Municipal Buildings

DEWSBURY CB HALIFAX ROAD SE 22 SW (Dewsbury)

2/45 Municipal Buildings 11/4/85

II

Former Dewsbury Infirmary in Gothic Revival style. Dated in roundel on left stack 1881. Architects, named on stone at base of left stack, Kirk & Sons. Pitch-faced stone with ashlar dressings. Hipped slate roofs with some gables. The main block is T-shaped, the top of which forms the main facade to the road. A further long side wing adjoins to the right and terminates in 2 diagonally-set square towers with sprocketed pavilion roofs. The main facade is near-symmetrical and of 5-bays by 2½ storeys with bold central clock tower. The main entrance breaks forward with diagonal buttresses and has wide moulded cambered head above which, at 1st floor level, is a canted oriel with enriched base, and parapet to steep roof. Surmounting this roof is a well carved figure of a woman and 3 children within a niche with elaborate cusped and crocketed canopy. This is flanked to each side by a panel with shield with similar canopy. This group is above eaves level, and above it is a 4-light group in the base of the clock tower. A very deep and enriched corbel table and cornice supports the sprocketed pavilion roof of the clock tower which has its clock face in an elaborate crocketed gabled dormer, with elaborate flanking pinnacles. The side bays of the main facade have single and paired lights, in a near-symmetrical arrangement, with cusped arched lights. Each bay has a gable dormer. The end elevations of this block have good projecting stacks with good ashlar work to the tops. The left side elevation is of 5 bays with central gabled entrance with wide glass canopy on elaborate iron brackets. Above in a 3-light staircase window with plate tracery. Large paired windows to left and right.

The right, side wing is of 7 bays by 3 storeys. 2nd floor windows have cambered head with pointed arch over. Large, later ground floor extension in keeping. The corner towers have slender 2-light windows to the sides and 3-light windows to the front. Between the towers, at 2nd floor level, is an elaborate stone balcony on massive stone corbels, and with pierced parapet.

The very high standard of ashlar work is noteworthy.

Listing NGR: SE2416522247