Description

BUXTON

SK0573NE DEVONSHIRE ROAD
616-1/3/32 (South West side)
21/12/70 Devonshire Royal Hospital

II*

Stables to the Crescent, now hospital. 1785-90, by John Carr,
for the 5th Duke of Devonshire, converted 1859, by Henry
Currey, domes and clock tower added 1880-81 by Robert Ripon
Duke, C20 alterations and additions. Ashlar gritstone with
ashlar dressings, slate roof and copper domes.
PLAN: Square with canted corners and circular courtyard.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys with 11 windows to each front and 3
windows to each corner front. Plinth, ground floor impost
band, dentilated eaves cornice.
East, entrance front, has slightly projecting 3 window centre
with broad pediment. Central round headed doorway with double
doors and fanlight, flanked by single round headed windows,
with above three 9-pane square windows, flanking 4 window
wings have round headed glazing bar window set in plain outer
arches, with four 9-pane windows above. Chamfered corners each
have large central round headed windows flanked by small
windows all in plain round headed arches. All fronts
identical, except for south front which has projecting 3 bay
centre with single bay returns. Pedimented front has a former
entrance in raised moulded surround with inscription to frieze
recording the munificent charity of Wm Spencer, 6th Duke of
Devonshire in allowing the building to be converted in 1858.
The urn surmounting the pediment is believed to be by Tom
Wentworth of Doncaster and originally crowned the Well House
(demolished) of 1782 by J Carr.
East front topped by square clock tower with 2 round headed
louvred bell openings to each face of first stage flanked by
pairs of Tuscan Doric pilasters. Above clock to each face
flanked by pilasters topped by pediments. Above a square
ribbed lead dome with iron weather vane. Over each chamfered
corner a square wooden lantern with 3 blank panels to each
face, the central one topped by a pediment, and above an
octagonal copper dome with finial. Central slated dome has
circular lantern topped with small copper cupola.
North front largely obscured by later alterations and
additions.
INTERIOR: central circular hall 180 feet in diameter with a
fine Tuscan Doric colonnade of 48 columns, each 28 feet high,
supporting an entablature with frieze bearing the inscription:
ONE HALF OF THIS BUILDING WAS GIVEN TO THE USE OF THE POOR BY
WILLIAM SPENCER CAVENDISH SIXTH DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE IN THE YEAR
1859 AND CONVEYED TO TRUSTEES AS THE DEVONSHIRE HOSPITAL
TOGETHER WITH THE PLEASURE GROUNDS BY WILLIAM CAVENDISH 7TH
DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE IN THE YEAR 1868. THE REMAINDER OF THE
BUILDING WAS OBTAINED IN THE YEAR 1878 AND THE WHOLE WAS
INTERNALLY RECONSTRUCTED BY THE GOVERNORS OF THE COTTON
DISTRICTS CONVALESCENT FUND IN THE YEAR 1881. This colonnade
was originally designed as an indoor all-weather ride.
Hospital wards and rooms radiate off. Open central area with
some ornate ironwork railing: the ribbed dome above was at one
time the largest unsupported dome in the world with a span of
154 ft.
The original stables cost »16,470.3.10, and were built to
accommodate 120 horses.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Derbyshire:
Harmondsworth: 1953-1986: 114; Hall I: Georgian Buxton:
Chapel-en le Frith: 1984-: 26).

Listing NGR: SK0565173672

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Devonshire Dome at Wikipedia
• Devonshire Dome official website
• Wikidata Q5267877

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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