St Andrew'S Hospital

St Andrew's Hospital at Thorpe St Andrew

This former county asylum, now hospital, was built between 1811 and 1814 by Francis Stone, the county surveyor. Additions were made between 1816 and 1849, probably by John Brown, also county surveyor. The building is constructed of yellow brick, partly rendered on the south side, with ashlar and brick dressings. The roofs are gabled and hipped slate.

The building follows an H-plan, with a central administrative block flanked by side ranges and cross wings, the major axis running east to west.

The administrative block rises three storeys and spans seven windows. It has dentillated eaves and two large coped ridge stacks. A projecting centre section, three windows wide, sits beneath a pediment. The windows are glazing bar sashes with brick flat arches. A central Tuscan portico with four columns carries a wrought iron balcony railing and covers a margin-glazed double door with overlight and sidelights. On either side are two sashes. Above this, a French window with glazing bar overlight and sidelights is flanked by two sashes. The top storey has a central sash with smaller sidelights and two further sashes beyond. At the rear, a central canted bay window with three sashes is flanked by two sashes.

Square additions of approximately 1849, two storeys and two windows wide, extend from either side. The right-hand addition features a flat-roofed bay window with leaded glazing. The side ranges have a projecting central block, five windows wide, with glazing bar sashes. A central round-arched doorway has a glazing bar fanlight and sidelights. The rear elevation has been reglazed and features a canted bay window across two storeys.

Ward ranges extend on either side, five windows wide, with round-arched openings, first-floor band and impost bands. The windows have cast iron glazing bars and pivoted centre lights. The north and south cross wings are two storeys, eight windows wide, and have similar fenestration and detailing. The south ends, three windows wide, have a central doorway. The east and west end ranges are four windows wide. The north sides are partly covered by 19th and 20th century additions but retain round-arched windows. The south sides have reglazed flat-headed windows. End blocks, three windows wide, display similar fenestration. The east and west ends have pedimented gables containing blank round windows and topped with coped stacks. A round-arched door with fanlight stands to the left with a single window to the right; above are two round-arched blank windows.

Interior

The entrance lobby has a cornice and margin-glazed double doors with sidelights. The central octagonal hallway features round arches opening to a barrel-vaulted spinal corridor. To the east and west are ashlar doglegged stairs with winders and double iron stick balusters. Similar stairs to the basement are fitted with wrought iron gates. A panelled boardroom at the rear, dating to approximately 1935, has a coved ceiling and an ashlar fireplace with dentillated cornice. The side ranges contain cells to the north and galleries to the south. The north and south cross wings have central corridors flanked by cells.