Historical sketches of old Charing. The hospital and chapel of Saint Mary Roncevall. Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England, and the monuments erected in her memory.

Step into the bustling streets of medieval London as the author unravels the forgotten story of a small village that grew into a hub of compassion and learning. Drawing on centuries‑old charters, court records and literary hints, the narrative brings to life the Hospital and Chapel of Saint Mary Roncevall—an institution founded in Henry III’s reign that survived the tumult of the Reformation. Listeners will hear how the convent’s name echoed across France and Spain, how Chaucer’s readers recognized it without explanation, and how the charitable work it performed for the poor left a lasting imprint on the city’s medical heritage.

The book then turns to the regal tribute that followed the death of Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England, describing the ingenious monuments erected in her memory and the cultural ripple they created. By weaving together architecture, poetry and the everyday lives of healers and patients, the work offers a vivid portrait of a London that was both a battlefield of politics and a sanctuary of care. It’s an inviting guide for anyone curious about the layers of history hidden beneath today’s Charing Cross.