The ancient ruins of St Giles Leper Hospital in Maldon are set to feature flowerbeds filled with medicinal herbs to help bring the history of the site to life.

Maldon Town Council has announced the exciting plans for the ruins in Spital Road today (Tuesday, 27 July).

It follows on from a pop-up exhibition at St Giles in 2019, when as part of the Heritage Weekend events, Dr Johanna Dale and Dr Antonio Sennis from University College London's (UCL) Department of History brought a display on disease, medicine and hospitals in the Middle Ages to the leper hospital site.

A spokesperson for the town council said: "The council is delighted to now be working in partnership with Dr Dale and Maldon in Bloom to design and plant up some flowerbeds with medicinal herbs to further illustrate the history of the site.

"Options for funding this project are being explored."

A Brief History of St Giles Hospital

-The hospital was founded in 1164 by Henry II for the relief of leprosy in the town. During the course of the 13th and 14th centuries, with the numbers of those affected by leprosy declining, St Giles' became a general hospital for the poor, aged and infirm.

-In 1401 the hospital became a free chapel, independent of the control of the parish priest. Then in 1481 the hospital was conveyed to Beeleigh Abbey.

-With the dissolution of Beeleigh Abbey in 1538, the hospital closed and the land and hospital buildings were granted to Thomas Dyer and his wife for domestic use.

-By 1763 the hospital was owned by a Lieutenant General Montolieu and was in use as a barn.

-In 1899 it was described by a local historian as ruinous and dilapidated and by 1920 the roof had collapsed.

-It was transferred to the Borough of Maldon in 1927, and subsequently to Maldon District Council. It was transferred to the ownership of Maldon Town Council in 1988.

In 2019-20 extensive renovations to the stonework were undertaken.