Brighowgate House (Salvation Army Hostel)

Brighowgate House (Salvation Army Hostel)

Originally a children's home, now a Salvation Army hostel, this building was designed in 1913 by William Wells of Grimsby, who was senior assistant to HC Scaping, and constructed by Wilkinson and Houghton Ltd for the Board of Guardians. The building was converted to hostel use around 1955, with further alterations carried out in 1992–3.

The building is constructed in brown brick laid in English bond with a green slate roof and is designed in the Queen Anne Revival style. It is E-shaped in plan, with bedrooms and day-rooms arranged in the main ranges and a central rear kitchen and dining-room range flanked by two courtyards.

The front elevation presents a 22-window range with a complex arrangement (3:8:4:4:3), featuring off-centre and end sections that project forward. A pair of entrances is located in the bays flanking the off-centre section. The base comprises a moulded brick plinth with raised brick quoins. The ground floor contains canted bays with moulded wood cornices and flat roofs: the off-centre section has a 4-window canted bay flanked by single sashes; the recessed 8-bay section to the left has two 3-window canted bays with flanking sashes; the 4-bay section to the right has a single canted bay with flanking sashes; and the end sections each contain three sashes. All windows are sashes with glazing bars set in flush wood architraves with corniced stone sills beneath rubbed-brick cambered arches. The entrances feature steps up to recessed panelled doors beneath overlights with diamond-pattern glazing, supported by door surrounds with rusticated brick piers and plain capitals, with large carved acanthus brackets carrying moulded hoods with panelled soffits. Internal porches contain half-glazed inner doors with diamond-pattern glazing bars above fielded panels. A segmental pedimented metal plaque beside the left-hand entrance bears a winged cherub's head and relief inscription recording building details. A 4-course brick band runs across the first floor, below a deep modillioned eaves cornice with corniced gutter. Prominent downpipes with dated rainwater heads descend the elevation. The mansard roof features dormers to each bay, fitted with 6/6 sashes and alternating triangular and segmental pediments; the projecting off-centre and outer bays are fitted with triple sashes. A pair of tall stacks flanks the central section, each with plinth, frieze and corniced ashlar cap; similar wall stacks are located to the rear.

The left return elevation is nine bays arranged 3:3:3, with a projecting 3-bay section towards the Brighowgate front, featuring a single entrance and similar fenestration and rainwater goods. The right return is eight bays arranged 3:3:2, with a similar though reversed arrangement. The rear elevation has similar fenestration, though the dormers lack pediments. The outer wings to the rear feature fire escapes extending to tripartite attic doorways with flanking sashes. A lower 2-storey central courtyard range has a hipped roof.

The interior is largely plain and utilitarian. The building was originally constructed with matching boys' and girls' sections to the left and right respectively, with first-floor dormitories. These dormitories were subdivided into smaller rooms when the building was converted to hostel use around 1955.

The building forms an interesting contrast to the earlier and more austere "Fisher Lads" Home in Victor Street and shows similarities with Wells' Waterproof Clothing Factory in Robinson Street East.