BEAMSLEY HOSPITAL

This unusual circular stone almshouse was founded by the Countess of Cumberland in 1593 and consists of seven rooms encircling a chapel. Repeatedly crossing the chapel is a curious experience, bringing you close to the subtle yet vigorous Elizabethan mind.
The inscription above the archway as you enter the Hospital announces that it was founded by Margaret, Countess of Cumberland in 1593, and completed by her daughter, Lady Anne Clifford. Queen Elizabeth gave her consent to the foundation in a special charter. In this the need for a Hospital or Almshouse was explained: the Countess had seen that there were "many old women in and around Skipton, decrepit and broken down by old age, who were in the habit of begging for their daily bread".
Further reading can be found at THE LANDMARK TRUST WEBSITE & a few more PHOTOS OF THE SAME BUT PROCESSED IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAYS are on Flickr.