Former Nicholls Hospital including gymnasium, governor's house, stone setted and flagged forecourt, boundary walls and gates, stone gate piers on Ford Street and Devonshire Street, and two granite memorials in the forecourt

The Former Nicholls Hospital is a Gothic revival bluecoat school designed between 1865 and 1867 and built from 1878 to 1880 by the architect Thomas Worthington. It was commissioned by Benjamin Nicholls as a memorial to his son, John Ashton Nicholls. The complex includes the main school building, a gymnasium, a governor's house (built around 1900), stone-setted and flagged forecourt, boundary walls with gates, stone gate piers on Ford Street and Devonshire Street, and two granite memorials in the forecourt. The school later served as a council school and college of further education, with extensions added over time.

The buildings are constructed of red brick in Flemish bond, with buff sandstone from Moor End in Halifax, slate and lead roofs, and cast-iron rainwater goods.

The complex is arranged as a linear east-west range with a central block projecting both forward (containing a tower) and to the rear. The gymnasium is attached at the north-west corner and the governor's house at the north-east.

School Building

The design follows a north European Gothic style, characterised by flat-headed mullion-and-transom windows and an absence of polychromatic brickwork. Decoration becomes more elaborate at higher levels. The building rises two tall storeys above a basement, with an attic floor.

The south-facing front elevation extends eleven bays in symmetrical arrangement, dominated by the central tower which breaks forward and rises 130 feet high. Deep stone sill-bands mark each floor level except the basement, and the building features stone tourelles at the corners and gabled stone half-dormers in the attic.

The tower rises two stages above the eaves, with a machicolated stone parapet and octagonal corner tourelles, crowned by a steep saddle-back roof (its ridge running perpendicular to the front facade). The roof features gableted three-light windows and ridge cresting. The entrance at the tower's base is approached by a long stone-balustraded staircase and comprises a pointed-arched doorway with moulded surround and double doors with studded Gothic panelling. Gothic niches with canopies flank the entrance. Above, a tiered stone oriel rises through the first and second floors with a stepped parapet, culminating in a canopied niche flanked by lancets on the third floor.

The five-bay side ranges flanking the tower have stone mullion-and-transom windows at all levels, each with quoined surrounds. First-floor windows have straight dripmoulds. The attic dormers are slightly corbelled out with Gothic enrichment. Rainwater pipes descend between the bays. The gables carry stone copings with heraldic-beast finials. The entrance steps span a broad basement area defined by a stone retaining wall on a low brick plinth, with square buttresses and corner piers. The wall returns in stone across the ends of the area at the building's rear. The gymnasium and governor's house are partially visible, set back at the left and right respectively.

The west gable end repeats the sill-bands and features matching tourelles at eaves level linked by machicolation similar to the main tower. Above this sits a two-light mullion-and-transom window beneath a drip-moulded pointed arch, with a roundel inscribed 'N' in the tympanum. Stone tablets with shields in relief flank the window: one carved with the school badge of a castle tower (facing the front), the other with the monogram 'BN' (facing the rear), both bearing the school motto 'SEMPER FIDELIS' (always faithful). Below are stacked three-light, four-light and two-light mullion-and-transom windows. An inserted doorway sits to the left of the two-light basement window. Slightly recessed to the left is a single-bay lavatory tower with narrow sash windows at each floor and the main range's sill bands continuing in simplified form as paired plat bands. The tower's gable has stone coping with moulded kneelers and finial. Modern links of lesser interest connect to the gymnasium on the left.

The north (rear) elevation is symmetrical, with a wide three-bay central block of four storeys above the basement, and four-bay rear walls of the main range, the outermost bays occupied by lavatory towers. The basement rear at the right is partially obscured by inserted links of lesser interest to the gymnasium. Very tall channelled and corbelled chimney stacks with stone coping rise from the valleys between the towers and main roof. Moving inward from the outer walls are two bays with gabled half-dormers and stone mullion-and-transom windows at each floor (some altered for modern fire escapes of lesser interest), followed by full-height chimney breasts rising to similar stacks. The towers have two sash windows per floor with stone lintels and sills. The side plat bands return across the towers, with one per floor continuing across the full width.

The central rear block comprises two gabled, two-window towers flanking a polygonal tower, which has two-light mullion-and-transom windows on each face and a steep slate roof. The side returns of this block feature gabled half-dormers and chimney breasts with tall stacks. Full-height chimney breasts also occupy the angles between the polygonal tower and its flanking bays; the left has a tall channelled stack with stone coping, while the right stack is plain and truncated. The main tower details match the front elevation, except the lanceted window is replaced by a very tall chimney stack with polygonal sides, machicolated coping and tall glazed pots. The base of the left-hand lavatory tower is partially obscured by a corridor linking it to the governor's house.

The east wall mirrors the west wall except the basement window is flanked by inserted windows. At the lavatory tower's base, the wall extends rearwards with a low two-centred stone arched gateway (fitted with modern gates of lesser interest) linking to the governor's house. Above this runs a corridor with pitched slate roof and two windows above the stone coping of the earlier wall below.

Internally, spaces are generally plain but retain some moulded archways and architraves, skirtings and cornices, particularly in circulation areas and some rooms. The porch has a dado rail, glazed panelled screen and coffered ceiling, plus two short marble columns apparently intended to display busts. The lobby beyond retains a stone-flagged floor extending into the stairwell, radiators, skirting, moulded archways and cornicing. It also contains a marble memorial tablet to old boys who died in the First World War and a marble dedication tablet. Below the school badge in relief, this reads: "THIS HOSPITAL FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND EDUCATION OF THE SONS OF POOR PERSONS WAS FOUNDED BY BEQUEST OF ALDERMAN BENJAMIN NICHOLLS OF MANCHESTER AS A MEMORIAL OF HIS SON JOHN ASHTON NICHOLLS WHO HAD THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE HUMBLER CLASSES DEEPLY AT HEART AND LABOURED EARNESTLY TO PROMOTE IT AND WHOSE MOTHER TESTIFIED HER INTEREST IN THE OBJECT OF THIS INSTITUTION BY A SUPPLEMENTARY BEQUEST. JOHN ASHTON NICHOLLS DIED 18TH SEPTEMBER 1859 BENJAMIN NICHOLLS DIED 1ST MARCH 1877 SARAH NICHOLLS DIED 25TH AUGUST 1881."

The well-winder staircase is original, extended to basement and attic, with stone treads (now covered), decorative cast-iron newels and balusters, plus banister rail and skirting. The first-floor boardroom above the lobby retains skirting, dado rail, cornice, window dado and a fireplace with marble and tiled fire surround and hearth. An adjacent study has similar woodwork. The tower retains the original bell in a room accessed by an original wooden spiral staircase with lime-plaster soffit. The basement retains features of lesser interest except for the patent ceiling construction. A modern lift has been inserted and the west range roof timbers are replacements following the original configuration. Most rooms retain original sash windows with the meeting rail aligned with the stone transom, fitted with modern internal secondary glazing.

Governor's House

The governor's house rises two storeys plus an attic and is two rooms deep. The principal east elevation faces Devonshire Street. On the left, a projecting three-storey gabled bay contains a two-storey canted bay window; to the right sits a two-bay wing with a blind gable at the right end and a flat-roofed porch in the angle. The gable windows have stone lintels and transoms with brick tympana to pointed heads. The flat-roofed canted bay has mullioned two-light central windows at each floor, with chequered (yellow and purple) leaded glass in all upper lights. The right-hand gabled bay has a three-light mullion-and-transom window (its lintel breaking the eaves) above two two-light windows. To the left of these sits a two-light window above the porch; the upper lights of the first-floor windows also have chequered leaded glass. The porch has a transomed window with patterned leaded glass. The house features stone plat bands, kneelers and copings, a brick eaves cornice, and square rainwater goods.

The north wall is gabled with returning plat bands and a projecting full-height chimney breast with decorative brickwork and corbelled top. Set back on the left is the entrance in the side return of the front porch, with a two-light overlight with chequered leaded glass and panelled door. To the right, in the angle with the west range, a two-storey outshot has a canted ground-floor bay window and upper window with stone sill and lintel. Set back to the right is the side of the west range with a small window lighting the rear entrance lobby, fitted with coloured leaded glass.

The west wall has a set-back gabled bay on the left and a three-window block to the right with a gable over the two right-hand windows. The left bay is largely blind except for a small ground-floor window and blocked basement light, and features a full-height chimney breast similar to that on the north wall. To the right of this are a rear entrance with four stone steps, chequered overlight and panelled door, and a patterned leaded stair window above. Beneath the right-hand gable (which projects by a single brick depth) are two windows at each of three floors plus small basement lights; these windows are all replacements. A round cast-iron soil-vent stack runs down between these windows. Set back to the right is the west face of the arched link to the school.

The south wall is obscured on the left by the link. To the right of this, corbelled two-light half-dormers sit above stacked two-light and three-light windows (all mullion-and-transom, some with chequered leaded glass in the upper lights). A tall ridge stack has a corbelled top.

Internally, the house retains most architraves, doors and skirting, some cornicing, and its original staircase. The attic retains a structural timber roof frame.

Gymnasium

The gymnasium is a tall single storey with a hipped slate roof containing inserted conservation rooflights and a tall ridge lantern with replacement windows beneath its own hipped slate roof with ridge finials. The north wall is obscured at the west end by a modern link to the former sixth-form centre, and the south wall is obscured by infill links and service spaces. The north wall has recessed brick panels and inserted fire doors, the east wall has large windows and a doorway, and the west wall is blind.

The interior retains the timber roof structure, and the original floor is believed to survive beneath carpet.

Subsidiary Features

The entrance is approached by a stone-flagged path flanked by low stone retaining walls. Cast-iron boot scrapers are embedded in the path on either side, along with gate-catches. There is also an area of stone setts and flags on the eastern approach.

Substantial boundary walls enclose the site. Along Hyde Road and returning along the sides of the forecourt runs a low sandstone ashlar wall with moulded coping. Railings are 20th-century and not of interest. At the main entrance stand four tall square-section stone piers with moulded plinths, beaded corners, brattished cornices and tall pyramidal caps with finials. These carry original cast-iron gates with dog-bars and spear-headed bar railings. The centre pair ramp upward towards the centre, which is flat-headed and has panels lettered "SEMPER FIDELIS".

At the north end of the west side the wall continues as a tall Flemish bond brick wall with stone quoins and coping, with bell bollards at a west gateway. North of the gateway the wall continues as the gymnasium's west wall. On the east side, the wall to Devonshire Street is almost at pavement level before it rises as a Flemish bond brick wall with stone quoins, a four-centred arched doorway and a tall gateway with coped piers and quoined jambs. The gates are replacements of lesser interest. North of the gateway the wall steps down until the coping sits only a single course of brick above the pavement. Here it carries replacement railings and gate to the governor's house. North of the governor's house it rises again to around ten feet high, still in Flemish bond and with light headers creating a chequer pattern. A doorway with flat-arched stone lintel sits at the south end of this wall. The wall's inner face has a tall plinth and recessed upper panels. Around 35 metres north of the governor's house is a wide gateway with stone bell bollards. These gates are also replacements of lesser interest. Around 25 metres further north the wall ends at the southern boundary of the playing field (former cemetery).

The boundary wall and fence to the playing field is modern and not included in the listing, but around 40 metres further north stand two original square-section stone gate piers with moulded plinths, raised and fielded panels to each face, and corniced square caps. Two similar piers also stand at the north end of Ford Street, where they formed another entrance to the playing field for the school.

At the corner of Hyde Road and Devonshire Street stands a polished grey granite obelisk on a square pedestal with a base of three steps. It is inscribed: "ERECTED BY THE WORKING MEN OF THIS CITY IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF JOHN ASHTON NICHOLLS F.R.A.S. WHO FROM AN EARLY AGE LABOURED WITH UNTIRING ZEAL AND EARNESTNESS FOR THE ELEVATION OF THEIR CLASS INTELLECTUALLY POLITICALLY SOCIALLY AND MORALLY AND BY HIS PURE CONSISTENT USEFUL LIFE WELL ENTITLED HIMSELF TO THE RESPECT AND ESTEEM OF ALL HIS FELLOW CITIZENS JULY 1860"

The plinth is inscribed below: "DIED SEP 1859 AGED 36 YEARS" and, on the south side: "RE-ERECTED ON THE PRESENT SITE BY THE CORPORATION OF MANCHESTER AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE NICHOLLS HOSPITAL SEPTEMBER 1904."

Adjacent to the entrance forecourt stands a memorial, also in polished grey granite and square in plan. It comprises a base of two chamfered steps, tapered pedestal with a raised triangular-headed panel to each side, topped with simplified pediments and acroteria surmounted by a draped urn. On the west side it is inscribed: "IN MEMORY OF JOHN ASHTON NICHOLLS F.R.A.S. THE DEAR AND ONLY SON OF BENJAMIN NICHOLLS AND OF SARAH, HIS WIFE. HE WAS BORN ON THE 25TH OF MARCH 1823. HE DIED ON THE 18TH OF SEPTEMBER 1859."

The south side is inscribed: "IN MEMORY OF BENJAMIN NICHOLLS MAYOR OF MANCHESTER 1853-4 1854-5 DIED MARCH 1ST 1877 AGED 86 YEARS."

The north side is inscribed: "IN MEMORY OF SARAH WIFE OF BENJAMIN NICHOLLS DIED AUGUST 25TH 1881 AGED 82 YEARS."

The east side is inscribed: "THE NICHOLLS HOSPITAL WHICH WAS ERECTED IN 1880 ON ADJACENT LAND WAS FOUNDED AND ENDOWED BY BENJAMIN NICHOLLS AND SARAH HIS WIFE FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND EDUCATION OF POOR BOYS OF MANCHESTER AND AS A MEMORIAL OF THEIR ONLY SON JOHN ASHTON NICHOLLS F.R.A.S. WHO DURING HIS COMPARATIVELY SHORT LIFE DEVOTED HIMSELF WITH GREAT EARNESTNESS TO THE WORK OF EDUCATION AMONG THE LABOURING CLASSES OF HIS NATIVE CITY"