Eye, Ear And Throat Hospital

The Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, located in Shrewsbury, was built between 1879 and 1881 by Ellison of Liverpool and extended in 1926. It is constructed of brick and terracotta with roofs of Welsh slate and terracotta cresting. The building presents an asymmetrical 8-window facade to Murivance, with a projecting bay containing a wide, moulded archway and paired sash windows with moulded architraves and a continuous hoodmould. Above are terracotta panels and mullioned and transomed windows with pointed upper lights. A further series of mullioned and transomed windows are found in the attic storey, with a steep pediment over the central bay. The central section features a 4-window range with an oriel window on the first and second floors, supported by stumpy shafts. To the left is a recessed tower with paired windows to the ground floor, terracotta low relief panels, and shouldered mullioned and transomed windows above, topped with square-headed windows bearing shields and terracotta panels beneath a high relieving arch. A terracotta panelled band and corbelling mark the flat roof. The elevation to Kingsland Bridge encompasses 7 bays, loosely symmetrical, with advanced central and outer bays. The central bay features an entrance up steps with terracotta balustrading, leading to a wide, moulded archway with a projecting 6-light mullioned and transomed window above, including stained-glass figures and ornate foliate panels. A curved timber cornice is supported by raking struts above this window, with foiled and cinquefoil lights within a wide relieving arch, itself beneath decorative panelling in the gable apex. The lower bays of this elevation feature basement storeys with a continuous hoodmould, followed by mullioned and transomed windows above, extending across a chamfered outer corner on the ground floor. Angles are corbelled out above the chamfer, with decorative terracotta panelling and 3-light mullioned and transomed windows above. A dormer window is set into the projecting hipped roof. Each projecting block includes a central flying buttress forming a stack. Recessed inner bays have lower doorways and mullioned and transomed windows above, with gabled dormers and overhanging eaves cornices supported by brackets. The overall design is a highly distinguished composition, skillfully articulated in a predominantly High Victorian style.