Medical Centre Age?

How Old is the Original Building of the Audlem Medical Centre?

The recent AudlemOnline article about the completion of the new extension of the Medical Centre brought to the fore a question that has often intrigued me as I sit meditatively in the patients' waiting room.

Some medieval churches feature a 'hagioscope' or leper-window- a small hole in the outer wall directly in line with the altar. According to Wikipedia- "A small, splayed opening at seated eye level so that lepers and other non-desirables could see the service without coming into contact with the rest of the populace."

Today, in our present medical centre's waiting room in the outer wall, about 3 feet from the ground, behind the rocking horse, measuring some 6 ins square and glazed in thick glass you can see such a window!

The receptionists could not enlighten me why it was there and were bemused when asked if it dated from a time when leper patients could wait their turn sitting in the outer porch.

Has anyone else noticed this window and can anyone suggest a reason for its being there? Perhaps it's a suitable subject for research for the Audlem & District History Society.

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