Former Bootle Borough Hospital, including mortuary chapel, nurses' home, outpatients' department, boundary walls, railings and gates

Former Bootle Borough Hospital is a complex of buildings, now converted to laboratories and offices, built in several phases between 1870 and 1932. The main hospital building dates from 1870-1872, designed by C.O. Ellison, with an additional wing from 1885-1887 by the same architect. The nurses' home was added in 1915 in Edwardian Baroque style by F B Hobbs & O D Black, and an outpatients' department followed in 1932 in Neo-Georgian style. All buildings are constructed of red brick with sandstone dressings, and feature pitched and hipped slate roofs. The hospital site is eclectic in architectural style.

The site lies east of Brocklebank Dock and Langton Dock, on the west side of Derby Road, and is divided laterally by Nelson Street. The main hospital building and mortuary chapel stand on the north side of the street, whilst the former nurses' home and outpatients' department occupy the south side.

Main Hospital Building

The original 1870-1872 range stands at the north end of the site. It is built of mellow red brick with sandstone, yellow-brick and blue-brick dressings, including banding, lintels and stringcourses, and has cast-iron rainwater goods. The building is two storeys plus basement, with a series of truncated chimneys along the ridge line.

The front elevation facing Derby Road is five bays wide, with shaped gables to the two outer bays. Large gableted, mullioned and transomed oriel windows in carved sandstone adorn the first floor, incorporating carved depictions of a lighthouse and sailing ship (the lighthouse being the emblem of Bootle). At the centre of the ground floor is the hospital's original main entrance, since converted to a window. Set above the former entrance is a pink-granite foundation stone, whilst higher still is a sandstone carving of the Bootle coat of arms and a banner bearing the borough's motto: 'Respice, Aspice, Prospice' ('look to the past, the present, the future'). Recessed square-headed sash windows exist on both floors; those on the ground floor have chamfered reveals and are set beneath Gothic-arched lintels with carved tympanums, whilst those on the first floor have carved stones set above a continuous hoodmould. A lamp supported by a decorative wrought-iron bracket projects from the first floor and was installed in the 1980s; a corresponding lamp on the 1885-1887 wing was also added at this time.

The five-bay north return is lit by tall windows on the first floor that break through the eaves line as half-dormers with shaped gables and sandstone lintels incorporating keystones. The central window's original sashes have been replaced by a uPVC unit, but the others survive. The ground floor has four windows styled similarly to those on the front elevation.

Because the site slopes downward from east to west, the rear (west) elevation appears as three storeys due to a full basement level visible on this side. Mirroring the front elevation, the outer bays have shaped gables, but here they also project forward slightly. Immediately in front of these bays are two narrower and slightly lower projections (containing toilet facilities) with plain gables and corbelled wall stacks rising from the first floor and breaking through the gable apex. The central bays include an external first-floor walkway connecting to two doorways in the side returns of the outer bays (leading into two former wards) and a later door to the centre, converted from a window. Windows on this elevation vary in size and arrangement, including tripartite windows lighting the basement and ground-floor levels of the projections; those to the north end have been altered. Many windows retain their sashes, although some have been replaced in uPVC and a small number blocked up or boarded over. Segmental-arched yellow-brick lintels exist for the windows lighting the two lower floors, with sandstone lintels to the top floor.

The 1885-1887 wing has an irregular stepped L-shape and is attached to the south side of the 1870-1872 range, with an asymmetrical composition. It is three storeys plus basement, with a two-storey section connecting to the 1870-1872 range to the north. The wing appears to have a fireproof cast-iron frame construction (cast-iron beams and columns are visible internally) encased in red brick with sandstone, pressed-brick and blue-brick dressings, including banding, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Windows vary in size and arrangement, though nearly all have sandstone sills and lintels. Many contain original sashes (some with ventilators above), but some have been replaced by uPVC units, mainly on the south side.

The front (east) elevation incorporates a pinnacled water tower above the main entrance; the narrow uppermost section (depicted in a photograph of 1907) has been removed. Dominating the front elevation is a wide bay set beneath a large shaped gable and incorporating a two-storey gableted and canted, mullioned and transomed bay window to the ground and first floors. Like the oriel windows on the 1870-1872 range, the first-floor level of the bay window is in sandstone and the gablet above incorporates a decorative foliate panel in terracotta with stylised relief lettering reading 'BOOTLE BOROUGH HOSPITAL'. The main entrance is located at the base of the water tower and is recessed underneath a pent roof. Replaced double doors and sidelights are accessed via a flight of shallow stone steps.

The ten-bay south elevation facing Nelson Street also incorporates two shaped gables with pressed-brick detailing; that to the west end is set over a full-height projection. Set left of centre of the elevation and to the east end are two projections rising from the basement to the first-floor level with tall pressed-brick and sandstone parapets incorporating raised arched heads and decoration. A small rectangular single-storey mortuary with a lantern roof is linked to the wing at the western end and incorporates two doorways on its west side facing into a small internal yard area shared by a circa 1908-1910 detached mortuary and chapel building to the south-west of the main hospital building, and a further doorway on its east side.

The 1885-1887 wing's west end elevation also has a shaped gable and incorporates a wide arched passageway at basement level, which provides access to the building's lawned area and car park. Surmounting the passageway is a two-storey bay window; the north lights of which have been altered to form doorways accessing a later wrought-iron spiral fire escape; an additional doorway is provided from the top floor via another converted window.

The 1885-1887 wing's north elevation is much plainer and is in brown brick. It incorporates a large six-light stair window with replaced glazing to the first-floor left, lighting the wing's main stair, and a number of the other windows have also been replaced. Set on the roof is a dormer window lighting a stair accessing the second floor.

Mortuary Chapel

A larger detached mortuary chapel was added circa 1908-1910 to replace that connected to the 1885-1887 wing, lying to the south-west of the main building alongside Nelson Street. It is constructed of red brick with red-sandstone dressings and a slate roof, and is four bays. The cross-gabled bay (chapel) to the far left of the south elevation incorporates a tall Gothic-arched window with simple tracery. The bays to the right are lit by two-light mullioned windows with segmental-arched heads and abstract-patterned leaded glazing incorporating blue fleur-de-lys motifs, all set within red-sandstone surrounds. Dividing the bays are pilaster strips topped by square sandstone caps that project above a parapet. The west return is rendered (missing in places) and three small dormer windows exist on the roof; two further dormers exist on the east side of the roof (all are covered over internally). The entrance to the chapel lies on the east side and is set within a small yard area shared with the earlier mortuary. The rear (north) elevation of the cross gable is also rendered and a large later window has been inserted into the rear of the adjacent bays.

Nurses' Home

The nurses' home is three storeys plus basement and attic, and lies on the south side of Nelson Street fronting onto Derby Road. It is in a restrained Edwardian Baroque style and is constructed of red brick with sandstone dressings, including an eaves cornice and parapet copings. The building has a slate roof largely hidden from view by a parapet incorporating sandstone panels at intervals, and cast-iron rainwater goods. The roof has pitched sides to the front and rear, but the apex is flat to accommodate a small plant room and to provide access to the chimneystacks and parapet.

The building is lit by three-over-six and six-over-six sash windows, many with flat-arched, gauged-brick lintels and sandstone keystones, and has a nine-bay front (east) elevation. Bays two and three and seven and eight project forward slightly and are paired underneath broken pediments adorned with carved cartouches. Behind the pediments the parapet steps up in sandstone with scrolled supports at each side. The ground floor of each pedimented bay projects forward even further as a large canted bay window, whilst the upper floor windows share sandstone surrounds; the windows to the second floor have round-arched heads, eared architraves and triple keystones. Flanking these bays, and also set to the outer edges of the elevation, are rusticated-brick strips in the style of quoin strips.

The main entrance lies at the centre of the ground floor and consists of partly-glazed panelled double doors flanked by quoin strips and rusticated-stone reveals. Above the doorway is a broken segmental pediment containing a cartouche decorated with Bootle's coat of arms and Latin motto 'RESPICE ASPICE PROSPICE', with a panel below inscribed with the date '.A.1915.D.'. The flanking ground-floor windows and those to the first floor above are treated in the same way as those to the pedimented bays, with simpler detailed windows incorporating single keystones set to the second floor and all floor levels of the two outermost bays. Set on the roof behind the parapet are a series of dormer windows (boarded over externally), replicated on the rear elevation, along with a series of chimneystacks. The side elevations are plainer with windows lighting the internal corridors and bathrooms; the corridor windows are replaced on the north side by a series of original doorways set at each floor, which access a fire escape stair.

Like on the northern part of the hospital site, the land on this southern part also slopes downwards from east to west. Consequently, the nurses' home's basement level is visible on the rear elevation. The centre bay at the rear projects forward slightly with quoin strips set to the outer edges, a doorway set to the lower floor and stair windows above, with a broken segmental pediment and keyed oculus set to the parapet. A stair enclosure projects above the parapet to roof level to provide access to the roof. A number of the windows on this side have been replaced by uPVC units, but all retain their flat-arched heads and sandstone keystones and sills. The two outermost bays on each side have narrower windows that light the bathroom facilities internally.

Outpatients' Department

The outpatients' department is in neo-Georgian style and is set to the north-west of the nurses' home, running down the south side of Nelson Street. Its height varies from single-storey to two storeys, both with basement, and it is constructed of red brick with sandstone dressings. The roof, largely hidden from view by a parapet, has a single tall chimneystack and is variously flat, pitched and hipped. The building is lit by six-over-six sash windows with three-light ventilators above. Between the ground and first floor levels is a sandstone stringcourse, with a further flatter raised band at parapet level.

The front (east) elevation has a three-bay entrance projection incorporating a ground floor in sandstone with two wide doorways containing partly-glazed panelled double-doors with plain overlights flanking a central window. Above the entrance is a carved inscription reading 'THE ROBERT M. COX MEMORIAL'. Three windows above are separated by rusticated brickwork. A sandstone lintel band sits above the first floor windows, whilst the ground floor windows have flat-arched heads with sandstone keystones; both are replicated on the other elevations. Flanking the entrance projection are two single-bay single-storey, flat-roofed projections surmounted by a sandstone parapet.

The ten-bay north elevation alongside Nelson Street has windows to both floors; that to the ground floor of bay two has been bricked up. The sloping site means that the basement is at ground level at the western end. The rear (west) elevation is similarly styled to the north elevation, but with narrower windows containing four-over-four sashes with two-light ventilators above. The southern side of the building is single-storey plus basement and is similarly styled to the rest of the building.

Boundary Walls, Railings and Gates

Enclosing the main hospital building site on the north, south and east sides is a brick wall with sandstone copings, in part surmounted by cast-iron railings incorporating circular patterning and interspersed with sandstone gate piers with chamfered corners and flattened pyramidal caps (the caps were originally surmounted by short lamp standards). One of the entrances on the Derby Road frontage has been filled in and a section that originally wrapped around an ornamental fountain (now removed) has been re-aligned with the rest of the walling. The western side of the main hospital building site is enclosed by a high brick wall with rounded copings.

Enclosing the nurses' home site on the east side are metal railings incorporating cross-shaped motifs and two sets of brick piers with metal gates. Surmounting the railings is a late-20th-century guard rail added to raise the height of the railings and discourage trespassing. Forming the north boundary of the site is a high brick wall with sandstone copings that connects to the north wall of the outpatients' department.

Interior

Main Hospital Building

Large former wards are located at each north and south end of the main hospital building's interior. Floors are vinyl and floorboard throughout. Some cornicing and coved ceilings are present. Fireplaces have been removed throughout, but some chimneybreasts survive. Numerous original doors (some boarded over and some with overlights and sidelights) also survive within the building.

The hospital's former wards, treatment and surgical rooms, and offices are now occupied by: workshops, storage, modern laboratories and a canteen in the basement; offices and a modern laboratory on the ground floor; modern laboratories, offices and production space on the first floor; and a laboratory, offices and residential flats on the second floor of the 1885-1887 wing.

The main stairs in both ranges survive. That in the 1870-1872 range is set to the centre of the range and consists of a long single-flight stair lying parallel with the building's frontage and incorporating two half-landings and a curved return at the top accessing an L-shaped landing. It has a simple carved newel post, carved-timber handrail, and a panelled balustrade (simple timber balusters are understood to be present underneath). A separate stair flight leads down into the basement below, which has a decorative encaustic-tiled floor to the main corridor, and mainly quarry-tiled floors elsewhere, although at least two rooms have a parquet floor and a stone-flag floor.

The 1885-1887 wing contains a large square stair hall set behind the main entrance with corridors leading off to the west and north. A former ward (now office space) on the south side of the stair hall has replaced internal windows facing into the hall; the corresponding windows to a former ward on the floor above have also been replaced. The stair hall has panelling to the ceiling edges and contains a wide open-well stair leading up to a landing on the first floor that wraps around the east and south sides of the hall and is supported by slender cast-iron columns and corbels. The stair has wide curtail steps, a carved-timber handrail, short timber newel posts (some of the urn-shaped finials surmounting the newel posts have been removed), and stone treads hidden by later coverings. The original cast-iron splat balusters have been removed and replaced by a panelled balustrade, and the six-light stair window's glazing has also been replaced. A plain timber stair on the northern side of the 1885-1887 wing provides access between the first and second floors. The basement of the 1885-1887 wing originally comprised the outpatients' department and is accessed via a stair underneath the main stair, which has a carved-timber handrail and slender cast-iron columnar balusters.

Mortuary Chapel

Two of the former chapel's king-post collared roof trusses and side purlins are visible and are supported by carved corbels; one of the trusses is arch-braced.

Nurses' Home

Original two-panel and four-panel doors can be found throughout the interior of the former nurses' home, along with cast-iron radiators. Parquet floors exist on each floor level except for the basement, which has tiled floors. The building's layout consists of a spine corridor running the length of the building with rooms off to the front and rear, and a central stair hall. Some dividing walls separating the former bedrooms have been removed.

An entrance vestibule containing partly-glazed panelled double doors set within a glazed screen leads into a stair hall from which a stair with a narrow open well, curtail step, painted cast-iron balustrade incorporating shaped panels, rises up to the roof level. The ground floor has two larger rooms lit by large bay windows, set to the front of the building and believed to have been communal sitting and dining rooms originally; that to the north retains a timber and tile fireplace with an overmantel incorporating a horizontal mirror. The rest of the rooms on the ground floor and those on the upper floors flanking the spine corridor consist of former single bedrooms, with bathroom and toilet facilities located to the rear of the building at each end. Kitchen and service facilities would have been located in the basement. A cast-iron fire surround with a central rose motif survives in one of the former bedrooms on the ground floor (three identical fire surrounds also survive within a caretaker's cupboard), but all the fireplaces in the remaining bedrooms have been removed, although chimneybreasts survive. The wall plaster has been removed in the attic leaving exposed brickwork, and the roof structure is also exposed revealing that a small number of timbers have been replaced. The basement is plain and is accessed via a stair flight underneath the main stair.

Outpatients' Department

At the centre of the building is a long top-lit former waiting hall with rooms off to the sides.