Administrative block and nurses’ home

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This long rectangular building was the original workhouse section of the Newtownards Union workhouse, built in 1841. It is sited (in common with many Irish workhouses) between the ‘front building’ (which contained the clerks’ offices etc.) and the infirmary to the rear. It is now part of the Ards District Hospital and most recently contained accommodation for the nursing staff, however many of the rooms are now unused.

This building is long and rectangular in plan form and built of basalt rubble with painted sandstone quoins and ‘lintels’. It is mainly two storey with three storey sections at each end. The roofs are gabled and covered in Bangor blue slates. In fairly recent times the building has been significantly altered both inside and out.

The large main central section is two storey and basically plain with simple sash windows to the ground and first floors on both the ‘front’ (E) and W facades. In the centre of the E facade is an untidy looking corridor which stretches from the entrance block (formerly the workhouse ‘front building’) to the E. This central section of the E facade has many sash windows to the ground and first floors with painted sandstone ‘lintels’. Some window openings do not look original and many of the cills are concrete.

At both the N and S ends of the block there are three storey double gabled sections with gables at right angles to the main central section. Both of these sections have larger (square) window openings mainly with double sash windows to each floor on each facade. On the S facade of the S section, there is a full height projecting tower-like extension in red brick which contains doorways on the upper floors which give access to an attached fire escape stairway.

The W facade of the main central section originally contained a rubble built ‘return’ which connected this building with what was originally the infirmary, further to the W. Part of this section still projects but it has been curtailed and no longer stretches to the other block. On the N and S faces of this ‘return’ are sections which originally housed the laundry (S) and kitchen (N). The former laundry section is a single storey and rubble built with a hipped roof, which has been altered and added to in recent times and now sports modern windows and a brown concrete brick boiler house extension to its W facade. The former kitchen to the N appears to have been greatly extended in fairly recent times and also has modern windows throughout.

The windows to the rear of this main central section are mainly to the first floor and are mainly sash. The ground floor has lean to sections attached (and also attached to either side of the ‘return’).

To the roof of the central section there are rendered chimney stacks. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

Historical information

The Poor Law came into operation in Ireland in 1838. It was intended to cater for the needs of those unable to support themselves by providing what was termed ‘in-door’ relief. The whole country divided up into 130 Poor Law Unions (based on various market towns), and within each union a workhouse was built in order to provide relief. The basic plan of the workhouses built during the 1840s were based on designs by Oxford architect George Wilkinson and consisted of a ‘front building’ which mainly contained offices and rooms for administration, a block to the rear of this which contained the workhouse proper and an infirmary linked to the workhouse. Together the workhouse and the infirmary formed an ‘H’ shaped plan. Separate buildings such as fever wards were also included in many workhouse complexes. The designs of some of the early buildings incorporated some elements from late mediaeval/Tudor styling, perhaps taking inspiration from the alms houses of centuries past. After the reform of local government in 1898 provision was made for the conversion of union infirmaries to district hospitals intended to treat rich and poor alike. In Northern Ireland the workhouse legislation continued until 1948, when it was superseded, by the new health and welfare provisions, however, long before this many workhouses had been converted to district hospitals.

The Newtownards Union workhouse was built in 1841 and admitted its first inmates at the beginning of the following year. It was designed to house 600 paupers. This block was the workhouse proper and originally contained large separate wards for adults (usually in the outer wings), with quarters for children in the centre as well as school rooms and offices for the school master and mistress (on the first floor). The return-like utility block at the rear house the kitchen, laundry and dining hall. With the changeover of this entire complex to the functions a district hospital (a process which in this case was largely complete by the 1930s), this building began to be altered and adapted. Latterly the building has served as nurses’ accommodation and hospital admin. offices.

References- Primary sources

1 PRONI D.654/E2/78 Londonderry Papers- Conveyance of site for Union workhouse (Marquis of Londonderry to the Poor Law Commissioners.)
2 PRONI Ordnance Survey Maps 1st Revision 1858-60 Co. Down 6.

Secondary sources
1 Michael H. Gould 'The workhouses of Ulster' (UAHS 1983)
2 Trevor McCavery 'Newtown, a history of Newtownards' (Dundonald 1994), pp.118-20, 123-25, 128, 129, 131, 149, 163, 196.
3 Cahal Dallat 'Caring by design- The architectural heritage of the health & social services in Northern Ireland' (DHSS 1985), pp.22-29.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Long two and three storey basalt built former workhouse building in mildly Tudor style. In recent times this building has been altered both inside and out, with modern extensions, window frames and doors and the resulting building no longer fulfils the criteria for listing.