Building MPM501 - FORMER HOSPITAL AND ANCILLIARY BUILDINGS, FORT CUMBERLAND

Former hospital and ancillary buildings at Fort Cumberland. Originally built c. 1746/7 as a storehouse. Converted to a hospital in the mid-19th century. 19th and early 20th century extensions. One of only two surviving buildings from the original Fort Cumberland built 1747-50 and replaced by the present fort 1786-1812.

Former hospital and ancillary buildings, now unoccupied. c1746, C19 and early C20 extensions. Red brick in Flemish and Stretcher bond, timber boarding. Tripartite plain tiled roof to centre part, north wing has composition sheet flat roof, re-roofing in progress to south wing. Brick stacks, 3 in line to left of centre part and 1 at centre of south wing. EXTERIOR: 1 storey. At middle of centre part is a bricked up former entrance with late C20 projecting stack at front. On each side is a 12-pane sash with round-headed timber panel set under gauged brick round arch, stone sill, rendered band and 3 rendered facing coped gables, round-headed recess at centre of each gable. Left wing has a 12-pane sash set under cambered brick arch, stone coped parapet. On far right the later boarded wing with facing gable has on left a 2-leaf boarded door and on right two 12-pane sashes each set under flat timber arch, 2 S-shape iron ties at centre of gable. Rear elevation has a flat roofed wing attached to the rear of the taller centre part which has 3 facing gables similar to front, but in brickwork. To left is an early C20 extension attached to the timber boarded wing with two 24-pane metal casements and on right boarded door, each set under flat concrete lintel. On right are two 8-pane casements and further right 4 boarded doors each set under brick cambered arch. INTERIOR not inspected. (Balfour A: Portsmouth: London: 1970-: 22; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 62; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 428).

Selected Sources
Books and journals
Balfour, A, Portsmouth, (1970), 22
Lloyd, D W , Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs, (1974), 62
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1967), 428

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The former hospital complex is made up of an 18th century storehouse to which a number of buildings were added during the 19th century. The storehouse and later additions were converted for use as a hospital by 1861. The site is one of the earliest surviving permanent military hospitals to be established following the Crimean War.

A survey of the buildings that make up the former hospital complex was carried out by English Heritage in c.1999-2001. This identified nine building phases including post-war alterations and late 20th/early 21st century conservation works. A brief summary is given below but the survey report should be consulted for detailed information.

The storehouse was a square building with a triple-gabled roof supported by four chamfered timber columns and brick piers on the eastern and western walls. Along with the Guardhouse (see MPM500) the storehouse is one of only two original structures to survive from the first Fort Cumberland that was constructed in 1747. The storehouse originally had a large entrance in the central bay of the west wall with flanking windows in the bays on either side. When constructed the building would have been situated within the eastern corner of the first Fort Cumberland. A self-contained brick office building (the North Office) was added to the northern end of the storehouse prior to 1861, probably between 1793 and 1812.

Prior to the 1860s a timber-framed structure was added to the south of the storehouse building and a series of flat-roofed structures were built against the external face of the east wall when it was converted for use as a hospital. The hospital had three wards with the storehouse used for one and the timber-framed building centrally divided to form the other two. A surgery was also constructed to the east of the timber-framed structure. This is the form in which the layout of the hospital is shown on a plan dated 1861.

Later additions reflected the changing use of the buildings. These included living quarters for the Hospital Sergeant that were added to the south of the surgery. The latest phase of building work was the reconstruction of the south-eastern corner of the complex following Second World War bomb damage.

Conservation work carried out by Historic Properties South East in c.1999 included limited demolition of parts of the buildings. The timber-framed structure to the south was also extensively re-built. Flat-roofed lean-to buildings to the north and east were re-covered and there was some rebuilding of the parapet and replacement of a number of roof structure timbers.

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<1> Historic England, The National Heritage List for England (Index). SPM35.

<2> Fellows, D, O’Hara, P, 2001, Report on the Survey of the Hospital Complex at Fort Cumberland (Bibliographic reference). SPM658.