Main Block Of St Francis' Hospital

The Main Block of St Francis' Hospital is a hospital that was originally built as a lunatic asylum in 1859 by H E Kendall junior. It is designed in a free Lombardo-Venetian style and constructed from yellow brick with red brick decoration, topped with slate roofs. The building features a long range of 57 bays, which includes a 7 bay central section flanked by two bay towers, and wings that each consist of 24 bays, culminating in a slim terminal tower. The central section and parts of the wings are topped with wide gables, with the central gable featuring an oculus. A continuous red brick cornice runs along with bands of the same material. The windows are sashes with glazing bars, featuring cambered heads on the ground and third floors, and round heads in between. The central section has all round-headed windows, with those on the ground floor having mullions and roundels. The towers are adorned with blind arcading above and below heavy cornices, ending in pyramidal roofs. The first floor windows in the center have stone or cement balconies. Flanking this block are additional wings with 23 bays that have simpler details. Each end features a single-storey wing that projects from the towers. The entrance facade has a hammer-headed block that protrudes, consisting of three main sections. The central section has round-headed windows and round-arched decorations, with a triple feature enclosing modern glass doors and a painted carved tympanum. A broad flight of steps leads to the door. The sashes on this side typically have two or four panes. Inside, the entrance hall contains an elaborate fireplace and decorative plasterwork over the doors. The building was constructed as the Sussex Lunatic Asylum.