David AllanNot on any obvious 'through route' the historic 'Kepier Hospital' lies tucked away on the banks of the River Wear downstream from the city of Durham in NE England.
It has its roots at nearby Gilesgate where an almshouse (now St Giles Church) was founded by Bishop Flambard in 1112 AD and dedicated to God and St Giles, the patron saint of beggars and the crippled.
This building, which took over the almshouse at Gilesgate was re-founded around 1180 AD, by Bishop Hugh le Puiset.
At the Reformation, Kepier and its lands were granted to Henry VIII's Secretary of State, Sir William Paget, although later to a succession of lay owners.
Of the original building, the gatehouse remains intact, the mansion survives as ruins, and the farmhouse is in private use.
The 'Kepier Hospital' is a Scheduled Monument with Grade I and Grade II* listed building status.
