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Summary

Description

Attributed to John Starforth of Edinburgh, 1869-73. single storey, 3-bay, red sandstone hospital lodge building with segmental-arched openings and a central door at northern entrance to former hospital site. Bipartite timber windows, and a tall, corniced and bracketed single ashlar stack to the rear, with piended and slated roof. The lodge interior was not seen in 2014.

The boundary wall is of coursed and squared red sandstone and extends to the north and south of the hospital site along Nithbank Road.

The terracing, set to the east of the boundary wall and directly in front of the main block, is of red sandstone and has decorative quatrefoil shaped pierced balustrading, with a central flight of steps leading up to the entrance of the main block. Steps to roadside possibly later insertion.

Statement of Special Interest

The North Lodge, Boundary Wall and Terracing at the former Dumfries Royal Infirmary at Nithbank (see separate listing) date to the first phase of construction of the hospital site in 1873, and they have good decorative detailing in the Scots Renaissance style, contributing significantly to the setting of the main hospital building and to the other listed buildings in the hospital site.

The North Lodge has been little altered externally, unusually for buildings which form part of a continuously working hospital, where adaptations are usually necessary. The parapet of the terracing, whose architectural detailing is of high quality, forms a quadrant around the lawns to the street elevation and all components are prominently placed.

The architect, John Starforth, was born near Durham around 1822. He moved to Edinburgh and was first apprenticed to Thomas Hamilton before moving to Burn & Bryce before 1844 to work as an assistant. Starforth's practice portfolio consisted mainly of churches, hospitals, poorhouses and country house work in the north and west of Scotland. The style of his buildings reflects his years in Bryce's office. Starforth died in 1898.

Statutory address previously known as 'Nith Bank, Nith Bank Hospital, Terrace, North Lodge and Detached Blocks to North East'. Category changed from B to C, listed building record and statutory address updated (2014).

References

Bibliography

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