History

Formerly the Poor Law Union Workhouse for Newtown and Llanidloes District, opened in August 1843, the architect being Thomas Penson, the Montgomeryshire County Surveyor and pupil of Thomas Harrison of Chester. The original cost was £7,668 13s 2d (£7,668.66). Designed for 350 paupers. The hospital was the scene of Chartist unrest in the early C19.

Exterior

Built in red brick, with painted wedge lintels, and slate roofs. Cruciform plan, with three storey central block, and four radial ranges, with other blocks attached at right angles forming four courtyards, all laid out according to Benthemite principles. The entrance front has dressings in grey-brown stone. The central block has splayed inner angles, and large cruciform paned windows to the splays flanked by smaller windows. The S angle has French doors, and a gabled porch to right. The 4 lower ranges have cambered-headed lintels with wedge lintels, and generally small-pane metal glazing. The NE-SW ranges are of 3 storeys, the SW-NE ranges of 2 storeys. At the end of the NW range, main front faces away from the road. Two storeys, rubble over rusticated basement plinth; plat bands between the upper and lower floors, and small-pane metal glazing. Eleven windows with advanced central and end gabled bays; central 3-window bay has on upper floor a central round-headed window flanked by square windows; on the lower floor, a central round-headed window flanked by the entrance doorways of 6-panelled doors. Double doors to basement. To each side of the central bay, three widely spaced windows, square to the upper floor, round headed to the lower, and an inserted door to the left of the stairs. The ends have gabled bays with round-headed window to each storey, but a squat rectangular window to the basement. Large stone chimney to the left. each side of the entrance block extends as a single storey stone range, entered from the yards behind; modern brick addition to the right. Ends return as 2-storey blocks in stone, gables to NW with round-headed first floor windows, and an added block at right angles to the NE. The ends of the SW and NE ranges have attached cross ranges consisting of 3-storey blocks of 5 bays, with modern addition; SW block continues S as a single-storey block with a verandah to the yard; the NE block continues SW as a 20-storey rendered block. At the end of the SE range, a further cross range.

Reasons for Listing

Included as an important and well preserved institutional building erected as a special building type with distinctive planning, developed after the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29493878

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014