More information : (TA 0442 8832) St Nicholas's Hospital and Church (NR) (Site of)
Temp. Henry II (NAT) (1)
St Nicholas's Hospital and church, supposed to have been founded in
the reign of Henry II [1154-89] when the church belonging to it was
erected. The church was situated upon the cliff between house No 7A,
St Nicholas' Cliff and the north gate of Cliff Bridge, (area centred
TA 0437 8832) and it is supposed that the hospital stood adjacent to
it. There are no remains of either building but an entire skeleton
was found in the cliff in 1786 and several human bones were also
discovered in 1791. A copper plate belinging to a tombstone was found in the cliff in 1810, bearing the inscription 'Pater Willielmus de
Thornton'. A tombstone, bearing a crudely carved cross, chalice and
pyx was also found in the cliff "some years since". (2)
At an inquest held in 1297-8, it was found that the hospital of St
Nicholas was founded by the burgesses of Scarborough. In 1332 the
custody of the hospital was granted to the Holy Trinity Priory, Yorks
[SE 65 SW ] and was dissolved in 1538. (3) (4)
The ruins of St Nicholas Church are shown at circa TA 043 883 on John
Cossin's map of 1725. (5) (2-5)
St Nicholas's Hospital and Church founded by licence of Richard I as a leper hospital by 1297-8. A chapel was established in 1280. Its location is shown on the 1725 town plan and the ruins are shown in various 18th-century drawings but it was destroyed by 1798. It was located between 7A St Nicholas' Cliiff and the north gate of Cliff Bridge. Dissolved in 1538. Skeletons and a tombstone were found in the cliff at St Nicholas' Cliff in 1786 and 1791. (6)
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