Description

TQ3082SW
798-1/95/728

CAMDEN
GUILFORD STREET (North side)
Coram's Field Playground, former Foundling Hospital and gates and railings

(Formerly Listed as: GUILFORD STREET Forecourt buildings, gates & railings to the former Foundling Hospital)

10/06/54

GV
II
The surviving forecourt buildings to the former Foundling Hospital, now Coram's Fields Playground. c1742-53 by Theodore Jacobsen for Captain Thomas Coram; with various later additions and alterations. Reconstructed 1964-8 by G Bryant Hobbs. The only buildings in their original form are the northern sections of the east and west ranges, restored by English Heritage London Division c1988. Stucco and painted brick with slated roofs.

EXTERIOR: central entrance gateway: distyle central stone gate pier with engaged Doric columns, entablature, blocking course and round-arched alcoves to north and south elevations.Flanked by C20 cast-iron railings and gates attached to Porters' lodges: small, rectangular, single storey; each with pitched roof and eaves cornice over projecting single north facing window bays with architraved, round-arched sash windows and impost bands. Pedimented porches, facing east and west, on gable ends, with round-arched doorways and narrow windows, above which stucco swags and putti. South side loggias: single storey with Doric half-columns, central round-arched doorways flanked by round-arched windows. Slated pitched roof with projecting eaves cornice. These flank projecting central two storey brick pavilions with pitched slated roofs. Five window bays. Ground floor with six Doric half-columns supporting an entablature at first floor level. Round-arched doorways and windows. First floor with three oculi. Eaves cornice.

The Band Room in the south-east corner. Single storey, five windows. Round-arched windows with lunettes above. Cornice and blocking course with slated hipped roof. Rebuilt on similar lines to a former mid C19 building. Mary Ward Youth Club in the south-west corner. Two storeys, five windows. Round-arched French doors at ground floor level. Recessed sashes to first floor. Cornice and blocking course with slated hipped roof. Built to balance the Band Room. East and west loggias: two ranges of single storey loggias with Doric columns carrying simplified entablature with bracketed eaves cornices. Slated, pitched roofs. The northern halves of each loggia are open, the southern halves closed in with round-arched French windows. Terminated at the north ends by projecting stucco pavilions with round-arched recesses and openings linked by impost bands and surmounted by a lantern. Projecting central pavilions with three round-arched windows and Doric half-columns supporting entablatures with pediments. Blind oculi in the tympanums formerly with modelled figures and coats of arms.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the Foundling Hospital was built 1742-53 for Captain Thomas Coram and demolished 1926. The memorials and heraldic glass from the former chapel and the statue of Coram from the main entrance were transferred to the new hospital built at Berkhamstead. The former court room, committee room, picture gallery and works of art were retained in the new building at No.40 Brunswick Square (qv).

Listing NGR: TQ3047182226

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q27083513

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6