Boundary Walls, Railings, Gates and Gate Piers at Lancaster Moor Hospital

BOUNDARY WALLS, RAILINGS, GATES AND GATE PIERS AT LANCASTER MOOR HOSPITAL

A boundary wall, railings, gates, gateposts and steps forming the boundary to Lancaster Moor Hospital on the north side of Quernmore Road.

The boundary wall and original entrance were designed in 1883 by the architect Arnold Kershaw, who also designed the Annexe building of the hospital at the same time. The boundary wall is constructed of gritstone blocks topped by gritstone coping and descends in steps from west to east to reflect the gradual descent of the adjacent road.

The original entrance consists of two ornate iron gates of sufficient width to allow vehicular access, flanked by ornate gritstone gateposts square in plan with chamfered corners. On either side of these gateposts are two narrower ornate pedestrian iron gates manufactured in a matching design, flanked by gateposts which match the design of those flanking the larger gates. Once through the entrance gates and across an avenue, access towards the Annexe building continues up a flight of stone steps consisting of two ramps of eight steps with a central double metal handrail. Flanking the steps are gritstone walls with coping of the same material. At the top and bottom of these flanking walls are ornate stone posts, square in plan, some of which retain the original iron lamp holders for illuminating the steps.

At the west end of the boundary wall is a twentieth-century entrance consisting of two large ornate iron gates which allowed vehicular access into the hospital. These gates are flanked by matching iron gateposts, square in plan. From these gateposts, matching iron railings set in a low wall sweep around in convex fashion to meet gritstone posts of a similar design to those flanking the original gates. The post to the east forms the west end of the boundary wall.

The County Lunatic Asylum on Lancaster Moor, located to the south of Quernmore Road, was opened in 1816 and extended in stages throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1878 the asylum acquired land on the north side of Quernmore Road and a large building known as the Annexe was designed by Arnold Kershaw and opened in 1883 to accommodate 828 patients. At the same time a southern boundary wall and railings together with an entrance from Quernmore Road were built. This entrance is located in line with an entrance and the central spine of the Annexe building. A later entrance in the boundary wall was constructed leading off Quernmore Road at an unspecified date between 1919 and 1939 at the south corner of the Annexe complex. The asylum was renamed Lancaster Moor Hospital under the National Health Service. The Annexe and all associated buildings north of Quernmore Road had closed by 2000.