Lazar House

Lazar House was built in 1101 by Bishop Herbert de Losinga and was originally called Magdalen Hospital. It was designed to provide a simple level of physical care to lepers while also caring for their souls by allowing them to see mass being celebrated in the hospital's chapel up to six times a day. In 1547 Magdalen Hospital, then known as Magdalen Chapel, was put up for sale and sold to John Corbett for £216 12s - roughly £60,000 in today's money. Mr Corbett converted the building into a dovecote, a move which proved unpopular with nearby farmers after the birds frequently spoilt crops. In 1549 Robert Kett and his rebels arrived at Mr Corbett's house with the intention of burning it down on their way to Mousehold but were dissuaded from doing so and instead defaced the dovecote and spoiled his goods. From the mid-1550s until the late 18th century Magdalen Chapel was mainly used as a barn before being converted into cottages in the early 1880s. In 1923, Norwich City Council authorised the building to be turned into Norwich's first branch library in a bid to ease pressure on the city's central library. It served as a library through the Second World War and until 2003. Today, Lazar House is used by The Assist Trust, a charity which supports adults with learning disabilities. A guided Tour of Lazar House will also take place at 1100 - spaces are limited and do need to be booked in advance.

Timings & Tours

Sunday 15 September:

1000-1500. Guided tour: 1100

Location & directions

Lazar House, 219 Sprowston Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 4HX

Contact on day:

Charles Moore

Telephone number:

+441603425451

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Lazar House will be open to everyone on Sunday 15th September, although at 1100 there is the opportunity to attend a guided tour of the building, although tickets are limited to 20 spaces. See below for details for how to book on to the tour

Booking contact name:

The Forum

Booking website:

https://norfolkhods.ticketsolve.com/

Booking opens:

19 Aug 2024 10:00 AM

Booking closes:

13 Sep 2024 03:00 PM

Additional information

Max no of people per tour:

20

Est. tour duration:

1 hour(s)

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