Laundry, Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar

The laundry was built in 1854 to serve the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar, with later additions to the complex.

The building is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with gauged brick arches, slate roofs, and a brick chimneystack. Doors and window frames are timber.

Originally the laundry was L-shaped in plan. The principal two-storey range runs south-west to north-east, with a perpendicular wing extending north-west that abuts the hospital boundary wall. A detached single-storey range to the west originally enclosed an entrance courtyard, which has since been infilled and added to with ancillary and storage buildings. Single-storey additions have been made to the south-east and north-east elevations; these are excluded from the listing.

The internal layout remains largely as originally built. The north-east range contains double-height washing, wringing and drying rooms. The south-east range contains folding, receiving, sewing and store rooms. The western block was originally used for laundering flannels. The original boiler and engine house are located in a separate block on the opposite side of Haslar Road.

The principal elevation faces south-east and comprises seven bays. Ground floor windows are two-over-two pane hornless sash windows with stone cills and gauged brick flat arches. First-floor windows are six-over-six pane sashes. A double string course in brick and a plain stone cornice sit below a brick parapet that conceals a shallow hipped slate roof. A 20th-century single-storey lean-to has been added to the ground floor of the first and second bays, and a modern fire escape stair and door have been added to the sixth bay; these are excluded from the listing.

The north-east elevation has nine closely-spaced bays with similar detailing. The second and seventh upper windows are blind, and one has an oculus. Some alteration has been made to ground floor openings for modern machinery and plant. The northern section carries a cast iron water tank with corrugated sheeting roof.

The south-west facing elevation shows the three-bay end of the south-eastern range and the rear six bays of the north-east range, similarly detailed to the front. A number of mid- to late 19th-century and early 20th-century single-storey buildings enclose the original flannel wash room and infill the original entrance courtyard, including a hearse house on the outside elevation and two store rooms lit by roof lanterns.

Internally, the double-height washing, wringing and drying rooms are functional spaces with plain detailing. Original dividing timber plank doors remain, and one doorway features the practical detail of bowing outwards at the bottom to allow wide tubs to be wheeled through. An open string stair with shaped handrail and metal stick balusters provides access to the first floor of the south-eastern range. A fireplace and cupboard remain in the south-east first-floor room, and an additional room has been inserted into the upper part of the drying room in the north-east.