19, Castle Hill

19 Castle Hill is a building in Lancaster that was originally constructed as a dispensary in 1785 and altered in 1845. It features a sandstone ashlar facade with ashlar dressings, while the rest of the structure is made of coursed rubble. The roof is slate with gable chimneys. The building has a shallow double-depth plan and includes a small one-storey lean-to extension at the rear. It stands two storeys tall over a cellar and has three bays. The central bay on the first floor has a square niche framed by inverted scrolled jambs under a plain cornice, which contains a worn tablet inscribed 'ILC 1845'. There are sill bands on both floors, and above the first-floor windows is a fluted frieze that once displayed the word 'DISPENSARY', although this has been removed by abrasive cleaning. The building is topped with a shallow moulded pediment featuring three ball finials and thin square slabs set diagonally. All windows have plain reveals and 4-pane sashes. The central round-headed doorway is accessed by two nosed steps and is flanked by engaged Tuscan columns that support fluted entablatures and an open pediment. The door has nine raised and fielded panels, and the fanlight has radiating glazing bars. Inside, there are some doorways with reeded architraves and panelled shutters on the first floor. Historically, this building was funded by public subscription and served as the second home of the town's dispensary until 1832. The niche originally held a square Coade stone plaque depicting the Good Samaritan, which was later relocated to the entrance of the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on Ashton Road.