80 Broad Street and boundary walls to front, Ladywood, Birmingham

Summary

An early-C19 former residence, later a hospital for women and children, and most recently a bar, restaurant, and nightclub, with C19, C20 and C21 extensions and alterations.

Description

An early-C19 former residence, later a hospital for women and children, and most recently a bar, restaurant, and nightclub, with C19, C20 and C21 extensions and alterations.

MATERIALS: the building is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with stucco detailing and render to north-west elevations. The roof coverings are slate. Rainwater goods, and vents are cast iron.

PLAN: the building has a roughly rectangular footprint, orientated on a north-east to south-west axis with its principal elevation facing south-east. The building is composed of a square central block flanked by two symmetrical rectangular wings.

EXTERIOR: the building is composed of a central block of three bays, set over two-and-a-half storeys beneath a hipped roof with central valley. This is flanked by two recessed, symmetrical wings, each of three bays and two storeys beneath slate roofs, hipped to the outer ends. At the centre of this elevation the main entrance features an arched doorway with semi-circular fanlight. This is set within a Tuscan porch with entablature and triglyph frieze supported by columns. To the right of the entrance is a cast iron boot scraper. Either side of the porch are two sash windows, each flanked by pilasters carrying a segmental arch, and stucco sills extending to ground level. Above are three six-over-six sashes in surrounds with projecting cornices. Above again are three square, three-over-three sashes in plain surrounds. The over sailing eaves to the central section feature modillions to the rear and side elevations. The rear, north-west, side of the central range is rendered and features sash windows, with cornices and corbels. Broad string courses at plinth, first and second floor level extend across to the outer wings. Both wings feature C20 fire doors with 9-paned fanlights at ground floor level, set within corniced surrounds. Above each is a late-C20 six-over-six sash window in plain surrounds with extended stucco sills. These also feature on the south-west elevation, either side of a truncated end stack. The north-east end is slightly extended and set back from the frontage. It features two-over-two horned sashes with segmental arched brick heads to the ground and first floor. Windows to the rear of the outer wings are set within recessed, painted surrounds.

INTERIOR: the main entrance leads into the former entrance hall, which retains C19 decorative ceiling cornicing with modillions and arched door surrounds. These, and other C19 door and window surrounds, feature carved rosettes and fluted and panelled architraves. The walls to the ground and first floor have openings created during the late-C20 remodelling, with remaining sections of wall indicating the former four-room plan. The first and second floors feature profiled skirting, dado and picture rails, and architraves and some moulded cornicing and plaster detailing to the ceilings. There are modern fixtures and fittings throughout.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: around the north-east and south-east perimeter of the front courtyard is a wall with railings and gate piers by Martin and Chamberlain. The decorative wrought iron railings surmount a low brick wall with a brick plinth and pointed stone coping. The gate piers are constructed of brick with three-tier Gothic stone caps and a plinth band. The pier to the east corner features a Gothic stone niche with an inscription which records the building of the wall and railing.

History

The area of Islington in Birmingham developed during the turn of the C19 at the western end of what is now known as Broad Street. In 1816 glass manufacturers Rice Harris, Owen Johnson and John Berry established the Islington Glassworks on the north-west side of Islington Road (now Broad Street). To the immediate south-east of the glassworks, fronting Islington Road, was a detached house, owned by Harris, which would later become known as 80 Broad Street. The Pigott-Smith map of 1828 shows that, at this time, the house had an L-shaped footprint, with a small range projecting north-west from its otherwise rectangular plan.

Johnson and Berry left the Islington Glass partnership in 1829 and 1832 respectively, leaving the business to Harris. Harris was declared bankrupt in 1842 and the glassworks, along with the house and its contents, were put up for sale. Sales particulars describe a ‘very substantially built and roomy family house fronting to Islington-road, with a large walled garden and grounds’. The furniture sales particulars describe items from several rooms in the house which included chambers, a chamber lobby, drawing-room, dining room, library, breakfast room, hall and butler’s pantry.

From 1842, 80 Broad Street became the new premises of the ‘Birmingham Lying-in Hospital and Dispensary for the Diseases of Women and Children for Birmingham and the West Midlands Counties’. The aim of the charity was to 'supply proper medical and obstetric attendance to poor married women' and 'relief in the diseases incident to women and children'. The term ‘lying-in’ was in reference to the long period of bedrest prescribed to new mothers. Contemporary accounts suggest that it was the only lying-in hospital in the Midlands counties at the time. In 1863 two symmetrical wings were added to the building and alterations were made to the windows by Birmingham architect, John Jones Bateman (1817-1903), who designed a number of civic buildings, and nonconformist churches, often in partnership with George Drury.

The hospital suffered high mortality rates, principally due to puerperal sepsis, and in November 1867 resolutions were passed abolishing the In-Patient department and restricting the operations of the charity to midwifery cases alone. In 1869, following a successful campaign by Dr Thomas Heslop to establish a dedicated children’s hospital in the area, the Children's Hospital Committee initiated a 50-year lease of 80 Broad Street. The railings with gothic piers by Martin and Chamberlain were added to the front of the building at this time. An inscription on one of the piers suggests that they were built ‘at the sole cost of two friends’. By the 1890s, 80 Broad Street had a roughly T-shaped plan, the north-east wing had been extended slightly north, and a range of detached outbuildings had been built to the west side of the building.

The Children’s Hospital moved to new premises in 1917 and 80 Broad Street subsequently became known as the Royal Cripples Hospital. A new hospital wing was unveiled in 1941, extending the outbuildings to the north to form a linear range (not included in this listing) that ran parallel to the main building. This was connected to the outer wings of the main building with two footbridges. By 1955, the building had been renamed the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. In the second half of the C20 the chimney stacks and central pediment were removed. From the 1990s, the building was converted for use as bar, restaurant and night club. Infill ranges with lantern lights were inserted between the wings of the main building and linear range (not included in this listing). Internally, the principal staircase and sections of the internal walls were removed, and modern services, fixtures and fittings were introduced. The building remained in use as a bar, restaurant, and night club until its closure around 2020.

Reasons for Listing

The principal range to 80 Broad Street is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a dignified example of polite, late-Georgian architecture, skilfully enlarged with complementary symmetrical wings by John Jones Bateman in 1863, featuring high-quality materials, detailing and craftsmanship;
* the elegant perimeter wall, railings, and gate piers, designed by Martin & Chamberlain, complement the main building and form an impressive composition in the street scene;
* for the high-quality of the surviving interior features, including elegant joinery and plasterwork.

Historic interest:

* for its origins as an elegant early-C19 dwelling, illustrating the development of the area of Islington in Birmingham, now Broad Street, as an industrial hub and aspirational suburb;
* for its adaptation as the first ‘lying-in’ hospital in the Midlands, specialising in obstetric care.

External Links

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