National Hospital for Neurology

The National Hospital for Neurology is a hospital building constructed between 1883 and 1885 by MP Manning and J Simpson. It is a red Suffolk brick structure with terracotta cornices and string courses, and a tiled roof. The building's design is symmetrical, centered around a main block with projecting blocks linked by recessed balustraded loggias in a French Renaissance style. Originally, it was constructed in front of an earlier building, which has since been removed.

The exterior comprises three storeys plus an attic and basement, with a total of 22 bays. It features Venetian windows, carved brickwork in the pavilion gable ends, triangular pediments on the second floor, and tall, round-headed windows with hoods and aprons. The ground floor is characterized by rusticated brickwork and a handsome terracotta entrance porch with voussoirs. Ornate, blind aedicules decorate the flank wall of the north pavilion.

Inside, the ground floor contains an entrance foyer, offices, a board room, and a chapel. A Doric screen separates the foyer from the main staircase compartment, which features a large Venetian window with stained glass. The rectangular chapel is lit by an octagonal dome with a coloured glass border, and is characterized by green marble Corinthian columns and pilasters, a plain frieze, a dentilled cornice, and a coved ceiling. A stained glass window from 1885 is located behind the altar. The board room, fronting Queen Square, is panelled with fitted cupboards featuring leaded glazing and an elaborate wooden mantelpiece above a faience fireplace with De Morgan tiles.

The hospital was founded in 1860 by Louisa and Joanna Chandler for the care of individuals with paralysis and epilepsy. Funding for this building was raised by the Duke of Albany, and it was opened in 1884 by his brother, Edward, Prince of Wales.