Former Royal Naval Hospital North Gateway And Store And Attached Walls

The former Royal Naval Hospital's North Gateway and Store, along with its attached walls, were built between 1758 and 1765, designed for the Navy Board by Alexander Rovehead. The structure is made of Plymouth limestone rubble, featuring limestone architraves and other dressings, topped with a corrugated iron roof. It has a parallelogram shape with a central carriageway running parallel to the end walls, and the entrance is slightly protruding on the outer side. Originally, the passage had both inner and outer gates.

The exterior consists of two storeys with a nearly symmetrical eight-window front on each elevation. Most windows are bricked up, except for those with sloping jambs that are grooved for louvres. A full-height round archway includes imposts as short strings and is flanked by wrought-iron gates topped with spear-head finials. There is a dog-leg flight of stone steps leading to a raised platform to the right of the archway at both the front and rear.

The interior has not been inspected. Notable subsidiary features include a high rubble wall with ramped coping to the right of the building and another section of perimeter wall at a right angle to the rear left, which connects to the Official Residences that included the Admiral's House. These walls were designed to prevent patients from escaping.

Historically, this building faced the jetty where patients were landed and housed stores for hair and bedding, explaining the presence of the louvred windows. It is positioned on the main north-south axis of the hospital and is part of an outstanding and complete military hospital complex.