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The layout of the infirmary
(2/3)
The infirmary complex consisted of a large stone aisled hall and
chapel, a latrine block and perhaps also a bath-house. It is likely
that the large kitchen which stood to the east of the complex and
served the new abbot’s house in the sixteenth century, had
previously functioned as the infirmary kitchen. Fresh air and gentle
exercise were important to aid recovery and the infirmary had its
own cloister with open arcades where the inmates could sit or take
a stroll; part of the arcade has been reconstructed in the north
alley.
The large aisled hall stood at the heart of
the complex. It had ten bays, measured some 45m x 10.5m internally
and would
have been
spacious, airy and warm, or at least warmer than the monks’ dormitory,
where heating was forbidden. Original fireplaces survive in the
second and sixth bays. Light entered through round-headed windows
and remains of these can be seen in the west wall. The hall was
originally designed as an open-plan ward, with the beds arranged
around the sides. Later, when privacy and comfort were of greater
concern, timber partitions were replaced by stone screens. The
space in the centre could have been used as a dining area and also
for exercise.
The infirmary was remodelled in the mid-thirteenth
century. A new chapel was built in the NE part of the hall and
a covered passage
was constructed to provide access to the abbey church, via the
south presbytery aisle.
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