Walls from medieval England’s earliest and largest leprosy hospitals have been uncovered by archaeologists from iconic Channel 4 series Time Team.
A three-day excavation was conducted at the site of the Hospital of the Holy Innocents on South Common in Lincoln.
The hospital housed up to 20 people with leprosy and is believed to have been in use for around five centuries after being founded around the late 11th to early 12th Century.
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Time Team’s Professor Carenza Lewis said archaeologists had found traces of square features where people may have lived which hadn’t been excavated before, anywhere.
The excavation follows a pilot project last year in which more than 100 volunteers aged between four and 85 excavated 41 test pits across South Common.
Their work uncovered what were thought to be medieval boundary walls, building surfaces and artefacts linked to the former hospital, as reported by What’s The Jam
Time Team then carried out a geophysical survey of the area, while volunteers opened a 98ft trench linking two test pits where traces of the walls had been found.
Lewis said the survey showed a wall running the length of the trench, with further features on either side.
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“We know from historical documents that there were up to 20 lepers housed here, and we know that they had little sorts of curtilages, which implies they’re separate little buildings, little houses with a little yard, perhaps,” she said.
“What we’ve got all along this wall here are traces of little square features, about 16 ft across, that are big enough to be a little building or a yard area, and we’ve got lots of them.”
The City of Lincoln Council believes the hospital remained in use for about five centuries.
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Lewis said access to the hospital may have depended on wealth.
“You’d need to have resources to get in here,” she said.
“If you had enough money and could buy your way into a leper hospital, it’s a bit like getting a place in a private care home or something like that.”
The excavation marks the start of the three-year Hidden Histories Unearthed project, led by Anglia Ruskin University.
The project aims to uncover more about the people who lived, worked and died at the hospital and explore the history of South Common.
Dr Sam Tipper from Anglia Ruskin University and Professor Lewis from the University of Lincoln’s School of History and Heritage are site directors for the excavation.
The first dig investigated the walls and possible building surfaces discovered last year, with further trenches potentially opened depending on the results of geophysical surveys.
Cllr Rebecca Longbottom, of City of Lincoln Council, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome Time Team to Lincoln and to see this exciting new chapter in uncovering the history of South Common getting underway.
“Last year’s community excavations gave us a fascinating glimpse of what lies beneath the common, and now we can take that a step further, investigating these discoveries and finding out more about the people and places connected to this important part of Lincoln’s history.
“This really is just the start of what promises to be a fascinating three years of discovery, learning and community involvement.”
Tim Taylor, Time Team Creator, said: “Lincoln has an extraordinary archaeological story, and this site promises to give us the opportunity to uncover a fascinating part of it.”
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