The 900-year-old Cambridge building once used as a hospital chapel

There are many buildings in Cambridgeshire, like the rest of the UK, that have seen hundreds of years come and go – as well as thousands of people. One of the oldest complete surviving buildings in Cambridge is around 900 years ago, an impressive vintage by any measure.

The Leper Chapel sits next to Newmarket Road and near Barnwell Lakes. It is a fairly small building but has played several important roles throughout the years.

Also known as the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, the building was originally used as the chapel for a hospital where people with leprosy were treated, according to Cambridge Past, Present and Future. Throughout the years it has also been used as a bar and a warehouse.

READ MORE:Government drops official concerns about Cambs council’s four-day week

READ MORE:The lost railway station that was completely demolished after 40 years in service

The chapel was permitted to hold an annual three-day fair to raise money to support the lepers, which started in 2011. Stourbridge fair grew over time and became the largest medieval fair in Europe, with markets selling fish, wax, timber, cloth, and more.

The fair became a great money-maker for the chapel, making the priest of the chapel one of the best-paid in the Church of England. The leper hospital stopped admitting new patients in 1279, with the remaining patients moved to a spot near Ely, and so there was a question mark over the fair's future – until Queen Elizabeth I ruled that the town should have the rights to the fair.

The chapel was used as storage for the fair, and, at some point in the 18th century, was used to serve drinks during the fair. The fair was abolished in 1933, but a 21st century revival sees it hosted once more at the Leper Chapel each year.

The chapel was bought and restored by Thomas Kerrich, a librarian at the University of Cambridge, in 1816, who then gave it to the university. During World War I, it was once more used as a chapel for the unwell, since patients at a temporary military isolation hospital nearby were able to worship there, according to Capturing Cambridge.

It is now maintained by Cambridge Past, Present and Future, and is usually locked. There are some open days or events held at the chapel, during which it welcomes visitors. If you've walked or driven past it dozens of times, why not try to visit and see inside next time it is open?