Devonport High School For Boys

PLYMOUTH

SX4654NW PARADISE ROAD, Stoke 740-1/55/677 (South side) Devonport High School for Boys

GV II*

Former military hospital, now a school. 1797 with some later extension. Plymouth limestone ashlar front, otherwise Plymouth limestone rubble with ashlar plinth and dressed surrounds to openings; dry slate hipped roofs; dressed stone stacks with moulded cornices. PLAN: large plan with 4 original square ward blocks linked by an arcaded and vaulted walk at the front, this continues farther to the right to join an administration block which is in part later. EXTERIOR: 3-storey ward and administration blocks, each ward block with 5-window-range elevations [plus various single-storey and 2-storey additions]. The group is fronted by a single-storey passage plus balcony of 5:7:5:7:5:7:1:5 bays. The arcade has plinth and impost string surmounted by a moulded entablature incorporating a turned balustrade above each round arch. C20 windows with glazing bars within dressed stone architraves and spoked fanlight heads to round-arched doorways of ward blocks within passage. Rear part of administration block has 12-pane horned sashes. INTERIOR: has no particular features of interest where inspected. This is an important hospital design: arranged in separate blocks like the Royal Naval Hospital, High Street (qv), to which it relates visually, but with the buildings set out in a straight line behind a very long and visually powerful colonnade. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1989-: 655).

Listing NGR: SX4634954893