Kingsdown House

ST 86 NW BOX LOWER KINGSDOWN ROAD

2/181 Nos 1 and 2 Kingsdown House (formerly listed as Kingsdown House

20 12 60

GV II

House, former lunatic asylum, early C18 and C19, ashlar with slate roofs. No 1 is early C18 with coped gables and end wall stacks. Three-storey, 3-window formal front. with channelled angle pilasters, moulded string courses and cornice breaking forward at pilasters, parapet and corner urns. Segmental headed 12-pane sashes in raised bead-moulded surrounds with keystones, those to ground and first floor with cornices over keystones where string course breaks forward. Central raised moulded segmental headed doorcase set in early C19 ashlar Corinthian columned porch. Over centre parapet, segmental pedimented clock gable with channelled pilasters and ball finial, probably C19. To each side, 2-storey, one window range wings with early C19 unmoulded 12-pane sashes above, door below to right and window below to left in early C18 raised moulded surround. Centre rear projection with hipped roof, hipped dormer and 2-storey, 2-window range, upper bead-moulded flush surrounds to windows. No 2, to right of No 1, is C19 ashlar 2-storey, 3-window range with moulded string course, moulded cornice and parapet. Plate glass sashes. Kingsdown House was fi private asylum certainly from the C18, but in evidence to a parliamentary select committee of 1815-16 it was stated to have been in existence for 200 years. (W.Parry Jones. The Trade in Lunacy 1972) -

Listing NGR: ST8172467783