Bootham Park Hospital: Medical Superintendent's House

Medical Superintendent's House at Bootham Park Hospital

This house was built in 1862-3 as part of the County Lunatic Asylum, now an NHS mental health hospital, with a single-storey extension added in 1908. It stands at the south-east end of the hospital complex and is linked by a single-bay, two-storey extension to the 1908 extension at the south-east end of the long, two-storey, 1817 range.

The building is constructed of orange brick in Flemish bond with sandstone dressings and a slate roof. It comprises two storeys and a small attic, with a single-storey service range to the rear.

The south-east front elevation presents three bays with a projecting narrower central bay topped by a triangular pediment. The house is detailed with a stone band between ground and first floors, a narrow first-floor sill band, and a heavy modillion cornice. The segmental-arched windows have moulded stone surrounds with giant keystones; those to the left bay are blind, while the other windows contain two-over-two pane sashes. The central doorway features a stone surround with pilasters and deep entablature, and is fitted with a door of six fielded panels with a rectangular over-light. A modern brick-built ramp stands in front of the building parallel to it.

The south-west side elevation originally comprised four bays, with a two-bay extension to the left copying the original details and featuring a lower pyramidal roof. A large brick stack rises at the junction between the two pyramidal roofs. The six first-floor windows match those of the front elevation, while the ground floor contains three canted-bay windows with dentil cornices.

The north-east elevation is partially obscured behind a later yard wall. The modillion cornice continues around, though the stone bands are replaced by brick on this elevation. A modern fire door with external steel fire escape staircase has been inserted on the first floor. The north-west side, to the rear of the yard, retains an original single-storey range of outbuildings. A modern garage occupies the east corner of the yard.

The interior plan form remains legible despite modern partition walls and glazed screens. Original features of interest include the open-well staircase with a swept timber handrail and decorative cast-iron balusters, panelled doors and architraves.

The following modern additions are excluded from the listing: the brick-built ramp in front of the main south-east elevation, the single-storey ward building attached to the north-west side behind the 1908 extension, the external fire escape to the north-east elevation, the yard wall, the modern garage, and the internal partition walls and glazed screens.