Holywell Hospital, 60 Steeple Road, Antrim, Co Antrim, BT41 2RJ

Holywell Hospital is a late Victorian complex of red brick hospital buildings designed in a Queen Anne style, with a central Italianate clock tower, built between 1894 and 1899 as the County Antrim Lunatic Asylum. The architect was John Lanyon of Belfast, and the builders were H & J Martin, also of Belfast. The complex is a substantially intact example of an uncommon building type and is of national architectural interest. It was designed by a prominent Irish architect and remains of considerable local interest as a long-established institution that still fulfils its original function.

The site for the asylum was selected in 1891, the Board of Governors met for the first time in 1893, and tenders were invited in 1894. Although the building was originally scheduled to open in 1896, contractual difficulties delayed completion until 1899. All county patients were transferred from the Belfast Asylum and the first direct admissions accepted at Holywell in 1900. An earlier house called Holy Well House, dating from at least the early 19th century, appears to have been demolished to make way for the hospital.

The complex consists of a number of closely associated buildings, each of distinct plan form, arranged in a formally organised layout with clearly defined parts. The main hospital administration and ward complex is flanked by a detached Protestant Church and a detached Roman Catholic Chapel. The original layout also included a detached mortuary, a gate lodge to the west entrance of the site, and a detached residence for the Medical Superintendent called Holywell House. Although there have been some inappropriate alterations and additions, the complex retains its overall original character and appearance and still largely enjoys its original pastoral setting.

The main complex comprises a two-storey Administration Block with a five-stage Italianate clock tower facing north, linked by courtyards to a single-storey Workshop Block to the east and a one- and two-storey Laundry Block to the west. A canted lateral single-storey corridor to the rear gives access to four ward blocks. One courtyard is now open and one ward block is now used for other purposes.

ADMINISTRATION BLOCK

The entrance elevation, facing north, is symmetrical, comprising the five-stage clock tower of square plan flanked by two-storey wings to each side. Walls are of red brick with projecting moulded brick plinth, string courses and dentil cornice. Roofs are of green slates, appearing to be Westmorland, laid in regular courses, with terracotta ridge tiles of serrated profile. Prominent chimneys are of red brick with panelled faces and moulded brick cornices, retaining their original tall red terracotta pots. Moulded cast iron gutters are fitted with rectangular cast iron downpipes secured by foliated brackets, moulded cast iron hoppers, and circular cast iron downpipes from the lower projecting bays.

Windows are elliptically headed timber sliding sash, vertically hung, one over one, with horns, set in elliptically arched openings surmounted by projecting brick drip mouldings. Projecting red sandstone cills are continuous with the string course to each side. The recessed main wall area of each wing has a shallow single-storey projecting rectangular bay with a hipped lead roof, in the same plane as the projecting end gables. End bays are gabled and include an attic storey lit by a small oval or elliptical plain window between raised brick pilaster strips. Red sandstone copings to the gables are accompanied by a stepped brick corbel course, and each apex is surmounted by a raised segmental pediment with ball finial.

The central clock tower projects forward, with the main entrance at ground floor level. The main entrance is recessed within an elliptical brick archway; square columns of smooth cement render with moulded bases and floriated capitals are coupled to the reveals, with a fluted and garlanded keystone to the archway surmounted by a small balcony carried on large curved and fluted brackets. The parapet of the balcony has circular perforations to the front and sides linked by strapwork, with a ball finial to each front corner. To each side of the balcony is a painted stone zoomorphic gargoyle. A buttress to each side of the ground floor of the tower projects to second-stage level and terminates in a scrolled stone weathering. Each side wall of the tower at ground floor contains a deep-set, recessed, elliptically arched window sashed as those on the main front. At first floor level, an elliptically arched two-leaf French window gives access to the balcony. At second floor level, the front face of the tower has a pair of narrow coupled windows sashed as previously described, while each side face at this level is abutted by a projecting semi-gable raking up to the belfry stage above, from the flanking two-storey wings.

At the third floor level of the tower, there is a trifora in each of the four faces. Each trifora consists of a pair of coupled columns with polished granite shafts and foliated marble capitals, triple arcaded in brick, with moulded sandstone bases on projecting red sandstone cills carried on four brickwork brackets. Below each of the trifora on the two side faces of the tower is a large projecting sculptured lion's head in red sandstone. Above the trifora on each face are five projecting red sandstone shields each embellished with a crown in relief, and above the shields is a machicolated red sandstone cornice. At the fourth floor level, there is a large clock face in each of the four faces, each set in an elliptically arched recess with red sandstone colonnettes. The clock faces are of geometrical pattern without numbers and are illuminated at night. This stage is surmounted by a red sandstone cornice and arcaded parapet with what appear to be paired chimney pots or ventilation flues grouped at each corner.

The east elevation of the Administration Block is two-storey, of the same character as the entrance front, with similar walling, roofing, rainwater goods and windows. To the right of the projecting yard wall there is one window to each floor, sashed as previously; to the left is one taller stair window, a timber fixed light with a top-hung bottom light, with a projecting moulded sandstone cill, with a rectangular door and an arched sashed window below it at ground floor level. The door is a rectangular glazed flush timber door with a sandstone lintel surmounted by an arched brick drip moulding, and the cill to the window beside it is of projecting red sandstone.

The rear elevation of the eastern wing is of red brick of plainer character than the entrance elevation, without moulded string courses but with a projecting brick eaves course. Plain segmental arched brick openings contain segmental headed timber windows sashed as on the entrance front. Extending to the south is a rear return consisting of a single-storey link corridor in plain red brick with rectangular metal windows set in arched openings with projecting red sandstone cills, and a rectangular doorway leading into a small rear kitchen yard. This doorway has rounded purple brick jambs and a sliding ledged timber door with timber pelmet, with a hipped green-slated roof over the doorway and plain terracotta ridge tiles. The small kitchen yard is paved with purple bricks laid on their side.

On the north side of the small kitchen yard, immediately behind the main front block, is a stores block with a large central elliptical brick archway now closed up with smooth cement render; the archway is flanked on each side by rectangular doorways with modern flush timber doors and a modern panelled door, and by tall narrow segmental arched window openings with rectangular timber windows. The south side of the small rear yard has a hipped-roofed block with green slates, serrated terracotta ridge tiles and terracotta finials, incorporating a replacement rooflight over an open recess and a small gabled original light box on the ridge with turned wooden finials. Walls are of red brick; windows are rectangular timber with a black painted timber lintel continuous with a partly boxed-in steel girder over the recess. PVC gutters and cast iron downpipes are fitted. Further south lies the main kitchen block with a tall gabled block in the centre: a red brick gable with a glazed roof and glazed clerestory, projecting from the large red brick gable of the dining block and recreation hall to the south.

The west end of the Administration Block is similar to the east end, except that there is a single-storey canted brick bay to the ground floor to the left of the projecting yard wall, with one arched window in each face sashed as previously, a hipped roof of slates as before, and a moulded cast iron gutter with rectangular cast iron downpipe. At first floor level, at the right-hand extremity of the wall, brickwork keys have been left where an anticipated return wing was never built. Extending to the south is a long single-storey return wing built in two blocks. The first block is taller, with a roof of green slates and serrated terracotta ridge tiles, and a small circular metal ventilator on the ridge. The second block is lower, with a roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses and plain red ridge tiles. A third block is of similar ridge height but has green slates and serrated ridge tiles. Windows in the return include rectangular metal fixed lights and casements with top-hung vents with pink tinted concrete lintels and projecting red sandstone or grey concrete cills; aluminium and PVC windows in similar openings; and rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents set in elliptically arched brick openings with projecting red sandstone cills. To the right of a modern single-storey flat-roofed red brick and plywood panelled projecting block are three canted bays with hipped roofs and terracotta finials; the bay to the extreme right contains a rectangular metal window, fixed light and casement, and a narrow rectangular glazed and panelled door with plain fanlight, also set in a brick arched opening. The return wing has cast iron gutters with cast iron downpipes and one PVC downpipe.

The Recreation Hall is a two-storey building to the rear of the Administration Block, on an axis with the clock tower and the main kitchen, projecting to the south beyond the line of the main cross corridor. Its roofs are green-slated with serrated terracotta ridge tiles and two circular metal ogee-domed ventilators on the ridge. Walls are of red brick with shallow brick buttresses between window openings to the side elevations, which are of plain character to the north of the main cross corridor where they are visible mainly from enclosed courts or lightwells, but are given string courses and drip mouldings over the windows at the south end, where they are clearly visible as part of the main south elevation of the complex. First-floor windows in both the east and west sides of the recreation hall are modern PVC replacements; ground-floor windows on both sides to the north of the main cross corridor are metal-framed with small panes, while those to the south are metal on the west side and PVC on the east side. The metal windows are small-paned fixed lights with central opening vents. A large steel fire escape stairway is attached to the south end of the east side of the recreation hall. The south gable is brick-pilastered with stepped brick corbel courses and sandstone urn finials to the apex and shoulders, and has a large central three-light window with small circular tracery lights in red sandstone tracery, set in an arched recess.

WORKSHOP BLOCK

The Workshop Block stands to the east of the Administration Block and comprises four ranges or wings arranged around a courtyard. The main entrance into the courtyard faces east. The east elevation is single-storey with a gabled attic over the main entrance archway. Walls are of red brick with projecting moulded plinth, string courses and dentil cornice. The roof is of green slates with serrated terracotta ridge tiles as on the Administration Block. There are two red brick chimneys as previously described, and moulded cast iron gutters with rectangular cast iron downpipes secured by ornamented brackets. Windows include modern rectangular PVC and modern rectangular timber fixed lights with opening vents set in elliptically arched brick openings with red sandstone cills, except for one later large rectangular metal-framed window set in an enlarged opening with a concrete lintel and cill. The main entrance opening into the yard is elliptically arched in brick, with red sandstone springing blocks and a moulded brick drip over. Above the archway is a single brick-arched window set in an attic gable with moulded red sandstone copings and stepped projecting brick panelling.

The north elevation comprises a low central single-storey range flanked at each end by projecting gabled wings: the left-hand wing is single-storey and the right-hand wing is two-storey. A chimney tower stands in the corner between the central range and the left-hand gable. Walling, roofs, rainwater goods and arched window openings are all as on the east elevation. Windows in the central range are later rectangular eight-paned timber fixed lights with opening vents set in the arched openings. The left-hand gable has two windows at ground floor, of similar glazing to the central range, and a small oval window set in a keystone and block brick surround in the apex of the gable, though this window is boarded up; red sandstone copings to the gable with a ball finial. The right-hand gable has two windows to ground floor and two to first floor set in tall elliptically arched recesses; the ground floor pair are later rectangular timber fixed lights and aluminium louvres set in segmental arched openings, while the first-floor pair are modern PVC six-pane fixed lights and top-hung vents set in the elliptical arches; red sandstone cills are provided throughout. An oval window in the apex of the gable is clear-glazed and has a ball finial, as on the previous gable.

The west elevation comprises two two-storey blocks joined to a single-storey block. Roofs are slated and ridges crested as previously, with three modern flush rooflights in the first block from the north and an original flush rooflight in the single-storey block. The first block from the north has moulded brick string courses and cornice, three elliptical windows to the first floor, and one wide segmental arched opening to the ground floor leading into an open lobby, with a moulded cast iron downpipe to each extremity. The second block from the north is of plain red brickwork with one chimney to the right-hand gable. Windows are PVC rectangular fixed lights with top-hung vents; four windows to each floor, with the three sets to the right contained within tall elliptically arched recesses with what appear to be blank rectangular PVC panels between storeys and projecting red sandstone cills. The set to the left consists of a similar PVC window in a shallow segmental brick arch to the ground floor with a small PVC panel to the head and a projecting red sandstone cill, with above it a similar PVC window in an elliptically arched brick opening with a recessed red sandstone cill, set within an oversailing gablet with timber bargeboards and timber struts carried on moulded brick corbels. Circular cast iron gutters and downpipes serve this block. The single-storey block to the south has PVC gutters and downpipes. Abutting the west elevation of the Workshop Block is a single-storey wing consisting of a much altered pyramidal-roofed outbuilding and a poor-quality lean-to shed joined to the kitchens area of the Administration Block.

The courtyard elevations of the Workshop Block on the north side consist of a single-storey block with a slightly projecting central bay with hipped roof. Roofs are slated and ridges crested as previously, with terracotta finials to the hipped bay and plain ridge tiles to the hips. There is a chimney to each extremity. Walls are of plain red brick. The central projecting bay has large rectangular timber fixed-light windows with timber cills and ledged timber doors to each extremity. Each end bay has two segmental arched windows with modern timber fixed lights, and the left bay incorporates aluminium louvres; the left bay has a flush timber door with a three-pane fanlight, and the right bay has ledged timber double doors. PVC gutters and downpipes are fitted.

The east side of the courtyard is single-storey with plain red brick walls, a slated and crested roof as previously, and PVC gutters and downpipes. The main entrance opening is segmental arched in plain brickwork, with the lower portion of the jambs in rounded brown brickwork. There are two modern glazed flush timber doors. Window and door openings are segmental arched, except for one later insertion or enlargement with a concrete lintel and cill. Windows are a mixture of later rectangular timber, later rectangular metal and later PVC replacements.

The west side of the courtyard comprises two two-storey blocks and a single-storey block, with roofs slated and ridges crested as previously, PVC gutters and downpipes, and walls of plain brickwork with projecting red sandstone cills. Windows in the two-storey blocks are PVC replacements as previously described; windows in the single-storey block are PVC replacements or rectangular replacements. Doors are ledged timber and flush timber.

The south side of the courtyard comprises, from right to left: a single-storey brick screen wall with a later lean-to shelter of corrugated asbestos on steel posts in front; a single-storey red brick hipped block with a ledged timber door and rectangular timber windows; a hipped-roofed porch set back, with a ledged timber door; and a modern single-storey flat-roofed block with rectangular door and window openings and walls of rendered concrete blockwork using a dry dash of white limestone chippings.

To the south side of the south wing of the workshop courtyard lie two enclosed open courts either side of a short link corridor connecting with the main cross corridor of the hospital. The eastern court is a small Workshop Yard, concrete-surfaced, used to store building maintenance equipment and machinery. The western court is a grassed garden laid out with lawns and gravel paths, enclosed on the south side by the main cross corridor, on the west by a single-storey wing of the dining and recreation hall area of the Administration Block, and on the north by a lean-to greenhouse which appears to be a later addition. The part of the lawn to the west is raised in a ramped mound which may cover a raised basement services area.

LAUNDRY BLOCK

The Laundry Block stands to the west of the Administration Block and consists of a number of conjoined single-storey and two-storey hipped and gabled blocks arranged in an L-shape. The north elevation comprises a two-storey gabled office block at the east end with a long single-storey boiler house wing extending to the west. The office block is two-storey and gabled, of red brick with moulded string courses and moulded dentil cornice similar to the main Administration Block. The north gable has red sandstone copings and a ball finial; an elliptical window in the apex of the gable has a projecting brick drip moulding, and there are two windows to each floor, later rectangular timber replacements and fixed lights incorporating aluminium louvres, set in elliptically arched moulded heads.

The entrance is on the east side, contained in a projecting two-storey bay with hipped roof. All roofs of the office block are slated and ridged crested as previously. There is one red brick panelled chimney. Moulded cast iron gutters and cast iron downpipes are fitted; the rectangular downpipe on the east elevation to the right of the entrance bay is damaged with broken original brackets and is coming away from the wall. The entrance is elliptically arched, with an elliptically headed original four-panel timber door. An open porch comprises a collar-braced timber roof canopy supported on turned timber posts on a low plinth wall to the right and a brick screen wall to the left. The screen wall contains a small elliptically arched doorway with a ledged timber door and moulded red sandstone coping, and a large elliptically arched doorway with ledged double doors; it originally enclosed the space between the Laundry Block and the Administration Block but now has a large opening. A later single-storey red brick garage with a flat roof is positioned behind the double doors.

Extending to the west is a long single-storey boiler house with a slated roof; later rustic brick walling to the front with large rectangular metal-framed small-pane windows, concrete lintels and cills, and cast iron downpipes from a parapet gutter. A rectangular ledged timber sliding door is to the right-hand side. At the west end is a projecting single-storey gable of similar character to the office block, including an elliptical window opening in the apex of the gable with a moulded edge, though this window is not glazed but contains steel beams. Two windows in the gable are rectangular timber fixed lights. A rectangular entrance containing double doors, ledged and glazed, is set in the west face of this projecting single-storey gabled block, with a glazed timber gabled light box on the ridge with turned wooden finials.

At the western extremity of the north elevation is a set-back single-storey block with two arched windows containing modern rectangular PVC fixed lights and opening vents with small rectangular PVC panels to the heads. The roof is slated and ridge crested as previously, with swept lead covering to a ventilator base on the ridge, though the ventilator itself has now been removed. Extending further to the west is a single-storey block with moulded brick string courses and moulded cornice but a flat roof, containing a pair of panelled double doors with a three-light fanlight and a chamfered concrete lintel.

The west elevation comprises two brick gables to the left with a long two-storey gabled block to the right, ending in a hipped single-storey block to the extreme right, with moulded brick string courses, dentil cornices and ball finials to the gables. The first gable from the north has a low projecting block containing rectangular windows, appearing to be timber, set in elliptically arched moulded openings. The second gable from the north has an oval window in its apex, now containing a modern metal projecting duct or flue. The roof beyond the gable is slated and ridge crested as previously, with a gabled timber roof box. The two-storey block to the right has a slated roof with plain ridge tiles, an original fourteen-pane flush rooflight, and a chimney to the left-hand extremity that has been truncated and is now sprouting grass. There are three windows at first floor level: the centre one is a six-pane rectangular timber window in a later plain brick opening with a flat arched head; the flanking windows are similar six-pane timber windows set in elliptically arched moulded openings. The single-storey gabled block to the right has a slated and ridge-crested roof with a terracotta finial; the moulded string courses and dentil cornice are damaged and incomplete due to later alterations; it contains a large rectangular timber window and a rectangular ledged timber door. The moulded cast iron gutter is broken and the rectangular cast iron downpipe is fractured. The wall is patched at the extremity by a new brick nib which incorporates mouldings matching the original form. Across the front of the second gable from the north and the two-storey block is a later single-storey flat-roofed projection in rustic brick with a deep timber fascia and a metal upstand to the flat roof, with large rectangular timber fixed lights, top-hung vents and blank panels in poor condition, and PVC gutters and downpipes.

The south elevation comprises a hipped-roofed single-storey block with a slated and ridge-crested roof, two gabled timber roof boxes whose glazing is mostly obscured by white paint, plain red brick walling, and a cast iron gutter with a rectangular cast iron downpipe and a circular PVC downpipe. There are two windows, rectangular timber fixed lights and opening vents set in plain elliptically arched openings, and one large original doorway elliptically arched in plain brickwork, now blocked up with tongued and grooved panelling below a timber-framed fanlight; this doorway is set in a shouldered gablet with moulded red sandstone copings. To the right of the arched doorway is a modern gabled single-storey extension built of pre-formed metal panels and plain red brickwork on a smooth cement-rendered plinth.

MAIN CROSS CORRIDOR

The main cross corridor runs in an east-west direction, cutting through the south end of the Administration Block and then canting northwards to each side of it to run past the rear of the Workshop Block and the Laundry Block, with the four original ward blocks branching off to the south.

The north face of the portion to the west, to the rear of the Laundry Block, is single-storey, of red brick with moulded brick string courses, dentil cornice and projecting plinth. The roof is slated and ridge crested as previously. Moulded cast iron guttering is fitted to the left of the doorway and moulded PVC replacement guttering to the right; rectangular cast iron downpipes are provided throughout. Windows are arranged in pairs, elliptically arched; those to the left of the north doorway have plain arches and those to the right have moulded arches. Windows are rectangular timber fixed lights, some with bottom-hung top vents, with projecting red sandstone cills in line with the projecting brick string course. The doorway in the north face contains a pair of rectangular glazed and panelled double doors with a two-light fanlight, set in an elliptical brick arched opening with moulded reveals, surmounted by a shouldered gablet with moulded red sandstone copings.

The west gable of the western portion of the main corridor contains an entrance doorway similar to that in the north face, but set in plain reveals with a later inset modern red brick flattened elliptical archway. The south face of the western portion of the main corridor is similar to the north face, except for the western extremity which is of plainer character in plain red brickwork without mouldings. The main cross corridor on the eastern side of the complex is essentially similar to that on the western side, except that the jambs to the entrance in the east gable are moulded.

FORMER FEMALE CHRONIC BLOCK

The former Female Chronic Block, now used as a conference suite and offices, stands at the western extremity of the main cross corridor and is connected to it by a single-storey link block. It is three storeys high, laid out on a T-plan comprising a long rectangular main block with a short central rear return. The main elevation faces south.

The south elevation is three-storey and symmetrical, comprising a projecting central block four windows wide, with recessed wings each two windows wide, linked to projecting end blocks each three windows wide. Roofs are hipped, slated and ridge crested as previously, with central brick chimneys. Walling is of red brick with moulded brick string courses, plinth and dentil cornice. Window openings are elliptically arched with moulded edges. Windows are modern rectangular PVC fixed lights and opening vents with blank PVC panels to the heads. There are four original gabled dormer windows constructed of timber, with a three-light window in the gable and terracotta finials. Projecting above the end bays are tall polygonal brick ventilator turrets with timber louvres in elliptically arched moulded openings and ogee copper domes containing original copper-dressed roof vents. The turret of the eastern ventilator still retains its original finials displaying the date 1898, though the finial is now damaged. Moulded guttering with rectangular PVC downpipes and circular cast iron soil pipes are fitted. The central block has two canted bays to the ground floor with hipped slated roofs and circular cast iron downpipes, with what appear to be moulded PVC gutters. The projecting end bays have clasping brick buttresses to the corners surmounted by moulded terracotta weatherings. The inner corner of each end bay contains a recessed porch entered by a tall elliptically arched opening on two sides, with concrete steps and a concrete ramp to the porches; each entrance doorway within the porch recess is an original panelled door below an original four-pane arched fanlight.

The west end elevation is three-storey and of similar character to the south elevation, with a taller four-storey canted end bay tower in the same plane, surmounted by the ventilator turret. Moulded brick string courses step down to the lower storey levels in the tower bay. Windows are PVC replacements except in the tower bay, which retains some rectangular timber windows in arched openings. The doorway at ground floor level in the tower bay contains a modern rectangular flush timber door and an original four-pane fanlight, recessed in a two-stage elliptical archway.

The east elevation is similar to the west, except for the addition of an open porch to the entrance, formed by a flat concrete canopy carried on plain brick nib walls. The rear or north elevation is three-storey with four-storey end bay towers carrying ventilator turrets and a central three-storey projecting return, of similar character and detail to the other elevations. Windows are a mixture of PVC and timber. A very large steel fire escape stairway occupies the north-east angle between the main block and the rear return. The original gabled three-light dormer to the rear return is similar to those on the main block. A later flat-roofed rustic brick lift shaft projects from the roof on the east side of the rear return.

The single-storey link with the main cross corridor comprises a corridor with a hipped roof projection on the west side. Roofs are slated and ridges crested as previously. A gabled timber roof box on the ridge of the corridor retains all its glazing intact; the roof of the western projection is surmounted by a swept lead-covered ventilator base, though the ventilator itself has been removed. Moulded cast iron gutters are damaged at the north-west corner of the western projection, where they are replaced by leadwork, now itself dented. Walls are of plain brickwork. The hipped projection has three plain elliptically arched windows in the north side glazed as previously described for the main corridor. The west wall of the corridor contains later rectangular metal-framed windows with concrete lintels and projecting concrete cills.

FORMER FEMALE HOSPITAL BLOCK

This consists of a number of conjoined hipped and gabled one- and two-storey blocks in red brick with green-slated roofs, in the same architectural style as the other buildings in the complex. Ventilators are missing from some leaded ventilator bases on the roofs, though gabled roof boxes still remain. Cast iron gutters and downpipes are fitted to the north side. Windows are rectangular timber fixed lights with top-hung bottom vents. The west end has a later lean-to shelter added, with brick side walls and a corrugated asbestos roof.

On the south side, from west to east, there are projecting single-storey flat-roofed additions in plain red brick with timber fascia and large rectangular timber windows, then original canted bays of brickwork each side of a twin-arched verandah, followed by PVC and timber windows to a double-pile twin-gabled projecting block. At the east end, two-storey blocks have polygonal brick towers surmounted by polygonal brick turrets with timber louvres in arched openings on the main faces and ogee copper domes with date-inscribed finials. This block stands to the south of the main cross corridor, connected to it by three linking corridors enclosing two gardens or courts: the western court has a lawn with a concrete path; the eastern court has a lawn with a later modern flat-roofed enclosed corridor link running through it.

FORMER MALE HOSPITAL BLOCK

This block is of identical layout to the former Female Hospital Block, in the same architectural style and with the same architectural features, except that it is of handed plan. It stands to the south of the main cross corridor, connected to it by three link corridors enclosing two gardens or courts: the eastern court has a tarmac surface with flower beds and greenhouses; the western court has a lawn with a concrete path.

FORMER MALE CHRONIC BLOCK

The former Male Chronic Block stands at the eastern extremity of the main cross corridor and is connected to it by a single-storey link block. It is three storeys high, laid out on a T-plan comprising a long rectangular main block with a short central rear return, with the main elevation facing south. The block is of identical original layout to the corresponding former Female Chronic Block at the western extremity, but its plan is handed. The elevations are generally similar, with the following differences arising from alterations: the corner bays to the south elevation have recessed porches that are now bricked up and glazed; the dormers in the central bay of the south elevation are missing their finials; the brick ventilator turrets have been removed from the end bays; the rear return has a larger later brick hipped extension with no original dormer remaining on it; and one window in each floor of the east wall of the rear return has been bricked up.

The single-storey link with the main cross corridor comprises a corridor with a hipped-roofed projection on the east side, similar to the corresponding link with the former Female Chronic Block except that the plan is handed. Differences arising from alterations are as follows: the corridor has small PVC windows in rectangular openings; the projection has PVC windows in arched openings on all three faces. The gabled roof box on the corridor is intact, but the ventilator cupola is missing from the projection, as on the corresponding link at the western end of the site.

PROTESTANT CHURCH

A small red brick church built in the same architectural style as the rest of the complex, standing detached to the east of the Workshop Block. It is mirrored on the overall layout of the complex by a similarly designed Roman Catholic chapel in a corresponding position to the west. The church is laid out as a simple hall-type gabled nave ending in a canted three-sided chancel, with a small gabled transept on one side next to the chancel and a small gabled vestry on the other, and a gabled twin porch on each side of the nave. The liturgical west end actually faces north.

Built of red brick with a projecting brick plinth, moulded brick string course, brick dentil cornice to the sides of the nave, and stepped brick corbel courses to the gables. Moulded red sandstone copings are provided to the gables, each surmounted by a ball finial. Two-stage brick buttresses stand between the nave windows, with similar buttresses to the chancel; single-stage diagonal buttresses are provided to the transept and nave porches. Windows are elliptically arched lancets arranged in coupled pairs in the nave, with single lancets in the chancel and porches and a triplet in the transept. All have leaded lights with small square panes of tinted glass, an opening vent at the bottom, moulded edges to the reveals, red sandstone cills and projecting brick drip mouldings. The nave gable also contains an oval rose window with geometrical tracery in red sandstone, now painted white and storm-glazed.

Roofs are of green slates in regular courses with serrated terracotta ridges. The nave roof is crowned by a small octagonal ogee copper dome on a timber louvred ventilator with arched openings, supported on a lead-covered battered base. The chancel roof carries scrolling metal cresting between two copper finials. Moulded cast iron gutters and rectangular cast iron downpipes are fitted. The nave porches have rectangular four-panel timber double doors with diagonal tongued and grooved boarding, surmounted by a similarly boarded arched tympanum panel, all set within an elliptically arched brick opening similar in form to the windows. The vestry door, facing to the rear, is an original arched ledged timber door set in a deep elliptically arched reveal. Note that only the vestry door opens from the outside; the nave porch doors open only from the inside. The building is bordered by a tarmac path and surrounded by lawns, with a modern concrete ramp approach to the nave porch on the east side fitted with modern tubular steel railings. The uppermost portion of the finial to the ventilator dome is missing, as is the stone ball finial from the nave porch on the west side.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPEL

A small red brick church built in the same architectural style as the rest of the complex, standing detached to the west of the Laundry Block. It is mirrored on the overall layout of the complex by the Protestant Church in a corresponding position to the east. Its layout and form are similar to the Protestant Church, except that the plan is handed and the modern concrete ramp approach to a nave porch, with modern steel railings, is on the west side. The stone ball finial from the nave gable is missing.

SETTING

The complex stands in a rural area in the midst of fields and trees, bordered by tarmac paths and drives with lawns immediately surrounding it. There is a distant view of countryside to the south. The main approach is by a long east-west driveway, with some mid- to late 20th century buildings of no special interest fringing the drive at the east end.

HISTORY AND ALTERATIONS

Initially in 1898, the nearby Holy Well to the north was used to supply water to the hospital, but it proved inadequate and a reservoir was subsequently built on a nearby hill. Later changes to the complex include the construction of a detached Villa to provide extra accommodation in 1906–7. In 1930 the recreation hall, dining hall and parts of the kitchen and laundry store were badly damaged by fire, including the destruction of their roofs; these were rebuilt in 1931. In 1934 conventional radiators were installed throughout the complex to replace the original Plenum System of heating, which had worked by blowing hot air through ducts. Hospital extensions were built between 1936 and 1938, including extension blocks on the original male and female sides of the hospital wards built in 1937, and new walled airing courts built in 1938 to the south side of the hospital wards. The hospital has undergone several name changes, becoming the Antrim Mental Hospital from around 1934 and Holywell Hospital from around 1949.