)
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Seal (signet ring) Hospit(al) St John the Baptist near to Ripon 1683.
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The lamb with two pennants is a symbol often associated with John the Baptist, representing the Lamb of God.
