Digby Hospital

Digby Hospital, formerly a Lunatic Asylum, was built between 1882 and 1886 by the architect R Stark Wilkinson for Exeter City Council. It is constructed of red brick with faience detailing, and has slate and lead roofs. The building is arranged in an "H" plan, with separate wings for male and female patients. The architectural style is Italianate, incorporating elements of "Queen Anne" design.

The north front, intended for reception and services, features a two-storey central block flanked by single-storey wings, as well as three-storey towers. The south front, housing the patient wards, is dominated by a three-bay central section with basement segmental arched openings, above which are arched-headed windows with fixed glazing bars and fanlights. Two-storey wings with returned hipped roofed gables extend from the centrepiece, further flanked by three-storey end block towers with a fourth storey housing water tanks. The entrance block has two-bay pavilions with sash windows on the ground and first floors, and a recessed central section with similar windows. An arched doorcase, sheltered by a bracketed and pedimented canopy, displays a plaque dated 1885. Moulded faience pilasters adorn the pavilions, and architraves frame all door and window openings. The pavilions have conical roofs with finials. Flanking single-storey wings house separate male and female entrances.

The south elevation also includes returned gables, conical-roofed towers, faience detailing to the openings, string courses, and cornices. Stacks have been cut down at eaves level. The facades are punctuated by four-storey towers with bell-profile lead conical roofs and finials, also featuring faience detailing. These towers provide a distinctive finish to the building's facades.

The design was chosen following a competition which attracted 40 entries, with the final selection made from 8 finalists. The faience detailing, supplied at a cost of £6000, was sourced in half by a firm from Chudleigh, Devon, and in half by Doulton of Lambeth, representing a particularly rich decorative treatment for an asylum.