History

An Act of Parliament, the Lunacy Act, of 1845 resulted in the counties of Monmouth, Hereford, Brecon and Radnor building a Joint Lunatic Asylum here at Abergavenny 1847-52. The Asylum was opened 1st December 1851 at a cost of £37083; architect Thomas Fulljames of Fulljames and Waller of Gloucester. It initially had twelve wards and 210 inmates. This work forms the basis for much of the long front range; the right hand Infirmary wing was added in 1859-61. The Laundry block was added in 1861-75. These completed the Fulljames design which was much more Gothic in style than the building is today. A plan that was in one of the main offices at the time of listing (1992) dated 1895 by John Giles, Gough and Trollope, architects of London indicates that they carried out the considerable extensions of the 1880s, and this included the re-modelling of the main central elevation. The majority of the stone rear ranges date from 1881-83 including the Central Administration Block and the Epileptic Block (but see below). The Working Men's Dormitory was added in 1891 by Alfred Swash, and further work was done in 1901-4 and 1910, this involved the rebuilding of the four main gables and was done by the local architect Edward Johnson; subsequent ranges and alterations in conversion to modern hospital use.
During the latter half of C19 the catchment area for this asylum was greatly reduced, although it could now house 1170 patients. It became the Monmouthshire Asylum in 1897, the Monmouth Mental Hospital in 1930 and finally Pen-y-Val Hospital in 1948. With changing attitudes to mental care the use of the hospital declined and it was closed in 1997. A scheme for conversion to apartments was drawn up by Graham Frecknall of Monmouth and this has now been fully realised. It has involved the demolition of certain sections of the hospital buildings described above, but the main long range with the return wings at either end has been carefully restored, as have the Lodge and all the Shelters in the gardens (qqv), the Church remains in need of repair and reuse. The projecting and clasping blocks at the south-east (Infirmary) and north-west ends of the main range survive only in part, while everything behind the main range apart from the two principal wings has gone and this includes the Central Administration Block and most of the additions of 1881-3 and of 1891 mentioned above. These have been replaced by new build, with two rows of houses in the rear centre as well as many new houses on the northern part of the site and two matching Lodges at the site entrance by the railway bridge, these last being in a deliberate repro-style. A comparison with the aerial photograph cited in the References makes all this very clear.

Exterior

Built of coursed squared rock-faced local red sandstone rubble masonry, snecked to later work with plinth, stringcourse and Bath freestone dressings; natural slate roofs and stone chimney stacks. The earlier ranges by Thomas Fulljames are in the Gothic style of William Butterfield; later alterations have elements of various styles, both classical and Jacobethan. Mainly three storeys, with the main front almost virtually symmetrical and punctuated by projecting gabled bays, three on either side of the main entrance. The entrance elevation is five windows wide with 2 and 3-light stone mullioned windows in flat heads. Central classical porch with paired Doric columns and parapet extending across flanking bays. Full height Jacobethan derived frontispiece above with octagonal tourelles; square clock turret with swept roof with stacks at either gable. This detailing is all by Giles and Gough and dates from c1883 when the Chapel was removed from the upper floors and replaced by the Board and Committee Rooms. Gabled bays project to left and right with large octagonal stacks in the angles. The gabled bays have 4-light windows; acutely pointed to the second floor and grouped under one arch with Beaufort coat of arms, to south-east gable; cusped arches below and Caernarvon arches to ground floor. Running outwards and set back between the next projecting gables are 5-bay sections that have gables, broader to middle, and lateral chimney breasts with paired diagonally set stacks; cusped 2-light windows to first floor. The next projecting bay to the south-east is dated 1910 over the second floor windows; similar window arrangement to the previous gabled bay. The equivalent bay to north-west is 4-storey and dated 1851; the building steps down beyond. Both of these gables have 2-windows to the lower floors and above are large octagonal freestone ventilation towers rising from square bases; animal carved gargoyles and other figures. Three more bays lead to the corners; the central ones of which are gabled and advanced to a shallower depth; splayed bays to ground and first floors with parapets. Beaufort arms again to the south-east gable. Advanced corner towers with French Renaissance style roofs and ironworks cresting (see References); shouldered doorways. All the roofs are high and steeply pitched to match the gables.
The greater part of the cross wing to the south-east was the 1859-61 Infirmary, but only the rear wing of this now survives giving an additional gable to the main elevation which is also mirrored at the north-west end. Five bay returns with three gabled dormers. The rear elevation of the main range has two projecting wings of Victorian date and, inside them and flanking the main axis, two rows of newly completed houses which are on the site of the former Central Administration block. The Victorian elevations have 2, 3 and 4-light windows of the different types described above and there are additional two storey bays, gables, gabled dormers and chimney stacks as before, giving a varied articulation but with the scars of new stonework where additions and features have been removed are also still much in evidence.
The rubble walls of the original courtyards survive to some extent at the rear, particularly the wall bordering the inner side of the perimeter drive, splayed outwards beside the octagonal shelter and stepped down towards the front where two cross walls form a small yard entered through pointed arch doorways.

Interior

Much of the original corridor system was retained up to closure in 1997, but the subsequent conversion to apartments has of necessity destroyed most of this.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as one of the best examples in Wales of a C19 hospital building. It also has group value with the associated listed items.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29482853

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

• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey