Details
ISLINGTON
TQ2986NW HIGHGATE HILL
635-1/12/499 (West side)
F block, St Mary's Wing, Whittington
Hospital
II
Former Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital. 1848-50 to the
designs of Samuel Daukes, with later alterations. Paid for by
the Great Northern Railway, whose terminus at King's Cross
involved the demolition of an earlier Smallpox and Vaccination
Hospital. Yellow brick set in Flemish bond, with some purple
brick used in the rear elevations, and dressings of Bath stone
except for the portico which is of Portland stone; cast-iron;
roof of asbestos slate so far as visible. Three storeys over
basement; the principal front has a centrepiece of five
windows, ranges of seven windows to either side, and wings of
three windows to either end. A three-bay Roman Doric portico
has been added to the central entrance, the outer columns
paired and the central bay wider, with entablature and
balustraded parapet; the entrance itself is round-arched with
cornice and fanlight, moulded stone springing band, archivolt
and keystone, and is flanked by and linked to two round-arched
windows similarly detailed; the outer bays of the centrepiece
at this level are round-arched and decorated with chamfered
rustication; upper floors have chamfered quoins; first-floor
windows flat-arched with stone architraves, the three middle
windows also having cornices; panel above these windows
lettered 'SMALL POX & VACCINATION HOSPITAL.'; dentil cornice,
now simplified; in the attic storey, formerly an open loggia,
the three middle bays are set forward under a pediment, with a
bracketed clock between two round-arched windows with
springing band, archivolts and keystones; the outer windows
are flat-arched with shouldered and eared architraves under a
parapet; blank windows to returns.
The seven-window ranges have stone plinth; round-arched
windows to the ground floor with springing band, archivolts
and keystones; storey band; moulded sill band to the
first-floor windows which are flat-arched with stone
architraves; moulded sill band to the second floor windows
which are round-arched with springing band, archivolts and
keystones; cornice and panelled parapet; hipped roofs. The
wings have chamfered quoins, fenestration as for the
seven-window ranges, with blank panels over first-floor
windows, dentil cornice acting as a sill band to second floor
windows, blank windows to returns, cornice and panelled
parapet.
Left- and right-hand returns have centrepieces of three
windows projecting slightly under a pediment, with chamfered
quoins and wings of three windows to either side; the central
first-floor window also has a pediment; dentil cornice
continued from wings, cornice and panelled parapet. On the
left-hand return, there is a cast-iron fire-escape of late C19
date with palm-leaf capitals and ornate newels and balusters
in the right-hand bay of the centrepiece. Sashes of original
design to centrepiece (ground and first floors), right-hand
seven-window range (ground and first floors), left-hand
seven-window range (first floor), wings, and left- and
right-hand returns.The rear elevations have three wings
corresponding to the centrepiece and side wings, with simpler
detailing and some use of purple brick in the lower parts;
single-storey blocks, of C19 date, in the angles of the wings,
altered in part.
The interior has been largely altered, though the first floor
appears to reflect the alteration of the building to nurses'
bedrooms and administration in 1900.
(Historians' file, English Heritage London Division).
Listing NGR: TQ2899586963
