Description

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SE 50 SE
3/107

TOWN OF DONCASTER
TICKHILL ROAD (east side)
Administration block to St Catherine's Hospital

GV
ll

House, now part of hospital. 1839 by John Clark of Leeds for George Books, former Mayor of Leeds. Gothick style. Ashlar, except inner courtyard and rear elevations of gault brick, with stone dressings. Graduated slate roofs throughout. Square on plan with narrow inner courtyard. Main ranges of two storeys but rear wing of three storeys with taller three storey tower. Main facade of seven bays with deep plinth. End corners and corners to slightly projecting wide central bay have large octagonal buttresses, rising to form small turrets with blind traceried panelled sides and embattled tops.

Central bay has large porte-cochere with moulded four-centred arches to east side below return hoodmoulds, stepped buttresses to corners, triangular sectioned over the first step, rising over the parapets to form gabletted pinnacles with crocketed gabletted finials, and eaves stringcourse with embattled parapets. Ribbed plaster vault on foliage corbels within. Three tall four-centred arched chamfered openings beneath, central one with C20 door and traceried overlight, flanking one with original two-light casement windows with cusped traceried heads. Three similar windows to either side in similar surrounds with recessed spandrels and returnedsquare headed hoodmoulds.

First floor stringcourse and three flat headed chamfered windows below returned hoodmoulds with C20 casements to either side of central bay. This has central canted bay with C20 casements in chamfered surrounds below cornice with frieze of blind quatrefoils. Adjoining windows to either side, similar to those beyond. Above, the central bay has a gable with carved coat of arms and central pendent. Eaves stringcourse and plain coped parapets throughout. Ridge stacks flanking central bay with reduced octagonal flues. Garden facade to right return has five bay elevation with projecting gabled end bays, projecting square bay to centre and narrow flanking bays.

Left bay has octagonal buttresses similar to main front; to ground floor a canted bay window with two-light four-centred arched windows similar to those to main facade, below a frieze of blind traceried panels, stringcourse and embattled parapets. Central bay has wide four-centred arched opening below returned hoodmould with C20 glazed screen within, side of bay with blind cusped lancets. To either side full height four-centred arched windows, that to right blind. Right bay with projecting bay to ground floor with blind three-light chamfered mullioned and transomed four-centred arched window, below returned hoodmould, stringcourse and blocking course. Continuous first floor string-course.

Blind three-light mullion and transomed window to right with returned hoodmould, similar to left with mullions missing and C20 glazing, and five-light similar central window flanked by single light similar windows. Left gable with blank shield, right one with blind two-light window. Eaves stringcourse and plain coped parapets throughout. Other elevations in similar style. Tower to rear with three-light openings to second and third stages, those to top stage with four-centred arched lights. Attached screen wall to left of main facade has arcade of blind four-centred arches with returned hoodmoulds and stepped buttresses between. Gabled bays to centre and left with blocked mullioned windows.

Stables and service wings attached to rear of this wall not included in the listing.

House has fine contemporary interior. Entrance hall has ribbed vaulted ceiling on foliage corbels, moulded. Four-centred arched doorcases and side niches with elaborate ogee crocketed canopies and pinnacle buttresses to sides. Staircase has pierced timber Gothick traceried balustrade with wreathed and ramped handrail below plaster ceiling. Front rooms all with elaborate Gothick plaster cornices, four-centred arched fireplaces with original embattled grates and cusped blind tracery to shutters and doors. Corridor behind the main hall with ribbed vaulted ceiling.

Listing NGR: SE5675600128

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26574890

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas