Saturday 23 May 2020

The Poor Priests' Hospital

This building is now (since 2017) the Marlowe Kit, a sort of extra studio theatre for the Marlowe Theatre. It also houses collections of the works of Marlowe and of Joseph Conrad.

"The site was a tannery and a minter’s house on the banks of the Stour in the twelfth century, which were converted into almshouses in the name of the Virgin Mary for elderly and poor priests by the minter’s son, Alexander. The priests used the house as a hall, sleeping round a central fire; a solar and an undercroft were added in 1373.” (Doel & Doel 2018)

It has also been:


  • a boys' home
  • a house of correction
  • a workhouse
  • a police station



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