Introduction About Wyggeston's Hospital Wyggeston's Hospital is one of Leicester's more mature charities being founded in 1513. In some histories of Leicester it is referred to as the 'new' Hospital because Trinity Hospital, also in Leicester, was founded in 1331. Wyggeston's Hospital was founded following the grant of Royal Letters Patent from Henry VIII to William Wyggeston a Wool Merchant and sometime Mayor of Leicester and Mayor or Staple of Calais who desired the founding of a Hospital for the caring of '12 Poor Men and 12 Poor Women'.
The senior member of staff is the Master, an Anglican clergyman who is appointed by the Duchy of Lancaster, and lives on site. The original Hospital building was next door to the parish church of St Martin in the city centre which is now the Cathedral. The first Hospital building was demolished in the 1870's after the residents moved to a new building on Fosse Road. The second Hospital building became unsuited for its purpose in the late 1950's early 1960's and the present building has been created over a period of 20 or more years. |
The
title Hospital is to be understood in its
original, not modern, meaning. We are a
place of hospitality and caring. We offer
two types of accommodation Sheltered Housing
in the Almshouse known as William House
or Residential Care in Agnes House.
This is all true because it was not until the late 1980's that a pitched roof replaced the flat roof. In 1992 a purpose built Residential Home was opened. The buildings are set in almost five acres of landscaped grounds with paths suitable for wheelchairs offering varied and exciting views around the grounds.
Useful links These are external web sites and will open in a new browser window. The Almshouse Association: www.almshouses.org |
