16177

 

II  

Designated  

15/04/1994  

 

Academic Unit and Gwynfryn Wards at the North Wales Hospital  

 

Denbighshire  

Denbigh  

 

North Wales Hospital - Gwynfryn  

304796  

365298  

N  

On an elevated site, within the grounds of the former house Gwynfryn, on the other side of the lane to the main hospital complex.  

Health and Welfare  

 

Gwynfryn originated as a late Regency villa c.1830, with some interior alterations for the Evans family c.1870. Incorporated into the hospital as a convalescent home, it was included as the focus of a new reception hospital in designs of 1932-3 by Lockwood, Abercrombie and Saxon, architects. The new design used the existing building as an administration block to which single storey wings for 25 male and 25 female patients were added; these were originally connected to the central main block by open corridors (now enclosed) with S-facing open verandahs. Here new patients would be assessed before transference to the main hospital complex.  

Neo-Georgian style single-storey reception wings built around a pre-existing Regency villa. Of rendered brick construction with hipped greenish slate roofs (laid in diminishing courses). The primary block is L-shaped and has a shallow-pitched roof with deep, bracketed eaves; mostly small-pane horned sash windows. Single stringcourse above the first floor windows, with a double stringcourse between the ground and first floors. The SW front has a central 2-storey canted bay with paired sashes to the front and single windows to the sides (that to the ground-floor R now an entrance). Single flanking windows to each floor. The L return has a 2-storey canted bay with a further window to the R on each floor. Single-storey Tuscan Porch to the rear, with glazed double entrance doors and large rectangular overlight with intersecting tracery. The return has 2 windows, then a single storey extension with flat roof; 2 windows with round-arched doorway beyond. Above the flat-roofed section is a narrow window and glazed double doors with rectangular overlight. The SE block (former female wing) is a single-storey dormitory range connected to the central block by a corridor with round arches (formerly open). To the L is a projecting wing with hipped roof and canted bay; former verandah at L, of 4 bays, now with modern glazing. To the centre is a projecting wing with polygonal front. Five-bay verandah to each side of this with hipped roof and round columns; glazed doors to the rooms beyond. The veradah to the R has a glazed screen to the R; the R bay of the L verandah has later glazing. Semi-circuler Tuscan porch to the rear with double glazed doors and small pane sashes to each side. Three-window returns with fllat-roofed blocks beyond. The male (NW) block was designed as a mirror image of the SE block. This has, however been extensively and unsympathetically remodelled in recent years.  

 

Listed, notwithstanding alterations, for its special interest as a particularly good example of Neo-Georgian hospital architecture. Group value with other listed items at Gwynfryn.