Cloisters at St. Helen, Bishopgate

St. Helen’s was part of the Great Hospital, the only medieval hospital in England to survive the Reformation. Though much of the church has been modified, this striking cloister was intact. The original church was designed so the inmates (patients) could witness the numerous services throughout the day, as their illnesses were going to be cured more from cleansing their souls than it was from cleansing away germs. The men were arranged on one side of the altar and the women were arranged on the opposite. There were four nurses at any given time who had to be over fifty as not to cause disturbances among the men.