St George's Hospital

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 7 July 2025 to amend the language in the description and to reformat the text to current standards

ST 86 SE 4/206

SEMINGTON ST GEORGE'S ROAD (south side) St George's Hospital

II

Work house, now hospital for people with learning disabilities. 1836-1838 for Melksham Union, by H.E. Kendall. Limestone ashlar front, dressed limestone to rear ranges, Welsh slate roofs with brick stacks. Classical front range with four rear ranges arranged in a cross. Three-storey, nine-window front. Central three bays break forward with pediment, central 6-panelled door with pediment on corbels, aluminium windows replacing sashes with keystone and plain architrave either side and three windows to side bays. First floor has nine windows with keystones, second floor has nine with corbelled sills and no keys, corbelled eaves and pediment. Single-storey flanking wings with aluminium windows. Rear of main range has aluminium windows. Three-storey wing attached to centre rear of main range and running back to octagonal three-storey block at axis of cross; three-storey, nine-bay ranges run parallel to front range and a two-storey nine-bay range continues to rear, shorter two-storey or single-storey wings attached to ends of main ranges. All rear ranges have sashes or fixed windows with glazing bars, cast iron rainwater goods.

Interior altered, but retains some original joinery, staircases. Built as a workhouse under the 1835 Poor Law Act for the Melksham Workhouse Union; original layout unaltered - front range contained boys' and girls' schoolrooms, board room in centre part, rear wings and yards for accommodation of men and women in separate blocks, kitchen and dining areas in central wing to rear. Single-storey buildings contained workshops stables and low building on east side contained cells for vagrants.

(N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Wiltshire, 1975; plans in WRO)

Listing NGR: ST8934260292