St James Hospital and Attached Piers and Lamp Posts, Milton, City of Portsmouth

Description

PORTSMOUTH

SU60SE LOCKSWAY ROAD, Milton
774-1/4/285 St James' Hospital and attached
09/12/98 piers and lamp posts

GV II

Hospital. c1878. By George Rake. Red brick in English bond,
stone dressings.
MATERIALS: steep pitched Welsh slate roofs, brick stack with
oversailing brick capping to left and right of main entrance
block, to centre and right of left block, to centre and left
of right block and to left, centre and right of each
projecting south facing block.
STYLE: Byzantine Gothic.
PLAN: symmetrical box plan with projecting wings.
EXTERIOR: main entrance block 3 storeys, 5 bays; each flanking
block 2 storeys, 6 bays; far left and right towers each 4
storeys, 1 bay, and each of the two south facing projecting
blocks 2 storeys, 7 bays (1 wide/1/1/1 wide/1/1/1 wide/).
Quoins have rusticated rock face stonework. Central main
entrance block has at centre a 1-storey open arcade with three
4-centred gauged brick arches, square gauged brick piers with
vertical flutes set on rock-faced stone bases. Banded
dripstone, gauged brick parapet with quatrefoil pierced stone
inset panels, stone coping raised at centre with inset date
stone inscribed 1878 and with Portsmouth City coat of arms,
segmental pointed dripstone with dropped labels. 6 terrazzo
steps approach the central arcade opening with low flanking
staircase walls, 2 front piers, each supporting a short ornate
iron lamp post. To rear recessed wall at centre of arcade is a
revolving glazed door with side screens, fanlight set under
segmental pointed stone arch, stone jamb with roll mouldings.
To left and right is a 2-light wide stone transomed and
mullioned casement. Each projecting end bay has a canted stone
transomed and mullioned bay window with 3-light wide front and
1-light wide to each side, each light with casement, banded
dripstone, brick parapet with stone insets similar to entrance
arcade parapet, rock-faced stone plinth below sill.
First floor has 5 stone transomed and mullioned windows with
eaved and shouldered architraves and flat arch, centre
3-lights wide and flanking 2-lights wide with casements,
4-light wide to each end bay with sashes. Second floor stone
sillband with 5 similar windows, centre 2-light wide, flanking
1-light wide and 3-light wide to each end bay. Over each first
and second floor window is a gauged brick relieving arch,
segmental pointed to first floor and pointed to second floor,

each tympanum filled in with foliated terracotta in panels.
Each of the 3 centre second floor windows set under stone
coped brick gable with stone kneelers. Each end bay has a
stone coped facing gable with stone kneelers, horizontal stone
band halfway up gable and apex of roof over band is recessed.
At centre of block is a lead covered clock turret with
spirelet. Left and right returns 3 bays wide have similar
stone transomed and mullioned windows with brick relieving
arch over each first floor window. To left and right of
central block is a recessed 1-storey link with two similar
1-light wide stone transomed and mullioned windows each with
timber casement, dripstone band, brick parapet with moulded
stone coping. Rock-faced stone plinth.
To right of right link and left of left link is a 2-storey
wing. Right wing has on right a wide canted bay running
through first floor with stone transomed and mullioned
windows, 3-light wide to front and 1-light to each side, each
light with casement, banded dripstone. First floor has stone
banded sill and similar window 2-lights wide, gauged brick
pointed relieving arch with terracotta panels to tympanum,
facing stone coped brick gable with stone kneelers, hipped
roof. To left of bay and on first floor is a 1-light wide,
then 2-light wide and on far left 3-light wide similar stone
transomed and mullioned windows with casements. First floor
centre window is full height and runs down to dripstone band.
Left wing is similar but reversed with the canted bay to the
left. To left and right of each wing is a recessed 1-storey
link with 3 open 4-centred gauged brick arches with square
gauged brick piers each set on a rock-faced stone plinth.
Recessed behind each arcade is at centre a late C20 2-leaf
door with overlight set under a flat rendered arch and to left
and right a 2-light wide stone transomed and mullioned window
with casements all as before. Banded dripstone and stone coped
brick parapet.
On far left and right to each corner is a 4-storey projecting
square tower. At centre of each tower and to inward return
faces is a 1-light wide stone transomed and mullioned window
as before described, banded dripstone. First floor has a
similar 2-light window with gauged brick pointed relieving
arch and panelled terracotta tympanum. Second floor has stone
sillband with similar 2-light window, banded dripstone. Third
floor has moulded stone sillband, similar 3-light window,
banded dripstone, brick and stone coped crenellated parapet.
From outward corner of each tower runs a 2-storey long south
projecting wing. Main south facade to each wing has projecting
end bays each with facing gable. At centre is a C20
conservatory. On left of right wing and right of left wing is
a canted stone transomed and mullioned bay window 4-lights

wide at front and 1-light to each side, each light with sash,
banded dripstone and brick and stone parapet. Rock-faced stone
plinth. To outward end bay of each wing is a 5-light wide
stone transomed and mullioned window with sashes. First floor
moulded stone band and each wing has at each end and centre a
5-light wide stone transomed and mullioned window with sashes,
and each end bay has a brick relieving arch with terracotta
panels to tympanum. Centre window has facing gable. To left
and right of centre window are 2 similar 1-light wide stone
transomed and mullioned windows each with sash set under
eaves.
INTERIOR: original features generally intact. The aisled
entertainment/recreation room/theatre now encased in
hardboard, but it is understood that all original features
such as terracotta medallions by Blashfield survive under this
covering in walls of alternating red brick and chalk bands.
HISTORY: c1875 Portsmouth Town Council adopted the powers of
the Lunatic Asylums Act of 1853, and after a period of sending
local paupers to the Hants. County Asylum at Knowle and
Fisherton, they resolved to build an asylum on 75 acres of
land between Eastney lake and Velder Creek.
(Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle: Winchester: 1879-).

Listing NGR: SU6610802158

External Links

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