Moyle Hospital, Gloucester Avenue, Larne, Co Antrim

This is a two-storey building, originally constructed as a workhouse in the 1840s but later converted to a hospital by which name it remains popularly known. The structure terminates at each end of the main facade in gabled three-storey wings set at right angles, with extensive later additions to the rear. The main entrance faces south.

South Front

The south front is symmetrical, comprising a long block 15 windows wide with a gabled central entrance bay and gabled attics to the end bays. Two-bay wings extend at each end, projecting slightly forward from the main facade. The roofs are covered in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses. Two prominent chimneys in Tudor style stand one to each side of the central entrance bay. These are constructed of red brick with cast stone dressings, featuring angled stacks on rectangular bases with offsets. Each chimney retains four original 19th-century terracotta pots (reused).

Beyond the main ridge, in line with each end bay, two prominent vent towers are positioned against the three-storey wings, rising above them. These towers are square in plan with pyramidal copper roofs. The original square openings to the main faces have been filled with later glass bricks.

The walls of the main building and vent towers are constructed of basalt with dressings of sandstone and cast stone. Later reticulated pointing has been applied, except in the central gabled projection.

Main Entrance

The main entrance features a terrazzo step and modern two-leaf sliding glass doors, each with two panels and PVC frames, set within a moulded artificial rectangular stone surround. Above the doors is a three-light rectangular fanlight with leaded glazing and translucent glass, the central light containing a red cross motif. Mounted on the stone surround on each side of the entrance doors is a pair of 1920s bronze lamps of hexagonal section, flared at the top, on bronze mounts.

Over the doorway sits a cast stone panel of lighter shade than the rest of the doorway bearing the name 'Moyle Hospital' in bronze capitals, though mounting holes for letters of the previous name ('Larne District Hospital') remain visible.

Above the doorway, a slightly projecting gabled bay is constructed in basalt with dark coloured pointing contrasting with the rest of the walling. This bay is dressed all round in artificial stone and supported on two cast stone corbels. It contains a rectangular three-light window with transom lights—a modern PVC replacement with translucent glass incorporating glass louvres, which is inappropriate. In the apex of the gable above is a lozenge-shaped datestone in artificial stone, inscribed 1929.

To each side of the doorway at ground floor level are large rectangular PVC windows with two fixed lights below an opening top vent—modern replacements. These have artificial stone dressings including a deep splayed cill and rectangular drip moulding. The first floor windows above are similar but narrower, each with one PVC fixed light with an opening vent. Low parapets extend for the width of one window to each side of the central gable, projecting above the main eaves level as an entrance frontispiece of 1920s creation which stands out from the original main 1840s facade.

Windows and Detailing

To the right of the entrance frontispiece are repetitive windows, replacement PVC as previously described to the first floor, but without drip mouldings or deep splay to the cills. The moulded cast iron gutter is served by two square-section cast iron downpipes with trefoil brackets and decoratively treated hoppers modelled with heraldic beasts (1920s additions), and two narrower circular cast iron downpipes at intermediate positions with plain rectangular hoppers, emerging at first floor level only.

Right Hand End Bay (Eastern)

At the right hand end bay is a secondary entrance in Tudor style, a 1920s insertion constructed in artificial stone. This comprises an arched doorway with translucent glazed spandrels, flanked by sidelights: two-light with transoms to the right, coupled two-light with transoms to the left, and deep splayed cills. The leaded glazing uses translucent glass incorporating small pivoting opening lights. The door is white painted ledged timber with a similar tympanum above and an iron handle with Gothic Revival style iron mount. A new concrete ramp leads up to the door with no step. The stone weathering of the plinth across the main facade returns down to ground level on each side of this Tudor arched secondary doorway.

Above the secondary doorway is a first floor window, and above that an attic floor window, both PVC as previously described but with deep splayed cills. At the extremity of the end bay in the corner with the projecting end wing is a rectangular cast iron downpipe with trefoil brackets and an angulated hopper, original 1920s.

To the right of that stands the twin gabled end block with a double pile roof running at right angles to the central block. Cast stone quoins mark the extremities. Three floors of large rectangular windows match those at ground floor of the main entrance bay, each with Tudor style drip moulding. Segmental brick relieving arches appear over the second floor openings. A stone-dressed Gothic lancet in each attic gable is now blocked with cement. A central cast iron rectangular downpipe with rectangular hopper serves this section.

Projecting from below the ground floor windows of the end wing at basement level is a new flat-roofed addition in modern idiom. The roof is asphalt with two rooflights; walls are concrete brick. Three small rectangular timber windows to the front, painted white, are two-light comprising a fixed pane beside a top-hung vent, mostly with translucent glass, with one large rectangular window to the right of similar character. The front wall steps back for double doors, diagonally boarded, leading to the basement (labelled 'Boardroom'). PVC gutter and downpipe and asbestos fascia to the west end adjacent to the Tudor Revival secondary doorway complete this extension, which is inappropriate in style and materials.

Left Hand End Bay (Western)

To the left of the central entrance frontispiece the main facade is similar, but with only one intermediate cast iron circular downpipe from first floor level. The secondary entrance in Tudor style at the end bay is a symmetrical composition with the doorway flanked by a two-light sidelight on each side, and has a step up to the door instead of a ramp.

Projecting forward at the left hand extremity of the end wing is a low basalt rubble wall with concrete copings, part of the 1920s remodelling, extending to a low corner pier in artificial stone and returning across the front of the building to enclose a concrete area. The return wall has a new opening crudely cut with cement rendered reveals opposite the western secondary entrance. Two sets of similar piers linked by curving basalt walls provide an axial entrance to a new yellow tiled area outside the main entrance frontispiece. Low walling of similar character encloses a concrete area to the right of the main entrance extending as far as the eastern secondary entrance only.

Western Elevation

The western elevation shows the three-storey side of the end block in basalt rubble, three windows wide. All windows are new rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents in stone-dressed surrounds with brick fillings to top and sides. These openings were probably created in the 1920s. The roof is slated as previously described with moulded cast iron gutter and rectangular downpipe.

Stepped back to the left hand side is a modern flat-roofed two-storey return of concrete brick with two rectangular windows on each floor: coupled fixed lights with top-hung vents in white painted wood, all inappropriate. The north and east elevations of this modern return are similar in style and character, with PVC downpipes.

North or Rear Elevation (Approached from West End)

The rear shows basalt walling to the rear of the western end wing above and to the left hand side of the later end return, with quoins to the extremities. Rectangular PVC windows match those on the entrance front with red brick relieving arches to the second floor. Blocked up Gothic lancets appear in each gable above. A central rectangular hopper and downpipe sit between the gables.

To the left of the western end wing is two-storey flat-roofed infill walling in red brick with rectangular PVC windows, followed by a return link block of rock-faced concrete blocks joined to a lower basalt rubble rear building. Later single and double-storey blocks to the rear are in concrete block and concrete brick. These later additions of 20th-century date are so extensive as to obscure the form and layout of the original buildings, and circumambulation of the main building is difficult due to narrow alleyways between blocks without exit.

Eastern Elevation

The eastern elevation shows the four-storey side of the end block comprising three main storeys as at the west end plus an exposed basement storey below. The basement has a central window similar to those of the main floors, flanked by two coupled timber windows dressed in smooth cement render with more obtrusive red brick fillings than previously. Wired glass fills the basement windows. Two cast iron downpipes serve this elevation: circular to the right hand extremity, rectangular one bay to the left. Near the left hand extremity of the basement, ventilation pipes from the boiler are wrapped in plastic sheeting.

To the right hand side of the eastern end block is a new flat-roofed red brick rear return of two storeys with a basement storey. Six small square windows to the two main floors are PVC top-hung with translucent glass and concrete cills. The basement has a similar small window plus two larger PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents.

North or Rear Elevation (Approached from East End)

The rear of the eastern end wing above and to the right of the later extension is similar to the corresponding wing at the western end. The rear elevation of the projecting red brick end return is blank. The west side of the end return has two PVC rectangular top-hung windows of translucent glass to each floor. Concrete steps descend to the basement which has a modern white timber louvre door.

To the right of the eastern end wing gables is red brick infill walling of three storeys, flat-roofed, with cast iron downpipes and rectangular PVC windows. A first floor link in cement rendered concrete connects the rear of the main block with the former theatre block return extending northwards. The theatre block is in red brick in the same style as the eastern end return with small PVC windows to the upper floor and the layer below. All are inappropriate.

A conglomerate mass of old and new blocks extends northwards, partly replacing and partly retaining some of the original two-storey basalt original infirmary block of the 1840s. Partly visible behind the former theatre return and associated later red brick additions is the original axial block linking the main building with the former infirmary block to the rear. This has a pitched roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with modern rooflights and one original brick chimney.

Former Infirmary Block

The former infirmary block to the north is two-storey, constructed of basalt rubble with red brick dressings. The first floor south face retains three original timber sliding sash windows, vertically hung, 6 over 3 panes, with horns, surmounted by three-pane bottom-hung top vents. The ground floor is partly obscured by a new red brick projecting block.

The eastern end of the former infirmary block has been replaced by a mid-20th-century flat-roofed red brick block in modern style, with the exposed end of the infirmary block closed off with a red brick gable. A tall red brick chimney and tall reinforced concrete water tank of mid-20th-century date stand further to the north.

Setting

The building stands on a slightly elevated site within the built-up area of the town with its main facade at right angles to the two parallel main roads by which it is approached. Sloping lawns in front are divided axially by a path leading up concrete steps from the car park. From most views the building is mainly seen against a background of later extensions and additions to the site, of inappropriate form and material. Part of the later red brick extension to the rear can be seen rising behind the main roofline when viewed from the south, thus spoiling the appearance somewhat.