Report - Lluesty Hospital (Main Block) Holywell - April 2015

[paulpowers]

I was working close by and I wasn't going to look a gift derp in the mouth.

There's the usual static caravan on site, rather than get agro while on my lunch break I decided to just go for the main building.

History bit

Built 1838-40 as a workhouse, for the Union of 14 parishes, by John Welch, architect of St Asaph and Surveyor to the Guardians; builder Thomas Hughes of Liverpool and contracter Samuel Parry. May have been alterations in 1869.Enlarged to right in 1902. Some modern extensions in conversion to hospital use. Standard workhouse grid plan with separate courtyards for men and women; transverse and spinal ranges with linking central octagon.

Interior

Exterior
Classical front with coursed masonry, plinth and slate roofs. Ashlar 3-storey, 3-bay main block, advanced to centre with pediment. Giant order pilasters, paired to central bay, rising from 1st floor sill band. Small-pane sash windows including broad tripartite window to 2nd floor centre and round-headed windows to 1st floor, similar (round-headed) windows to ground floor flanking porch with pedimented parapet. 2-storey, 3-window wings set back, behind which the side elevations of the main block become rubble; similar small-pane sashes, square-headed. Advanced at right end is the loosely Mannerist 2-storey, 4-bay 1902 range; freestone dressings and hipped roof. The right hand 3 bays are symmetrical with pediment to the middle (finial missing) and parapet with entablature blocks; balustraded parapet to left hand bay. 1st floor pilasters, with entasis, rise from the band between the storeys; those to pedimented bay continue down into buttresses. Round-headed casements to 1st floor incorporating fanlights over casements; keystone below pediment is dated.

Broad entrance is to left hand bay; open pedimented porch with convex entablature and Doric columns on high bases; small-pane overlight. Tripartite camber-headed outer windows to right. Rubble right end with lateral chimney breast; rubble rear with round-headed windows above, and camber-headed below.

3-storey main courtyard ranges and 4-storey central octagonal block; sashes without glazing bars. Spinal range continues to rear of octagon. Pentice to S courtyard, the E range of which is shorter, the yard being closed here by a rubble wall which curves forward from the 2-storey front wing and runs S to end in a square (engine-house type?) plan 2-storey and attic block with gable end to the road.

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[Miss Mayhem]

good stuff, cheers for sharing

 

[DubExplore]

some great shots there mate, well done

 

[The Shepshed Diamondback]

Great shots. I love places that aren't trashed but have decayed naturally.

 

[paulpowers]

That could be pretty much any derp, the cans lay about the place looked new but if you walk around like you own the place people just avoid you, also helps if your tripod looks like a shotgun

 

[Gruesometwosome]

Its full of roaches, fag butts, empty alcoholic beverages normally located next to a pile of stripped wire.... Holywell haha enough said.

 

[Goldie87]

Good stuff, nice bit of decay

 

[BrainL]

I walked in on some metal thieves sawing their way through pipes in the other buildings there..

 

[Mathew_bett]

We went to have a look on Sunday,but lucky for us we were late getting there and good job too as there was 4 armed police units searching and two as cover out side...then the police helicopter plus 2 dog units.so we waited and watched from the other side.a hour or so later 4 lads and a girl were brought out in plastic cuffs,searched and then let go 20 mins later.strange to call all them police units out for that.