Downshire Hospital (front terrace), Ardglass Road, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 6RA

Downshire Hospital, Ardglass Road, Downpatrick

An extremely long asylum complex, approximately 300 metres in extent, designed by Henry Smyth and largely built between 1865 and 1869, with subsequent additions. The building comprises a series of connected hipped roof blocks of uniform red brick construction with cream brick quoins and courses, set on a rise to the northeast of Ardglass Road on the southeast outskirts of Downpatrick.

The front elevation faces southwest and is generally symmetrical. The composition consists of a central three storey hipped roof block with a large projecting five storey entrance tower to its centre, flanked by longer but slightly lower three storey wings. These wings are linked to the central section via short single storey flat roofed corridors. The terrace culminates at both northwest and southeast ends in large two storey hipped roof pavilion blocks that project well beyond the main line of the elevation.

The central three storey section features a large gable with the prominent five storey tower projecting from its centre. The tower, although part of the original 1865-69 construction, appears stylistically later. It is roughly square in plan but with round cone-capped four storey towers projecting from its northwest and southeast corners, which serve as stair towers. These round towers have slit windows to most floors. At ground level the main tower is linked with the corner towers by a single storey canted extension with flat roof, built over the original main entrance, which contains a utilitarian doorway to its south face. Above this extension the southwest face of the main tower displays a tall church-like semicircular headed window with two large semicircular headed lights and a roundel to the tympanum, all with margin panes. The uppermost floor has a large semicircular headed louvered opening to each face, with the southwest and northeast openings incorporating traditional clock faces. The tower is topped with a slated mansard-like roof in American gothic style with an open iron work crown, and has roundel dormers to each side. The eaves course is broken by the arched heads of the louvered openings.

The southwest facade of the large hipped roof section flanking the tower is plainer, with sash windows of various sizes to each floor and single storey gabled entrance porches to the centre of the ground floor on both left and right.

The long three storey wings to the northwest and southeast have largely identical southwest elevations with long recessed outer portions flanking a large central projecting section. The outer portions culminate in full height gabled bays, with a full height canted bay to the centre of the central projecting section. Windows are evenly arranged with sash frames, many with glazing bars; those to the central projecting section have semicircular heads, the remainder flat. The roofs are slated with a uniform series of large brick chimney stacks, and tall battered brick ventilation towers with open cast iron crowns rise from the outer end of each roof.

The two storey pavilion blocks at both ends have handed southwest elevations, each containing large full height end projections, canted and flat roofed bays and single storey conservatory extensions. The northwest block has been extended to its northwest side.

The rear elevation shows less uniformity as an institutional building of this age, with various extensions added over the years. The original rear elevations of the long three storey wings remain largely visible, constructed of rubble with red brick dressings to the openings. Both wings have a uniform series of sash windows to each floor and utilitarian doorways. Towards their outer extremities both wings have large original three storey hipped roof returns, now abutted by large mid to late 20th century extensions of varying size and shape, generally out of sympathy with the original work. The northwest wing return links to a two storey U-shaped hipped roof block of similar appearance to the front pavilion blocks. To the north is another similar block, originally stand-alone but now linked via a first floor brick built corridor which spans over the main drive. To the rear of the central section is a large original central full height gabled return, part rubble-faced and part rendered, with tall buttresses and upper level semicircular headed windows. This return connects to several two storey gabled blocks of original or late 19th century date, largely rubble finished with brick dressings to sash windows, now partly obscured by sprawling mid to late 20th century brick extensions, generally single storey with flat and gabled roofs and modern windows and doors.

Additional two storey blocks of circa 1883 appear at the ends of the terrace, and a variety of extensions have been added throughout the 20th century, including some large overtly modern sections.