Royal Hospital And Home For Incurables

The Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, built in 1864 by W P Griffith, features a symmetrical elevation facing West Hill. It consists of three three-storey blocks connected by two-storey ranges. The central block is nine bays wide, while the lateral blocks are each five bays wide, and the linking ranges have eight bays each. The building is constructed from gault brick with stone dressings.

All three blocks showcase three-bay advanced centres and channelled rustication on the ground floor, which is pierced by round-headed windows. The windows in the lateral blocks are set within brick arches. The central block has a parapet with balustrades that supports a giant order of coupled Corinthian pilasters at the outer angles of both the entire block and the advanced centre. The advanced centre features two giant Corinthian columns that create an open screen, linking the two sets of outer bays on the first and second floors. The first-floor windows are adorned with cornices, with the central window on each side topped by a segmental pediment. Above, a massive entablature and blocking course are finished with vase finials above the capitals.

In the lateral blocks, the blind balustraded parapet over the ground floor is complemented by engaged giant Ionic columns, an entablature, and a pediment at the advanced centre, along with Ionic pilasters and an entablature at the exterior angles. The first-floor windows here also feature segmental pediments on consoles. The stacks are topped with corbelled cornices. The symmetrical south-west elevation includes a pedimented centre block with a Doric porte-cochere, end pavilions, and recessed linking ranges.