Snaresbrook Crown Court (former Wanstead Infant Orphan Asylum)

This former children's orphanage, now a crown court, was built between 1841 and 1843 to the design of architects Sir George Gilbert Scott and William Bonython Moffatt by the builder William Jay of London Wall. A rear assembly hall was added in 1862. The building was converted into a crown court and extended from 1973 to 1974 by architects Mayell, Hart and Partners, with further alterations made between 1978 and 1981.

Materials

The original ranges are constructed of London stock brick with a coursed, squared and hammer-dressed Sneaton stone facing and Bath and Caen stone dressings to the front and side elevations. The roofs are covered in Westmorland slate and lead. Cast-iron beams support timber floors internally. To the rear, the former assembly hall added in 1862 is constructed of London stock brick with slate roofs.

Plan

The building was originally designed to an H plan with a central range joining a north and south wing. The central range provided the orphanage service rooms; the south wing contained the dormitories, nurseries and chapel; and the north wing the school and day rooms. Two narrow ranges extended to the rear of the central range containing further services (now demolished), but an assembly hall was built between them in 1862.

Following conversion to a crown court, the central range now contains the entrance hall, jury assembly hall and judges' rooms; the south wing contains the defendants' cell block, interview rooms, chapel and offices; and the north wing contains five court rooms (Courts 8 to 12). The former assembly hall now accommodates Courts 4, 5 and 7.

The 1970s and 1980s rear infill ranges and extensions contain Courts 1 to 3, a café, kitchen and public canteen; these ranges and extensions are not of special interest. At the far rear, in the 1934 dormitory block and a 1978 extension are Courts 6, 13 and 14; this block and extension are also not of special interest.

Exterior

The former orphanage is situated in an area of open parkland and orientated north-north-east to south-south-west (the following description uses simplified cardinal points, for example, south range rather than south-south-west). It is built in a Jacobean Revival style and faced in Sneaton stone with Bath and Caen stone dressings.

Central Range

The central range faces east and forms a near-symmetrical entrance front with north and south wings attached and further additions to the rear. This central elevation is 20 bays long and two storeys high with attics, but the centrepiece is a projecting three-storey 'gatehouse' with four-storey turrets topped by leaded ogee domes and finials.

A stone plinth carries around the range and the attached wings, and there are ashlar quoins to the corners and projecting bays. The gatehouse is five bays wide; the central bays project three bays forward of the elevation whilst the flanking bays project only a single bay. At the centre is an ashlar round-arched doorway with moulded impost blocks and faceted voussoirs. Above it is an oriel window topped by a cornice with a scrolled pediment, a further window, a cornice supported on consoles and then an elaborate Dutch gable surmounted by three obelisk finials.

The bays flanking the doorway comprise three storeys of single-light casement windows separated by string courses, then deep cornices supported on consoles topped by octagonal turrets with single-light windows, moulded cornices, ogee domes and elaborate ironwork finials. The neighbouring bays also have single-light windows, string courses, cornices and an ashlar parapet topped by obelisk finials.

Extending to each side of the gatehouse are a further seven bays of two and three-light cross windows containing casements. An arcade of Tudor arches with hoodmoulds and faceted keystones forms a walkway at ground floor level and is topped by an ashlar parapet and finials. The walkway on the north side has been infilled with large fixed windows with narrow glazing bars. The fourth bay on each side projects forward and has a round arch to the arcade, a three-light cross window surmounted by a cornice and scrolled pediment at first floor level, and then a shaped gable containing a window, which is topped by three obelisk finials. The second and sixth bays are placed under a segmental pediment and finial. A gabled slate roof covers the range. The rear elevation is faced in stock brick and given a plainer treatment with cross windows and a stone cornice.

North Wing

The north wing has a symmetrical showfront set upon a landscaped terrace facing the Eagle Pond. It is approached by stone steps and given a similar treatment to the central range: two storeys and attics except for a three-storey turreted gatehouse at the centre. There are 19 bays including four projecting bays under shaped gables; those nearest the ends of the wing have full-height canted bay windows. Four projecting rectangular flues of the stone chimneys separate the windows of the other bays.

The gatehouse has a round-arched entrance containing a panelled door beneath an oriel window to the first and second floors, topped by an ashlar parapet with a small segmental pediment. Flanking it are two four-storey octagonal turrets under ogee domes and finials (although one is currently missing, as of 2019). The roofs at the ends of this wing are now topped by tall fibreglass chimneys replacing the stone originals following the internal conversion to crown courts.

The side elevations are of three bays with shaped gables; the west end has a round-arched doorway with panelled doors and the east end is approached by a stone staircase. The elevation facing the former assembly hall at the rear is largely faced in stock brick but the ground floor has been rendered.

South Wing

The front elevation of the south wing is a two-storey asymmetrical composition, 19 bays long. There are three projecting bays with cross windows under triangular or shaped gables and, near the centre, the projecting chapel with a canted apse. Original plans show a smaller chapel but it had been considerably extended by 1876.

The current chapel is two storeys high and six bays long by five bays wide. It has a quarry-faced plinth, ashlar quoins and stepped buttresses between Perpendicular windows to the ground floor. These are placed under pointed arches with hoodmoulds and divided into two or four trefoil-headed lights with ogee tracery beneath quatrefoils. The chancel window has four trefoil-headed lights beneath more elaborate curvilinear tracery. At first floor level are square-headed casement windows set in moulded surrounds.

The side elevations are of three bays of cross windows; the east has a shaped gable but the west has been rebuilt following bomb damage in 1948 with a plain parapet. Attached to the west end are the rendered walls of a rectangular security yard added in the 1970s, which is not of special interest. The rear elevation is faced in stock brick and given a plainer treatment.

Former Assembly Hall

The former assembly hall extends to the rear of the middle of the central range. It is three storeys high, 10 bays long and four bays wide. This block is built of London stock brick with square-headed window openings, now containing fixed and top-hung PVC windows, beneath an ashlar cornice and brick parapet. A tall 1973 stock brick semi-glazed stair and service tower is adjoined to the west end of the north wall.

Also extending on the north side is an irregular 1973 single-storey block containing the kitchen, canteen and other services opening onto service yards. It is built of stock brick and pre-cast concrete panels with exposed aggregate finishes beneath a flat roof. This 1973 block is not of special interest.

Between the assembly hall and south wing is a court block erected in 1973 but rebuilt after a fire in 1981 (Courts 1 to 3). It is of a single storey but partly double-height and constructed of pre-cast concrete and lead panels with a flat roof. This 1981 block is not of special interest.

At the far rear, beyond the former assembly hall, is the 1934 former dormitory block; a two and three storey block constructed of ashlar with square-headed windows. Extending from it on the north side is a large pre-fabricated single-storey court block (Courts 13 and 14) built in 1978 with top-hung clerestory windows and a flat roof. Adjoined to the west is a covered walkway. The 1934 dormitory block, 1978 pre-fabricated block and adjoining covered walkway are not of special interest.

Interior

Central Range

The central range formerly housed the orphanage service rooms but was largely stripped out and refurbished in the 1970s. The main entrance leads into a hallway that has an original cantilevered quarter-turn stone staircase with decorative cast-iron balustrade and wooden handrail leading up to the first floor. Adjacent to the entrance is a 1990s reception desk and security offices, which are not of special interest.

A corridor leads off left from the hall, past 1970s service rooms and interview rooms and a judges' room to the south wing. On the right of the reception hall is the jury assembly area, including a café with a modern servery and fittings which are not of special interest, and an arcaded walkway leading to the north wing.

The first floor of this range was partitioned and fitted out in 1973 to form a series of judges' rooms: a robing room, lounge, retiring room, libraries, kitchens, dining rooms and offices; these 1970s room partitions and the fixtures and fittings are not of special interest.

South Wing

The south wing formerly housed dormitories and nurseries. It now provides offices and detention rooms on the ground floor to the east of the chapel, largely with original partition walls but modern fittings. To the west of the chapel are the defendants' interview rooms, cells and security area, partitioned up and fitted out in 1973; these 1970s room partitions and the fixtures and fittings are not of special interest.

On the first floor are further cells and offices with modern partitions and fixtures and fittings, which are also not of special interest. A set of stairs lead down to concrete tunnels beneath the buildings. These tunnels lead to further stairs back up to the court rooms, allowing defendants to be securely moved to and from the cell block.

At the centre of the south wing is the chapel, which was originally smaller but was extended by 1876. It is entered from the north where there are three pointed-arched doorways containing timber-boarded doors with decorative wrought-iron strap hinges on their outside faces and carved blind tracery internally. The chapel roof has arch braces resting on corbels decorated with foliage carving beneath which are engaged columns supported on further corbels decorated with angel carvings. The tie beams of the roof support eight chandeliers running the length of the chapel.

It is furnished with rows of oak benches and an oak pulpit, which are enriched with foliage carving, blind tracery and quatrefoils. A Tudor arch at the south end leads to the chancel of the chapel. It has a parquet floor, oak panelling carved with heraldic shields, a wooden altar and a reredos with niches containing statues of four saints. The chapel windows contain stained glass depicting scenes from the Life of Christ and Acts of Mercy, including work by William Morris of London of about 1920. There are memorial plaques on the chapel walls, including a plaque commemorating those that lost their lives during the First World War.

The first floor above the chapel was partitioned in 1973 for offices and meeting rooms and has 1970s room partitions and fixtures and fittings which are not of special interest.

North Wing

The north wing formerly contained the orphanage school and day rooms but was stripped out and fully refurbished in 1978. It is now partitioned up to contain a waiting area, jury rooms, interview rooms, judges' rooms and five court rooms with 1970s room partitions and modern fixtures and fittings, which are not of special interest.

The second floor of the gatehouses to the central range and north wing contain storage rooms and an office. The basements beneath these ranges contain plant rooms, oil storage tanks, defendants' tunnels and cells, largely with 1970s or later fixtures and fittings, which are not of special interest.

Former Assembly Hall

Adjoining the rear of the central range is the former assembly hall, which was refurbished in 1973. It contains jury and judges' rooms, interview rooms, witnesses' rooms and Courts 4 and 5 to the ground floor, with a further smaller court on the first floor (Court 7), all with 1970s partitions and modern fixtures and fittings which are not of special interest. The first and second floors have largely been partitioned to provide offices; the 1970s room partitions and modern fixtures and fittings are not of special interest.

Subsidiary Features

Adjacent to the entrance to the north wing are stone steps flanked by ashlar dwarf walls topped by a moulded coping and stone piers, which are included in the listing.