Entrance block, Ards District Hospital, Church Street, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 4AS

Former Front Building, Newtownards Poor Law Union Workhouse

This is the former entrance or 'front building' of the Newtownards Poor Law Union workhouse, built in 1841 to a design by Oxford architect George Wilkinson. It now forms the entrance block of Ards District Hospital on Church Street, Newtownards, County Down. The building is long, part two and part three storeys in height, and constructed of dark basalt rubble with sandstone quoins. It was once a fine and largely symmetrical example of a first-generation Irish workhouse front building, carrying mild Tudor or late medieval stylistic overtones — a decorative approach Wilkinson employed on a number of the earliest workhouses of the early 1840s, possibly taking inspiration from the almshouse architecture of earlier centuries. That original character is now largely obscured by the alterations and extensions accumulated during its subsequent life as a hospital.

The building sits on the east side of the hospital complex, with the rest of the former workhouse buildings to the west and south and more recent structures to the north, south, and west. The main driveway runs in front of it, flanked to the north and south by lawns with some trees.

The front facade retains a broad symmetry across its three main sections. The central section is two storeys with a Bangor blue slated gable roof. At the centre of its front facade sits a fairly recently built, large two-storey flat-roofed projection covering the original entrance. This projection has flat arch windows with chamfered painted stone reveals, a central doorway with a similar reveal, and modern glazed double doors. There is a first-floor string course. To either side of this projection, on the original facade, are two gabled bays which project marginally. Each bay also has a first-floor string course and a single window to each floor with flat arch openings; the first-floor window carries a label moulding. Each gable apex has a pointed arch recess with a painted chamfered stone surround. The outer portions of this central section's front facade have four ground-floor and four first-floor windows in a similar style, though without stone reveals to the first-floor openings.

At both the north and south ends of the building is a double-gabled three-storey section. The gables of these end sections run on the same north-to-south line as the main roof of the central section. The western gable of each double gable aligns with the roof of the central section, while the eastern gabled portion projects beyond the front facade of the central section. A two-storey flat-roofed projection is attached to the inner gable of each end section and to the front facade of the main central section. The windows throughout the front facades of the end sections all have flat arches and sash frames. The original openings were undoubtedly symmetrically ordered, but additional openings were inserted, probably in the mid-20th century.

The rear of the building has been greatly altered and extended during the mid to late 20th century. At the centre of the rear facade there is now a collection of extensions and a corridor linking this building to the administrative block further to the west. The principal extension is constructed in charcoal-coloured engineering brick, has a gabled roof, and is roughly L-shaped in plan. Extending from its rear western gable is a single-storey flat-roofed linking corridor, also in engineering brick. To either side of this extension, on the original facade, is a projecting gabled bay similar to those at the centre of the front but with a different arrangement of window openings. The bay to the north now has a large red brick single-storey extension attached. The outer sections of the rear facade also have large single-storey red brick additions. Windows throughout the rear all have flat arches with painted sandstone lintels and most retain sash frames, though their spacing is irregular and some are clearly not original — the first-floor doorway at the far north end is a particularly noticeable intrusion. The window and door openings in the main north and south double gables have also been altered. Chimney stacks have been removed.

Some effort has been made to integrate the modern additions with the original fabric. The rubble construction of the front entrance projection shows a degree of deference to the original building, and to a lesser extent the charcoal brick and gabled roof of the L-shaped rear extension make a gesture towards the character of the original. However, all these additions jar to a greater or lesser degree. The front projection comes closest to harmony but is ultimately undermined by its wholly inappropriate flat roof.

Historical Background

The Poor Law came into operation in Ireland in 1838, providing what was termed 'indoor relief' for those unable to support themselves. The country was divided into 130 Poor Law Unions, each centred on a market town, and within each union a workhouse was built. The standard designs were produced by George Wilkinson and consisted of a front building containing offices and administrative rooms, a block to the rear forming the workhouse proper, and an infirmary linked to the workhouse to form an H-shaped plan. Separate fever wards were included in many complexes.

The Newtownards Union workhouse was built in 1841 and admitted its first inmates at the start of 1842. It was designed to house 600 paupers. A fever block was added in 1845. The site was conveyed to the Poor Law Commissioners by the Marquis of Londonderry on 1st April 1840. In common with many other unions, the infirmary and fever block had begun treating the sick of the surrounding area by the early 1900s, and by 1932 the Ards District Hospital was officially established. In Northern Ireland, workhouse legislation remained in force until 1948, when it was superseded by new health and welfare provisions, but many workhouses had been converted to district hospitals long before that. During the 20th century, the conversion of the complex to a purely medical function led to the alterations and additions described above, including the late 1960s flat-roofed entrance porch.