Oxford Hospital

Oxford Hospital, situated on Station Road in Little Park, was built around 1700, following the instructions in the will of John Cross dated 23 November 1697. Local tradition suggests that Christopher Wren may have been consulted during the building’s design, and the architecture reflects a style typical of his work. The building is a distinctive 'E' shaped red brick structure, with alternating rows of blue bricks. It has a shaped wooden cornice and deeply projecting eaves beneath a steeply hipped tile roof, with hipped dormers illuminating an attic storey. The central section of the 'E' is subtly recessed and topped with a small pediment containing a wooden clock-face dated 1788. The side wings project significantly, allowing for a window on each side, and a stringcourse runs along the first floor, unifying the building. The window arrangement is as follows: 1 window between the 5 units, 2 windows, 1 window, 2 windows, and 1 window. The rear wall features 9 windows, and each side wall has 3. All windows are diamond-leaded; the lower windows have mullions and transoms, with the upper window in the central bay having two mullions. The roof is covered in dark red tiles, edged with lighter red along the ridge, valleys, hips, and eaves. The dormers are tiled in the lighter red colour. The central bay contains the main entrance, leading directly into a chapel. It features double doors, each of three panels, beneath a gabled porch supported by brackets with octagonal pillars. Smaller, gabled hooded entrances are at each end of the main range. A small, louvred wooden bell-turret sits atop the roof, topped with a simple wrought iron wind vane. Four chimney stacks are symmetrically placed; two on either side of the bell-turret and two on the outer wings. The hospital is set in a simple garden enclosed by a low brick wall.