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There was an Augustinian Friary on this site from around the end of the 13th C until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. The buildings were then used as a meeting place and residence for Henry VIII’s Council of the North, and became known as King’s Manor (the surrounding area is still called Manors). The tower at the rear - see NZ2564 : (The former) Holy Jesus Hospital, City Road, NE1 - rear courtyard and tower was built in the late 16th C to house soldiers, munitions and armour. The Holy Jesus Hospital opened in 1682, designed to house 42 retired freemen of the town, their widows, or unmarried dependent children.

A soup kitchen was built onto the northwest side of the hospital in 1880 - see NZ2564 : (The former) Holy Jesus Hospital, City Road, NE1 - west end. In 1913 the buildings were converted into a chemical factory, which continued in production until 1961.

By the mid-1960s all three buildings were run down and neglected, but were then saved from demolition and restored. In 1971 they were reopened as the John George Joicey Museum. When the museum collections were moved in the early 1990s, the site was left empty until June 2000 when the National Trust acquired the lease. A further refurbishment in 2003 was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Today the Holy Jesus Hospital is home to the National Trust’s Inner City Project which works to provide opportunities for inner-city dwellers to gain access to and enjoy the countryside.

The hospital is now almost entirely surrounded by major roads, railways, and modern buildings - see the satellite image Link .

For further info, see Link and the Wiki entry Link .