Berkeley'S Hospital: Almshouses With Gatelodges, Piers And Gates

SO8455SE 620-1/12/613 22/05/54

WORCESTER THE FOREGATE (West side) Berkeley's Hospital: almshouses with gatelodges, piers and gates (Formerly Listed as: THE FOREGATE (West side) Berkeley's Hospital (N and S ranges with gateway and Chapel at W end))

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Almshouses with gatelodges, piers and gates adjoining. 1692-1703 with later additions and alterations including extension of Late C18 to south gatelodge. Endowed by Robert Berkeley of Spetchley. Pinkish-brown brick in Flemish bond with ashlar architraves and hipped, plain tile roofs, that to south gate lodge half-hipped; pinkish-brown brick ridge stacks with oversailing courses and pots; wrought iron gates . U-shaped on plan. North and south ranges alike, each of 5 dwellings, gatelodges to east with piers and gates between. Gatelodges (facade to The Foregate): single-depth plans originally. 2 storeys with attics, 4 first-floor windows each, that to north has extension. Plinth; quoins to full height. 9/9 sashes where original; to south lodge the second first-floor window is blind, to north lodge the third and fifth windows to first floor and the second and fourth windows to ground floor are blind. All windows in plain reveals and with tooled architraves and moulded sills. Wide modillion cornices. 2 roof dormers to each dwelling, with pedimented gables and casement windows. Tall external rear and left side stacks with oversailing courses and pots. Lead rain hoppers. Entrances to inner returns: 6-raised-and-fielded-panel doors in tooled architraves and with swan neck pediments and armourial shield. Above entrance to south side a blind opening, above entrance to north side a 9/9 sash, both with tooled architraves. Right return (to Shaw Street): 2 first-floor windows. Each storey has 6/6 sash with cambered arch. Gates and piers (to The Foregate): central double gates between tall, rusticated piers, square on plan and with moulded cornices surmounted by llama heads. Gates have two levels of bars and dogbars and embellishments include scroll moulding between 2 sets of bars. Scrolled overthrow has 'BERKELEY'S HOSPITAL' with mask and armorial shield at apex. Almshouses: north and south ranges alike. Moulded plinth. Single storey, 10 windows altogether, 2 per house. Central entrances: renewed part-glazed doors in tooled architrave with swan-neck pediments and armourial shield between. Replacement casement windows in tooled architraves and with moulded sills. Modillion eaves band. INTERIORS: not inspected. HISTORICAL NOTE: Berkeley's Hospital was endowed by Robert Berkeley in 1692 for 12 poor men. The lodges were intended for a chaplain and a warden. The almshouses, gatelodges, piers and gates occupy 3 sides of a courtyard, with the west side occupied by Berkeley's Hospital: Chapel (qv), forming an important example of Renaissance planning and one of the finest almshouse groups in England.