Downe Hospital (administration block), 9a Pound Lane, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 6JA

Downe Hospital Administration Block

This is a two-storey classical-style fever hospital built in 1834 by John B. Keane, now serving as the administration block of Downe Hospital. The building occupies a commanding rise to the south of Pound Lane, south of Downpatrick town centre.

The hospital was constructed as a subsidiary to the Down County Infirmary, a larger building of the same date and style also designed by Keane, sited immediately to the north. Originally, the building consisted of a long front wing with three rear returns, the central of which was single storey. While it has retained much of this form, the north and central returns are now linked via flat-roofed single-storey extensions. Single-storey extensions have been added to the gables of the north and south returns.

The symmetrical front façade faces roughly west. At the centre of the ground floor sits a single-storey square bay with flat roof, cornice and blocking course, built over the original entrance. The front face of this bay features three sash windows with Georgian panes (4/4), with a single similar window to the shorter north and south faces. Georgian-paned sash windows have been retained throughout the building. To the immediate left and right of the bay are two semicircular-headed windows (6/6) set within semicircular-headed recesses. The first floor has five windows, mainly with flat arches (3/6), except for the centre window which is a tripartite eyebrow window (1/1, 3/6, 1/1). The first-floor windows rest on a sill course.

At each end of the front façade are full-height projecting gabled bays. Each bay has a tall flat-arched window to the ground floor (6/6) and an eyebrow window to the first floor, both set within a tall semicircular-headed recess. Above each ground-floor window is a small unmarked panel. The gables are finished as broken pediments, with in-out quoins to the bays.

The north elevation consists largely of the north façade of the north return, which is symmetrical. A doorway to the centre of the ground floor features a segmental fanlight and small sidelights contained within a semicircular-headed recess. To the left and right of the door are two tall windows (all 6/9), with five first-floor windows (all 6/6 except the centre, which is an eyebrow window). To the left (east) the façade merges with the north face of a single-storey flat-roofed extension.

The south elevation is largely as the north but handed, with the extension to the right (east) merging with the south face of a single-storey gabled extension.

The rear elevation presents a complex appearance. At each end are the two-storey gable ends of the north and south returns, with the extended single-storey return to the centre. Each two-storey gable has a single-storey extension—the north with a flat roof, the south with a gable. The first floor of the south gable has a single window (6/6), while the first floor of the north gable has two windows (both 6/6 but of different sizes). The single-storey central return has been extended to north and south with flat-roofed portions, the north of which now links to the north return. This central section has modern windows throughout. To the north (inner) façade of the south return is a single ground-floor window. Where the south return abuts the main front section, a slim full-height corner projection contains a small upper-level window (3/3) to the east face. To the left of the exposed portion of the rear of the main section is a ground-floor window (6/6) with a modern window directly above to first floor. To the right of this is a gabled half-dormer with segmental-headed window (3/6).

The façade is finished in lined render and painted, with a tall bevelled base to the front façade. The gabled roof is slated with six rendered chimney stacks. Most rainwater goods are cast iron. To the rear of the building is a low, two-storey hipped-roof former outbuilding, now appearing to serve as a store.