Roundway Hospital (Main Building)

ROUNDWAY SUO5NW WICK LANE 1383- /8/221 Roundway Hospital (Main Building) 27/11/87

GV II

Former Wiltshire County Asylum, 1849-51 by T H Wyatt. Extended 1858,1863, 1867 and 1877 to accomodate more patients. A recreation hall was added 1897-8. Bath stone ashlar with slate roofs having overhanging bracketed eaves and ashlar stacks. Campanile type towers have pyramid roofs and ventilation cowls designed as octagonal tempietti with ogee roofs. ltalianate style. Long symmetrical front range of 2 and 3 stories: 5 rear cross-wings forming courtyards originally used for the kitchen and exercise. Central administrative block of 3 stories and basement, the end and central bays slightly projecting. The end bays have canted angles; the central bay is pedimented. Window range 1-3-3-3-1 sashes; lst floor round-arched, those in central bay arcaded corresponding to the 3 void arcaded main entrance porch below, end bays being of Venetian type. Ground floor windows with keystones. Arch-headed doorways in re-entrant angles of outer bays. Attached to this front a good cast-iron area balustrade. Flanking this block, long 2-storey ranges, with short canted-angle cross wings, all in similar style but the glazing bar sashes generally replaced with plate glass. Rear elevations in similar style with some C19 metal-framed glazing. To the SW of the kitchen, a 2-storey block with loading door and crane. Central rear courtyard block with barrel-vaulted vehicle entrance surmounted by a round-arched gable with clock. In each side are 2 doorways, each with original boot-scraper and incised on the keystones "chief male attendant" and "private" to the south and "porter" and "private" to the north. Recreation hall attached to the north; red brick with a slate roof and cylindrical ridge ventilators. 5 bays long with central entrances flanked by 2 groups of 3 staggered windows on each side. Each bay with segmental relieving arch ot-bul1nose bricks. Interiors: with some original features but mostly plain. History: built as the Wiltshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum following the 1845 Lunacy Act which required county asylums to be built.

Listing NGR: SU0093459938