Visualising the Evolution of the Infirmary of Canterbury Cathedral, 12th-14th Century

The remains of the Infirmary Hall and Chapel of St Mary at Canterbury Cathedral constitute one of the most significant survivals of medieval monastic healthcare architecture in England. Despite the importance of this complex within Christ Church Priory, several aspects of its architectural history remain poorly understood. Previous scholarship focused primarily on the later Gothic modification of the Chapel, while the earlier Norman phases of the building have never been reconstructed systematically. This conference presentation re-examines the surviving remains of the Infirmary through architectural survey, laser scanning, and comparative morphological analysis. The study combines evidence from the surviving masonry, the twelfth-century waterworks drawing in the Eadwine Psalter, and comparisons with contemporary Norman architecture in England and Normandy. It argues that the Infirmary Chapel originally terminated in a central apse flanked by apsidal side chapels, and that this eastern termination was replaced after the fire of 1174 by a rectangular chancel belonging to a second Norman phase. The presentation also proposes new reconstructions for the interior and superstructure of the Infirmary Hall. Synthesising the available evidence through visualisation, the study proposes a plausible model for the monument’s original form and lost architectural significance.