The Retreat

The Retreat is a mental health hospital originally built as a mental asylum between 1793 and 1797 to designs by John Bevans of London, working in consultation with William Tuke for the Society of Friends (Quakers). The construction was supervised by Peter Atkinson of York. The complex underwent further extensions and alterations during the 19th and 20th centuries, and was modernised between 1957 and 1965.

Materials

The main asylum building and wings are constructed of orange-cream brick laid in Flemish bond, with stone cornices and Westmorland slate roofs with brick stacks.

The boundary walls are of orange-cream brick in random bond with stone coping, some sections featuring cast-iron railings.

The boiler house is built of orange-cream brick in English garden wall bond.

The Lodge is constructed of orange brick with white brick and stone dressings, slate roofs and brick stacks.

The nurses' home has orange brick in English bond with part-rendered walls, brick and sandstone dressings, a slate roof and brick stacks.

West Villa (York House) has rendered walls with small orange tiles to the roof.

The recreation hall is built of orange brick with stone dressings and a slate roof.

The male nurses' hostel is of orange brick in stretcher bond with a sandstone cornice and slate roof with brick stacks.

Layout

The hospital is a multi-phase complex. The original front range, built between 1793 and 1797, consists of a square central block containing the main staircase flanked by long wings on each side. These wings have wide spine corridors with rooms opening off both sides. The entire range is three storeys with a basement (the second floors of the wings were added between 1837 and 1839).

Attached to the north-west corner is a projecting wing built in 1826 housing the kitchen, with the nurses' home (1897 to 1899) on its west side. Attached to the north-east corner is the remaining portion of another projecting wing built in 1824 containing the board room, with the recreation hall (1907) attached on its east side.

On the south side, a long central passageway connects the front range to the T-shaped Lodge to the south, built between 1875 and 1877. Attached to the south-east corner of the front range is a large L-shaped wing built between 1852 and 1854 which housed men, with communal rooms off the south side of a corridor and individual patients' rooms off spine corridors in the return range. Attached to the south-west corner is a similar large L-shaped wing built between 1858 and 1860 which housed women, with a similar layout.

On the south side of the south-east wing stands a large boiler house from the 1920s, with the male nurses' hostel (1937 to 1940) attached to its south side. On the south side of the south-west wing is West Villa (York House) built in 1889, with rooms arranged off spine corridors.

Exterior

Front Range and Projecting Corner Wings

The original building faces north and is set back on the south side of Heslington Road. It is built of orange-cream brick in Flemish bond with a brick plinth, moulded stone cornice, and Westmorland slate roofs. The windows have stone sills and flat arches of orange brick.

The symmetrical front elevation comprises a three-storey, five-bay central block with a pyramidal roof, flanked by recessed three-storey, six-bay wings with double-pitched roofs. At each end is a two-storey projecting corner wing with a hipped roof; the left wing is partly rebuilt, whilst the right wing is of six bays.

In the central block, the central pedimented doorcase has attached Tuscan columns and an entablature, with a six-panelled door beneath a radial glazed fanlight recessed within a round-arched architrave with moulded imposts. The ground-floor and first-floor windows of the central block and flanking wings are six-over-six pane sashes; on the second floor they are three-over-six pane sashes.

The three-bay inner elevations of the projecting corner wings have central tripartite windows with stone mullions, with fifteen-over-twenty pane centre sashes on the ground floor. The flanking windows in the left-hand wing have been altered to doorways with overlights and six-panelled doors. The first floor has three six-over-six pane sashes, with the central window apparently replacing a wider tripartite window. The corresponding elevation of the right-hand wing has a similar altered window converted to a doorway to the left of the tripartite window, and a sash window to the right. The first floor has a central canted oriel window with 20th-century casement frames flanked by windows with 20th-century cross frames with casements.

The north elevation of the left-hand projecting corner wing has two six-over-six pane sashes on both floors on the right-hand side. The ground floor of the recessed left-hand side is obscured by the flat-roofed corridor of the recreation hall to which it is attached; the first floor has two timber double doors with small-pane glazing and small-pane overlights.

The north elevation of the right-hand projecting corner wing has first-floor windows with six-over-six pane sashes except for the left-hand window which has a 20th-century cross frame with casements. The ground floor has a fifteen-over-twenty pane sash to the left-hand window and an adjacent modern plate glass window. At the right-hand end is a covered vehicle entrance to a small yard behind, with timber and glazed doors and infill. At the right-hand end it is attached to the nurses' home.

In front of the third to fifth bays is a small brick building (originally a larder) with a slate half-hipped roof. The windows in the north elevation have been blocked and the triangular dormer window is boarded over. To the rear is a tall, square brick stack.

The three-storey, three-bay gable ends to the central range are partly obscured by alterations and extensions. On the first floor both have tripartite windows with twelve-pane centre sashes. Above are tall, radial-glazed, small-pane windows in round-headed stone arches set within glazed outer arches of brick. Elsewhere, some original small-paned glazed sashes survive; others are six-over-six pane sashes.

Rear L-Shaped Wings

The south-east L-shaped wing is built of orange-cream brick in Flemish bond with a moulded stone cornice and Westmorland slate roof. The windows have stone sills and flat arches of orange brick, with horned sashes of six-over-nine panes and six-over-six panes.

The symmetrical outer, east elevation is of two storeys with a basement and seven bays with a central, full-height canted bay. On the ground and first floors the central windows to the left and right of the canted bay are tripartite; some lights are now blocked. The gable ends are pedimented with a moulded eaves cornice and glazed oculi in the tympanum. The right, north gable has three horned sashes on the ground and first floors. The left, south gable wall is obscured by a modern, two-storey, flat-roofed L-shaped infill block (not of special interest).

The nine-bay north elevation is recessed in from the gable at the left-hand end with three bays, three projecting bays to the centre with a hipped roof and three further recessed bays, the right-hand bay obscured behind a later extension. The windows are six-over-six pane sashes. The left-hand bay of the three projecting bays is obscured by a later lavatory extension; the central bay has a recessed doorway with a flight of steps up and a tripartite window above, the left-hand side obscured by the extension.

The nine-bay south elevation has full-height canted bays to the third and seventh bays. The windows are six-over-six pane sashes. Between the canted bays the ground floor is obscured by a modern, lean-to extension (not of special interest).

The south-west L-shaped wing is similar in appearance to the south-east L-shaped wing. It is likewise built of orange-cream brick in Flemish bond with a moulded stone cornice and Westmorland slate roof. The windows have stone sills and flat arches of orange brick, with horned sashes.

The outer, west elevation is of two storeys with a basement and ten bays. Most of the basement is obscured by the roofing over of the area. On the ground floor the second bay has a timber and glazed extension with a central triangular pediment providing a single-storey sun room. Above is a five-light canted bay window with transomed casements. Otherwise the windows are six-over-six pane sashes, with those in the right-hand bay blocked. The gable ends are treated in a similar manner to the corresponding wing. The first floor of the right, south gable has a tripartite window; much of the rest of the gable wall is obscured by modern, single and two-storey infill extensions (not of special interest).

The nine-bay north elevation is similarly treated with three projecting bays to the centre with a hipped roof and a later lavatory extension obscuring the right-hand bay. The central bay has tripartite windows on the ground and first floors.

The south elevation is of seven bays with full-height canted bays to the second and sixth bays. Between the canted bays the ground floor is obscured by a modern, lean-to extension (not of special interest).

The Lodge

The single-storey lodge is built of orange bricks with eaves cornices of stone with white brick dentil cornices to the outer ends and side elevations, and slate roofs with tall, decorative brick stacks. The windows are one-over-one or two-over-two pane horned sashes with stone sills and chamfered lintels.

The fifteen-bay front elevation faces south over the grounds. The gabled third and fourteenth bays project and have shaped stone kneelers and coping with decorative stone and iron finials and canted bay windows; the windows have decorative stone frames with trefoil finials. The central doorway has a decorative stone surround incorporating side lights, with a fielded panel and glazed double door. Above the cornice is a decorative shaped gable with stone ball finials, stone coping and a stone and iron finial to the apex; it originally had a circular clock face, now removed. Behind the gable is a low, square brick tower with a dentil cornice of white bricks and a pyramidal slate roof.

The bays to each side have canted bay windows with truncated pyramidal roofs above. In front of the central doorway and canted bays is a verandah (originally running the entire length of the building) with cast-iron columns and decorative spandrels and a glazed, lean-to roof. Between the canted bay windows and the outer projecting gables are three windows on each side. At the right-hand end is a recessed modern extension and conservatory (not of special interest). At the left-hand end is a modern extension (not of special interest) to the rear of the original building.

West Villa (York House)

The single-storey building has modern, painted render to the walls and small, orange tiles. The front west elevation has paired gables which overhang shallow, canted bay windows with timber frames with transoms and casements. The gables have moulded timber bargeboards and a timber jetty bressumer. To the left is a recessed bay partly obscured by a flat-roofed extension (not of special interest). To the right is a timber casement window and to its immediate right the building steps forward with a three-bay range with a central projecting gable.

There is a moulded timber eaves beam; the central gable has bargeboards and overhangs the doorway with a moulded bressumer supported on console brackets. The doorway has a modern timber and glazed door with side lights and a four-pane overlight. The left-hand bay has a large mullion and transom window. The right-hand bay is obscured by a modern flat-roofed extension (not of special interest) with two small, square windows. In front of the building is a modern ramp and steps (not of special interest) up to the doorway.

The south elevation is largely obscured by a modern lean-to extension (not of special interest) in the position of a former verandah. To its rear two gable apexes are visible. To the right of the extension are three bays with casement windows and a further recessed two bays with casement windows, which form part of a modern extension (not of special interest).

Nurses' Home

The three-storey nurses' home was designed in a Jacobethan style. It is built of orange brick in English bond with a rendered second floor on the west elevation, slate roof and tall brick stacks.

The outer, west elevation is of six bays. The two gabled outer bays project and have timber bargeboards with render to the gable apexes. Both have a two-storey, flat-roofed canted bay window with a stone mullion and transom window to the ground floor and a rendered first floor with a timber mullion and transom window, moulded timber sill band and entablature. Above is a slightly bowed mullion and transom window.

The ground floor of the four central bays has large segmental-arched windows with gauged brick lintels and timber casements. A line in the brickwork above the windows shows the position of a removed verandah. The first floor has narrower segmental-arched windows with a large, multi-paned, timber window case in the fourth bay with a moulded sill on brackets and timber entablature. The rendered second floor has four dormer windows with timber casements.

The outer, north gable end has a slightly projecting chimney stack to the centre. To the right is a polygonal stair tower with small round-headed lancet windows. To the left is a square bay window with a timber casement on the ground floor and a smaller timber oriel window on the second floor.

The rear elevation has windows of varying sizes with segmental-arched heads and gauged brick lintels. There is a projecting full-height gabled bay with a lean-to porch on its right-hand side. The doorway has a 17th-century-style stone doorcase. To the left of the gabled bay is a square stair tower adjoining the right-hand end of the projecting corner wing. The tower has a pyramidal roof with a finial. The north side has a timber tripartite window at first-floor level and a timber Venetian window with decorative pilasters at second-floor level.

Recreation Hall

The recreation hall is built of orange brick with stone dressings and a slate roof. The north elevation is largely obscured by a modern extension (not of special interest) in front of it. On the right-hand side is a single-storey, flat-roofed corridor which projects out against the extension and then returns and wraps around the remaining part of the earlier projecting wing to the left of the front range. The corridor has a rusticated brick pilaster and a brick and stone parapet. The visible north elevation has a six-over-six pane horned sash to the left of the pilaster and two six-over-three pane horned sashes to the right; the windows have gauged brick lintels and stone sills. To the rear of the corridor is the hall, which has a half-hipped roof with two semi-circular dormers.

The east end of the hall has a large central window with a timber frame with decorative glazing bars and leaded small-pane glazing. It is flanked by rusticated brick pilasters supporting a broken triangular pediment.

The south side is largely obscured by a modern covered walkway (not of special interest). It has four large timber cross-frame windows with leaded small-pane glazing separated by brick pilasters. Above are two semi-circular dormer windows.

Male Nurses' Hostel

The hostel abuts the south side of the boiler house. The L-shaped building is built of orange brick in stretcher bond with a sandstone cornice and hipped slate roofs with tall, brick stacks. It has two storeys and an attic.

The main range of the outer, east elevation is of five bays with a projecting two-bay wing at the right-hand end. Most of the windows are six-over-six pane horned sashes with brick lintels. The third entrance bay projects and rises above eaves level with a parapet. The doorway has two stone steps and a moulded stone frame with a canopy, and a timber and small-pane glazed door. Above are two windows. To the left are two windows on the ground floor and two on the first floor. To the right is a single window on the ground floor with one above on the first floor with a small casement window to the right. There is a small timber dormer to each side of the entrance bay. The wing has a full-width garage door with two windows above.

The south end has three bays with the central bay projecting with a parapet above eaves level. Each bay has a window on the ground and first floors. Above the central bay is a large, timber dormer.

The west side has seven bays with windows to each of the first-floor bays. On the ground floor the first two bays are blind, the fourth and fifth bays have a wide, single-storey canted bay window, with windows to the third, sixth and seventh bays.

Boiler House

The single-storey, flat-roofed boiler house stands to the left of the east elevation of the south-east L-shaped wing, now linked to it by the modern infill building. Half of the outer, east elevation of the boiler house is obscured by a modern extension (not of special interest) housing the pharmacy. The right-hand end has a brick corner pilaster and brick parapet. The north return has a brick pilaster supporting the parapet.

Interior

Front Range and Projecting Corner Wings

The original layout of the front range remains legible with rooms opening off wide spine corridors, those on the first floor with slightly curved, ribbed ceilings. Fixtures and fittings such as moulded cornices, picture rails, dado rails, round-headed and segmental-headed archways with pilasters and moulded frames (some with keystones), moulded architraves and six-panelled doors remain, although a number are modern replacements. The inner front doorway has a timber door with panelling to the lower half with small-pane glazing above, panelled and glazed side lights and a semi-circular cobweb overlight (similar to the north doorway to the recreation hall). To the rear of the entrance hall is the main staircase with a modern staircase with marble-faced steps and aluminium balustrade. The basement has a stone-flagged floor.

The north-west kitchen wing has been remodelled and refurbished on the ground floor. The ward on the first floor has moulded cornices, round-headed archways to the corridor, architraves and six-panelled doors and a round-headed, part-glazed first-floor door to the north-west stairwell.

The north-east wing contains the board room with shouldered door architraves, six-panelled doors and moulded cornice.

Rear L-Shaped Wings

The original layouts remain legible, although much has been refurbished. The first floor of the south-east wing has architraves with entablatures or four-light overlights above six-panelled doors.

The Lodge

The central passageway attaching the Lodge to the front range has roundel windows with moulded frames and giant keystones, and moulded segmental archways with pilasters. The range off to the west side (the former bath house) has moulded timber architraves with trefoil finials and six-panel doors, some part glazed. The spine corridors have moulded cornices, segmental archways (some with glazed screens) and roof lights. The rooms on each side have six-panel doors with overlights. The larger communal rooms have moulded picture rails and cornices with arched timber beams and roof lights. The visitors' waiting room (the north-east ground-floor room in the central block) has a timber mantelpiece with a grey marble surround.

West Villa (York House)

The original layout with rooms off spine corridors remains legible. The interior has been modernised.

Nurses' Home

The square stair tower has an open-well staircase with a balustrade with a swept timber handrail and slender, turned balusters. Off the stair tower are round-headed inner windows with moulded architraves and decorative leaded lights. The rooms have six-panelled doors with moulded timber architraves. A communal room on the first floor has a timber window seat to the bay window and a timber mantelpiece.

Recreation Hall

The hall has a timber floor and coved ceiling with moulded cornices and panelled pilasters to the walls. At the west end is a stage. The wide double doors have shouldered architraves and pulvinated entablatures, also panelled double doors with octagonal lights. The north corridor has parquet flooring, moulded cornices and panelled pilasters. The original entrance doorway has panelled double doors with small-pane glazing to the upper half with a semi-circular cobweb overlight.

Male Nurses' Hostel

The interior was not inspected.

Boiler House

The interior was not inspected.

Boundary Walls and Subsidiary Items

In front of the main range is a high brick wall with a squared stone coping which forms a boundary on the south side of Heslington Road. Towards the west end are two inserted round-headed doorways with decorative iron railing gates. The larger right-hand gateway has a rusticated brick surround with a giant keystone, over which the wall has been ramped. To its left the wall has later been ramped to form the back wall of an outbuilding to Lamel Beeches.

The wall turns the corner at the north-west end of the site returning in a southerly direction separating Walmgate Stray from Lamel Beeches and the Retreat's grounds. Towards the left-hand end the wall has been raised to form the back wall of another outbuilding to Lamel Beeches and there is an inserted segmental-headed doorway with a brick surround with a giant keystone and panelled timber door. The wall continues south past Lamel Hill before returning a short distance in an easterly direction and then returns again in a southerly direction.

The wall has a square brick pier with pyramidal stone coping and then changes to a low brick wall with a chamfered stone coping and tall, iron railings with decorative iron buttresses to the inside. Towards the south end the wall rises again and becomes a high brick wall. It has a coping of chamfered bricks and chamfered stone coping. At the south-west corner of the site the wall returns in an easterly direction, forming the south boundary with Walmgate Stray.

Within the grounds there is a brick wall running north-south down part of the grounds to the south of the main building (on the line of the original west boundary). It has a curved stone coping to the stretch from the north end down to a short easterly spur marking the south side of the original burial ground; there are also diagonal brick buttresses. The stretch to the left of this has squared stone coping. There is a segmental-arched doorway in this stretch. It terminates in a square brick pier at the left-hand end.