Leahurst

Leahurst

Leahurst is a former district nurses' home built in 1939, currently used as hostel accommodation. It was designed by E. Vincent Harris for William Julien Courtauld and features statuary and lettering by Eric Gill.

The building is a two-storey rectangular structure constructed with thin, pale brown Northwick bricks laid in English bond, with Portland stone dressings and a Delabole slate roof.

The exterior is built in the Neo-Georgian style. The long elevations have parapets, with Dutch gables at the north and south ends. The gable roof has two tall brick ridge chimneys. The western façade contains the main entrance, a heavy two-leaf door of five panels with original door furniture. This is surrounded by a prominent stone quoin and deep cornice incorporating a stone plaque carved with the letters 'WJC' and a pediment above. Above the entrance is a small rectangular niche containing a statue by Gill depicting a nurse with a child, reminiscent of a Madonna with Christ. At the south end of the façade is a single storey flat-roofed element that housed the district nursing office. Six-over-six sash windows with straight brick heads are arranged in a staggered pattern on the ground and first floors. Original rainwater hoppers and pipes are inscribed with the initials WJC. At the north end, a shallow arched vehicular entrance with timber panelled gates leads to the rear.

The north elevation overlooks public open space and a fountain. It contains a late twentieth-century first floor oriel window with three sashes, which faithfully replaces the original and rests on a stone base carved with a Fleur de Lys. A curved frieze above is inscribed with the words 'THIS BUILDING WAS GIVEN BY WILLIAM JULIEN COURTAULD J. P 1939.'

The rear elevation has six tall six-over-nine sash windows at ground floor, with one late twentieth-century replacement at the centre, matched by six-over-six sashes at first floor. A tall stair window is located to the south, and a late twentieth-century emergency stair has been added to the north.

The interior was originally arranged with a long corridor at the west side, with rooms leading off it on both ground and first floors. Ground floor contained common rooms, kitchens and the district nursing office, whilst bedrooms and bathrooms were located at first floor. The layout largely remains unaltered, although facilities have been upgraded and the former district nursing office has been remodelled as modern offices. Few historic fixtures and fittings survive; the plain staircase remains at the south end, and there are some simple dado rails and cornices. The sash windows retain their chain hangers and latches.

The garden is enclosed by a contemporary brick wall. The original garage block to the rear of the vehicular entrance has been replaced with a late twentieth-century single storey common room for residents of no special interest.

Leahurst was built as the District Nurses' home in 1939, commissioned by William Julien Courtauld, a descendant of the textile manufacturing family, philanthropist and patron of architecture and the arts. It forms a group with the fountain, square and almshouses of 1936 to the north and east, also commissioned by Courtauld and designed by Harris. An article in the Architects Journal of 1st February 1940 describes the building and provides a plan of the group and public open space. Through commissioning Leahurst, the almshouses, fountain and hard landscaping, Courtauld intended to improve the entrance to Braintree from London. Pevsner described the buildings in the group as "individually good, but the overall effect... not entirely successful".

In recent years, Leahurst has been used as a hostel for young people, utilising the accommodation provided for the nurses. Minor remodelling and upgraded facilities have occurred, but the exterior and interior remain largely unaltered.