Master's House to Rear of Hospital of St John Without Barrs Lichfield, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

LICHFIELD

SK1109SE ST JOHN STREET 1094-1/8/168 (South West side) 05/02/52 Master's House to rear of Hospital of St John without the Barrs (Formerly Listed as: ST JOHN STREET (South West side) St John's Hospital including Chapel)

GV I

House of the master of the Hospital of St John attached to the west end of the chapel. c1495 with some foundations probably c1135, extensively altered in late C16 or early C17 and again in late C18; stucco removed c1980. Brick with ashlar dressings; slate roof with brick end stacks. Double-depth plan. Georgian style. East front facing road of 3 storeys, 2-window range with outshut under catslide roof to left attached to chapel. Quoins indicate original form with recessed centre; some remaining dressings to original windows. Entrance has moulded pilaster strips, frieze and cornice to 6-flush-panel door, similar entrance to return of outshut. Windows mostly segmental-headed, that to ground floor with 18-pane sash, 2 similar windows to 1st floor and 2-light casements, one with partly leaded glazing, to 2nd floor, similar windows to return of outshut. Rear 3-window range has cogged frieze over ground floor, ashlar cornice over 1st floor and simple brick top cornice. Windows have sills, and brick flat arches, over 8/12-pane sashes to ground floor, 16-pane sashes to 1st floor, 9-pane sashes to 2nd floor. Some diapering visible to left of 1st floor, and dressings and straight joints indicating former windows. Left return, entrance front, has 2 projecting stacks, round-headed entrance has doorcase with panelled pilaster strips and cornice, fanlight with radial glazing bars and 3-fielded-panel door; varied fenestration including 18-pane horned sashes. Right return has similar blocked windows and entrance with doorcase. INTERIOR: cellars have medieval masonry, some recesses with 4-centred heads and stop-chamfered joists; open well staircase has close string with entablature with pulvinated frieze, column-on-vase balusters, square newels and moulded handrail; entrance hall has C17 panelling; room to rear left has c1720 bolection-moulded panelling with dado rail and cornice, fireplace and elliptical recess with fixed sideboard; 1st floor has rooms with large beams and joists, 2 richly moulded beams; 2-fielded-panel doors. The house is built on the foundations of the original hall of the hospital, which was an extension of the chapel; the building was represented in the early C18 as having gables flanking a central recess. (Victoria History of the County of Stafford: Oxford: 1970-: P.279-89; Clayton H: St John's Hospital Lichfield: Lichfield: 1984-; Buck S and N: The South West Prospect of the City of Lichfield: 1711-1753).

Listing NGR: SK1173109175