UK: Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwickshire, England, is one of the well-preserved architects of the United Kingdom in Medival history and is a charity supporting ex-servicemen in the United Kingdom. The Lord Leycester “hospital” was never a medical institution. It instead uses the older definition of the term, which refers to a type of ‘Almshouse’.
The Almhouses are the charitable houses that independent local charities run. They provide self-contained, low-cost housing, primarily to older people who have a low income. They also often cater to particular categories of people, including those who’ve worked for a specific trade or lived in the area for several years.
Lord Leycester Hospital is a group of medieval timber-framed buildings on the High Street in the historic city of Warwick, England. It dates back to the late 14th century and represents one of the finest examples of medieval courtyard architecture in the United Kingdom. For the first 200 years, this group of buildings was home to the city’s medieval trade guilds. The facilities are arranged around the gateway into the town. A 12th-century Chantry chapel sits above it.
In the late Tudor period, the buildings were acquired by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Leycester at the time), a favourite of Elizabeth I. He oversaw the conversion of the old trade guild buildings into a place where soldiers who had fought in the Elizabethan Era wars could retire, along with their wives.
These soldiers became known as the “Brethren.” The person in charge of the institution was called the “Master.” To this day, the Master still lives within the walls of the building. Master and Brethren represent a tradition of almost 450 years of history.
Even today, they gather in the chapel every morning and pray together using words written by their founder Robert Dudley. The Brethren are often seen in ceremonial uniform as they tour the buildings and gardens.
