Description

ISLINGTON

TQ2986NW HIGHGATE HILL 635-1/12/499 (West side) F block, St Mary's Wing, Whittington Hospital

II

Former Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital. 1848-50 to the designs of Samuel Daukes, with later alterations. Paid for by the Great Northern Railway, whose terminus at King's Cross involved the demolition of an earlier Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital. Yellow brick set in Flemish bond, with some purple brick used in the rear elevations, and dressings of Bath stone except for the portico which is of Portland stone; cast-iron; roof of asbestos slate so far as visible. Three storeys over basement; the principal front has a centrepiece of five windows, ranges of seven windows to either side, and wings of three windows to either end. A three-bay Roman Doric portico has been added to the central entrance, the outer columns paired and the central bay wider, with entablature and balustraded parapet; the entrance itself is round-arched with cornice and fanlight, moulded stone springing band, archivolt and keystone, and is flanked by and linked to two round-arched windows similarly detailed; the outer bays of the centrepiece at this level are round-arched and decorated with chamfered rustication; upper floors have chamfered quoins; first-floor windows flat-arched with stone architraves, the three middle windows also having cornices; panel above these windows lettered 'SMALL POX & VACCINATION HOSPITAL.'; dentil cornice, now simplified; in the attic storey, formerly an open loggia, the three middle bays are set forward under a pediment, with a bracketed clock between two round-arched windows with springing band, archivolts and keystones; the outer windows are flat-arched with shouldered and eared architraves under a parapet; blank windows to returns. The seven-window ranges have stone plinth; round-arched windows to the ground floor with springing band, archivolts and keystones; storey band; moulded sill band to the first-floor windows which are flat-arched with stone architraves; moulded sill band to the second floor windows which are round-arched with springing band, archivolts and keystones; cornice and panelled parapet; hipped roofs. The wings have chamfered quoins, fenestration as for the seven-window ranges, with blank panels over first-floor windows, dentil cornice acting as a sill band to second floor windows, blank windows to returns, cornice and panelled parapet. Left- and right-hand returns have centrepieces of three windows projecting slightly under a pediment, with chamfered quoins and wings of three windows to either side; the central first-floor window also has a pediment; dentil cornice continued from wings, cornice and panelled parapet. On the left-hand return, there is a cast-iron fire-escape of late C19 date with palm-leaf capitals and ornate newels and balusters in the right-hand bay of the centrepiece. Sashes of original design to centrepiece (ground and first floors), right-hand seven-window range (ground and first floors), left-hand seven-window range (first floor), wings, and left- and right-hand returns.The rear elevations have three wings corresponding to the centrepiece and side wings, with simpler detailing and some use of purple brick in the lower parts; single-storey blocks, of C19 date, in the angles of the wings, altered in part. The interior has been largely altered, though the first floor appears to reflect the alteration of the building to nurses' bedrooms and administration in 1900. (Historians' file, English Heritage London Division).

Listing NGR: TQ2899586963

External Links

• Wikidata Q26490207

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