Officers' Mess In The Grounds Of The Royal Victoria Hospital

The Officers’ Mess, dating to circa 1860, is situated within the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital. It is a building of general classical design, exhibiting a symmetrical facade of three storeys and a seven-bay arrangement of windows (5:3:1:3:1:3:5). The central section is particularly elaborate, featuring a balustraded parapet, a full cornice, and rusticated pilasters. Recessed arched openings are framed by architraves, moulded impost bands, cills on plain brackets, and a plinth. Flanking turrets rise to tiled pyramid roofs and are characterised by a bold eaves cornice supported by brackets, coupled openings with keystones, architraves, panelled pilasters, and panelled bases displaying a diagonal cross motif. The inner wings, each of three windows, feature an eaves cornice and bands at the first and second floors, sitting upon a plinth. While the openings are plain, the ground floor arches are recessed within architraves, with a continuous impost band and stone cills on plain brackets. The outer wings, of five windows, have plain openings, arched at ground floor, and incorporate central projecting porches with arched roofs. The building is roofed with slate in a hipped configuration. Construction primarily uses cement walls, though red brick is visible at the rear. Sash windows are set in reveals.