Jubilee Road, St. Nicholas Hospital

St. Nicholas Hospital’s history began in April 1866 when the ‘Farm Ward’ of a new City Asylum was opened to 30 patients on a 50 acre site at Coxlodge. In 1884 the east and west pavilions were added, providing accommodation for 80 patients. The City Council enlarged the hospital again in 1894 with a separate building to the east of the main block, a recreation hall, chapel, new entrance lodge and 10 cottages for married attendants. The new institution for 350 patients, designed by J W Dyson, opened in July 1900. Two villa blocks for 80 patients and a nurse’s home were built in 1913. In February 1915 the hospital became Northumberland No. 1 War Hospital for wounded soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Prescott was appointed administrator and the acting Medical Officer of the Asylum, Dr McPhail was appointed Registrar. It was not brought back into civilian use until 1921. In 1923 the veranda for ward 9 was constructed, and a cinema room in 1925. On being taken over by the NHS in 1948, the hospital became St. Nicholas’ Hospital. An Interim Treatment Centre opened in December 1950, and in 1954 an admissions unit (Collingwood Clinic) with 118 beds. The hospital building which is to be demolished is part of J W Dyson’s institution, and is labelled ‘sick and infirm ward’ on his proposed plan of 1891. It is constructed of sandstone blocks and has a tiled roof. Although modernised inside, it retains original sash windows and parquet flooring, some original sinks and part of the heating system. An astonishing feature of the Grade II listed recreation hall is a proscenium arch with Doulton tiles by W J Neatby in an art nouveau style. It features female figures in flowing robes, brightly coloured trees and flowers.
In advance of the demolition of unlisted parts of the Victorian hospital, which lies in the St. Nicholas Conservation Area, Archaeological Research Services Ltd carried out a programme of building recording.
The hospital was listed Grade II in 1997 with the following description:
'City asylum, now disused hospital. 1865-69, by WL Moffatt of Edinburgh for the County Borough of Newcastle. Mid C20 alterations and additions. Coursed squared stone with ashlaer dressings and gabled and hipped slate roofs. Coped ridge and side wall stacks. Plinth and quoins. Italianate style. Windows are glazing bar and plain sashes, some reglazed late C20 in original openings. Ground floor windows boarded. Cruciform corridor plan, with central block comprising offices, kitchen, dining room, chapel, and superintendent's house. On either side, wings containing gallery wards, with cross wings and end pavilions. Orientated east-west, with entrance front to north. Entrance front, 9 bays, has a slightly projecting tower porch, with recessed round arched panelled doors flanked by rusticated pilasters and topped with a sham balustrade. Above, a round arched window. Above again, a square tower with round arched recessed panels under half-hipped dormers, each with a blank roundel over a paired round arched window. The tower is topped with a square wooden turret with round arched openings and pyramidal roof. Flanking the porch, 3 windows. Above, 2 round arched windows under half-hipped dormers, then a flat headed window. All these windows have cast iron sham balconies. Beyond, at each end of the range, a square projection, that to right with a tripartite mullioned window, and above it, a round arched window under a half-hipped dormer. Left projection has a canted stone bay window and above, a tripartite sash under a half-hipped dormer. To left, superintendent's house, 2 storeys. To right, an ashlar doorcase with panelled pilastersand cornice on scroll brackets. Plain door with overlight. Above, 2 plain sashes. Beyond, ward ranges with regular fenestration and central projections, mid C20, 2 storeys. In the angle with the cross wings, a square corner tower with pyramidal roof, topped with a square tapered ventilating shaft, 2 stages. This has plain openings on each side at the upper stage, and a pyramidal roof with dentillated cornice and wind vane. South front has a projecting central block, 2 storeys, with modillion eaves to a hipped roof, topped with a square wooden turret set diagonally. This has round arched openings and square domed roof with finial. Central segment headed door and overlight, flanked by 2 glazing bar windows, all with segment headed rusticated surrounds and keystones. Above, on a sill band, 5 round arched glazing bar windows with keystones. Returns have similar fenestration. In the return angles, square towers, 3 stages plus attics, with pyramidal roofs. Canted stone bay window with balustrade, and above, a tripartite sash. Above again, a triple sash, and to the attics, 3 small square lights. Ward ranges, 2 storeys, 18 windows, have regular fenestration, with a hipped central projection, 4 windows. Left wing has a single storey addition, c1960, running the width of the range. Cross wings end in square pavilions, 2 storeys, with 3 windows on each floor and a square wooden ventilation cupola set diagonally. Interior: central dining room, 5 x 4 bays, has central arcade with shallow segmental arches carried on round cast iron columns with simple bases and capitals. On each side, beams and cornices carried on octagonal cast iron columns with moulded bases and capitals. First floor chapel is divided by a central arcade, 3 bays, with 3 moulded ashlar elliptical arches carried on square piers which transform to octagons. Matching responds. Matchboard dado to sill level. Window shafts with foliage capitals. 2 collar purlin roofs with king posts and moulded arch braces, on keeled shaft corbels. Roll moulded round arched openings in the chapel and adjoining corridors. Ward ranges have some original doors with spy holes. Entrance range and superintendent's house have several rooms with original cornices and doors, one with coved ceiling and fireplace. Wooden dogleg stair with square newels, in stairwell with cornice, coved ceiling and pyramidal skylight. {1}.' LISTED GRADE 2