The Church of St Helen forms a large part of the Great Hospital. It was founded in 1249 by Bishop Waler de Suffield as a house for decrepid chaplains and poor sick people. The current buildings shows work of the 13th, 14th, and a major rebuild in 1480 by Bishop Goldwell, with further extensive 16th century and later alterations.
The building itself is of flint and brick rubble with stone dressings and a slate roof, which replaced lead roofs which were stripped in 1809-10. From the beginning the building was both parish church and hospital, constructed as a long aisled infirmary with a chancel, the later built around 1380 by Bishop Despenser. The south porch is all that remains of the 13th century building.
Inside, the long aisle was cut in half after the Reformation, when the hospital passed into the city's hands, and the western end of the ailse forming the men's wards, the eastern end remaining a church, and the chancel becoming the women's wards. On the first-floor, the Eagle Ward retains the original ribbed chancel waggon roof with bosses and 252 painted spread eagles, built in honour of Anne of Bohemia in 1383.
--- | Article in Serial: Manning, C. R. 1864. Lost brasses. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol VI pp 3-26. p 16-17. |
--- | Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans. |
--- | Publication: Cox, J. C. 1911. Country Churches: Norfolk. Vol II. pp 177-178. |
--- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 20 NW 118 [5]. |
--- | Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 276-278; Pl 43, Pl 55. |
--- | Unpublished Contractor Report: Purcell Miller Tritton. 2002. The Great Hospital, Norwich. Condition Survey and Conservation Statement. Purcell Miller Tritton. |
--- | Unpublished Contractor Report: Wilson Compton Associates. 2002. The Great Hospital, Bishopgate, Norwich. Record and Analysis Survey of the Buildings Constructed before 1902. Wilson Compton Associates. |
--- | Publication: Messent, C. J. W. 1932. The City Churches of Norwich. pp 34-38. |
--- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. The Norwich 12. 2 February. |
--- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Wander your way through 1,000 years of city history. 24 June. |
--- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Norwich - Post Roman. |
--- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
--- | Slide: Various. Slide. |
--- | Unpublished Document: Wearing Hastings and Norton. 2005. St Helens Church, The Great Hospital, Bishopgate, Norwich. Restoration of the Derlynton Tower. |
--- | Unpublished Document: Wearing Hastings and Norton. 1991. Specification. 1156. 1/3 The Great Hospital. St Helen's Church & church wards restoration 1991. |
--- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Public to get a closer look at old hospital's history. 2 September. |
--- | Newspaper Article: Norwich Evening News. 2006. More cash needed to protect buildings. 11 July. |
<S1> | Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1051367. |
<S2> | Unpublished Report: [Unknown]. [unknown]. St Helens [draft report]. Building Report. |
<S3> | Unpublished Document: Shelley, A. 1991. [Notes on watching brief at St Helen's Church, Great Hospital, Norwich]. |
<S4> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 1992. Watching Brief at St Helen's Church, The Great Hospital, Norwich. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 74. |
<S5> | Monograph: Yates, N.. 2000. Buildings, faith and worship: the liturgical arrangement of Anglican.. p 35. |
<S6> | Monograph: Bridge, M. C. 2003. Tree-ring Analysis of Timbers from the Great Hospital, Bishopgate, Norwich, Norfolk. English Heritage Research Department Report Series. 10/2003. |
<S7> | Unpublished Report: Rose, E. 2006. 588 NORWICH. The Great Hospital/St Helen's Church. Building Report. |
<S8> | Monograph: Bridge, M. C. 2010. Derlyngham Tower, The Great Hospital, Bishopgate, Norwich, Norfolk. Tree-ring Analysis of Timbers. English Heritage Research Department Report Series. 75-2010. |
<S9> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. Great Hospital has a long tradition of caring. 12 November. |
<S10> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2006. Heights of roof ornament. 23 September. |
<S11> | Publication: Sheehan, B.. 2008. Norwich 12: A journey through the English city.. |
<S12> | Moving Image: Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART). 2008. Norwich 12. A journey through the English city.. DVD. |
<S13> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Phelps, A. 2010. NAU Archaeology An Historic Building Recording Survey at The Great Hospital, Bishopgate, Norwich. NAU Archaeology. 2180. |
<S14> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Wilson Compton Associates. 2001. The Great Hospital (Hospital of St Giles), Bishopgate, Norwich. Recording and Analysis of the Chancel East Window in Advance of Restoration. Interim Report. Wilson Compton Associates. |
<S15> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Bond, R. and Robinson, D. M. 2000. The Chancel East Window in the Hospital of St Giles, Norwich. Historical Notes and a Brief for Building Analysis and Recording. English Heritage Historical Analysis & Research Team. Reports and Papers 39. |