St. Nicholas Hospital, extensions

Between 1886 and 1888 the main block of St. Nicholas hospital was extended to a design by local architect A.B. Plummer of Cloth Market, Newcastle. East and west wings were added to the main block (HER 9131) and the kitchen and dining room extended and remodelled. This provided accomodation for another 80 patients. The east wind extension (wards 1 & 2, Pavilion Block) was demolished in the early 1990s along with the laundry. By 1891 the number of patients has risen to over 400 and the City Council decided to enlarge the hospital. A new separate building to the east would include a recreation hall, church, residence for the Medical Superintendent (never built), new entrance lodge and 10 cottages for married attendants. J.W. Dyson, architect of Grey Street in Newcastle and Burt Hall in Northumberland Road was appointed as architect. The massive extension was added in 1896, along with a new laundry (demolished in 1990) and airing yards. The theatre/recreation hall (HER 9057) is listed grade 2. By 1900 the hospital provided accomodation for 1100 patients, reputedly for WW1 shell shock victims. In 1915 Dyson also designed two separate red-brick North and South Villas. These have been demolished. The villas were initially used for WW1 casualties brought in by train to West Gosforth station. The whole hospital was taken over by the Ministry of War during WW1. It was handed back to the city in 1920 and was renamed "City of Newcastle Mental Hospital". The hospital was taken over by the NHS in 1948 and renamed "St. Nicholas Hospital".