Belmont Hospital

Details

TIVERTON

SS9513 BELMONT ROAD, Tiverton
848-1/5/137 Belmont Hospital
14/12/72

GV II

Workhouse, now in use as hospital with clinics. Rebuilt
1837-1838 to the designs of Scott and Moffat, considerable
later alterations including some demolition.
MATERIALS: local purple stone, some snecked, some rubble with
red sandstone lintels to the windows; slate roofs; stacks with
glazed cream brick shafts.
PLAN: the main block, on a west east axis, incorporates a
central tower and has rear left and right wings comprising a
house (north-east wing) and a single storey service wing
(north west). A rear centre single-storey wing was the
kitchen.
On the south side, one of the single storey entrance pavilions
survives, parallel to the main range and linked to it by a
single storey front wing.
The single storey front wing to the east survives but the
pavilion has been demolished, as have the entrance gates.
Rear of the main block is a separate range, said to have been
the casual wing for temporary workhouse users.
The courtyard between the casual wing and main range includes
a detached laundry and a later boiler house (excluded from the
listing).
A pedestrian gateway and small lodge at the entrance from
Water Lane are separately listed.
EXTERIOR:
1) The Main Range. 3 storeys incorporating a 4-storey central
octagonal tower. The range terminates in wider blocks at
either end with small wings to the west and E.
1:5:5:5:1-window south front, the 5 central windows are to the
tower which has pedimented gables but has lost its octagonal
lantern since the list description of 1972. The windows are
mostly 3-light metal casements but the rear of the tower
retains a sash window. Modest 4-panel door into tower with
remains of timber pedimented pentice over - the 1972 list
description refers to an entrance porch with a round-headed
window and pediment - presumably the pedimented pentice is all
that remains.
To the rear, the single storey kitchen has a series of vents
and a louvred lantern along the ridge. The rear right (north
west) wing incorporates what may have been the overseer's
house, which faces west into the courtyard and has a roof
hipped at the north end. This has a symmetrical 3-bay front
with a flush-panel front door with small-pane overlight and
12-pane timber sashes.
2) The Entrance Block. Only one half of this survives, the
west half. This consists of a smart single storey T-plan lodge
in snecked stone with red Breccia flat arches to the openings,
a stone eaves band and 12-pane timber sash windows, with a
doorway on the east end. 1:2:2-window south front with
projecting front wing in the centre with 1-window returns. The
old list description refers to 2 entrance pavilions and a
central arch with wrought-iron gates - gates and arch have
also been demolished.
3) The Casual Wing. This has been altered but is included for
group value. It is a long range on a N/S axis terminating in
square blocks with a square block in the centre and separately
roofed stair projections with platbands off the square blocks
to the rear. The rear centre block has been rebuilt in brick.
There are entrances on the returns of the blocks on the south
side, which has a 2:4:2:4:2-window front and a stone eaves
band. The north side has various single-storey lean-tos added.
Attractive cast-iron fire escape on west end.
4) The Laundry. This is a minor building but is included for
group value. It is in the courtyard between the casual wing
and the main range and is a single-storey building with vents
on the ridge. The south elevation has a gable to the west and
4 plank doors and 4 windows.
INTERIOR: of main and casual block not inspected. The interior
of the laundry has king post and strut.
HISTORY: the workhouse was built on an earlier hospital site
and cost »8,800 (Harding).
Pevsner described the building as "badly-treated but the
dignified classical composition still recognisable".
(Harding, Lt Col FGS,: The History of Tiverton: 1847-: P.110).



Listing NGR: SS9586113020

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

485226

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Harding, F G S, The History of Tiverton, (1847), 110

End of official list entry

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