Listed Building record MDO15578 - House of Bethany, St Clement's Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth

Orphanage built in 1874-5 and enlarged in 1880. It is one of R Norman Shaw's boldest works, built largely of concrete with W H Lascelles as the contractor. The original orphanage wing, running east-west, is of two storeys with attics and as a ground floor of concrete and a tile hing first floor. At the north west corner is the three storey gate tower which is of brick with stone dressings. Attached to it is a two storey wing which has a tile hung upper floor. The 1880 convent wing at right angles is also of two storeys with attic and has a concrete lower storey with tile hanging above. The chapel and cloister were added in 1928-9 by William G Newton and Partners.

1874-5, enlarged 1880, one of R Norman Shaw's boldest works, built largely of concrete with W H Lascelles as contractor. The original Orphanage wing, running east-west, has 2 storeys and dormers: ground floor of concrete with stone-mullioned windows, 1st floor tile hung, 4-light windows with timber mullions and transom. On each flank 4 big projecting chimneybreasts with small inset windows, each with high cruciform stack (with brick modillion cornice ) rising out of gable, continuous strips of dormer between, each with 10 lights, 2 transoms and a pair of hipped roofs. 1 chimneystack on north cut down. Main roofs steeply pitched, with continuous ridge, east gable of 4 storeys, with half-timbered apex projecting on 3 moulded brackets and on off-centre canted oriel, itself on 3 brackets, narrow west gable of red brick, with segment-headed relieving arches to ground floor windows, segment-headed 1st floor windows and stone-mullioned 2nd floor window, flanked on each side by hipped roof slope with hipped dormer. Gate tower at north-west corner, brick with stone dressings, 3 storeys, moulded porch arch dying into jambs, flanked by massive buttresses, 6-light and 4-light mullioned windows over, under hipped roof on overhanging eaves, with ornamental weathervane. Attached to it 2-storey wing, tilehung on upper floor, with entrance to service yard under ('farmyard' type, with open timber brackets to ceiling) and brick-walled visitors' room, chimneystack with heavy capping on ridge. Interiors modernised after war damage. Convent wing at right-angles, 1880, also 2 storeys and dormers, concrete below and tilehanging above, big chimneys on gable end, that at south with 2nds floor window recessed within round arch in chimneybreast. Tilehung gabled dormers with pairs of transomed windows to cells, glazing bars below, leading above. Ground floor windows with stone mullions and transoms. 2-storey concrete gable to staircase on west, 1st floor tile-hung oriel to former Sister Superior's room (now oratory) on east. Chapel and cloister added 1928-9, William G Newton and Partners. Altar in nave with sculptured panel of Annunciation and 2 statues, set against marble retable, originally High Altar of Chapel by Ernest Newton, 1892, or former Mother House at Clerkenwell, London, also from Clerkenwell 2 angels on west gallery and statue of Our Lady under pinnacled canopy by Sir Ninian Comper. (1) (2) (3)

House of Bethany. Built in 1874-5 and enlarged in 1880, designed by Shaw and built largely of concrete. (Pevsner (3) says brick.) An infirmary was added in 1897 and a chapel in 1928-9. (2-3)

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 1:1250, 1972 (Map). SWX1844.

(SZ 10889210) House of Bethany (NAT)

<2> DOE (HHR), 27 Feb 76, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Bournemouth 1976 (Scheduling record). SWX3488.

<3> Pevsner, 1977, The Buildings of England, 128 (Monograph). SWX2620.

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF104928 (Index). SDO14738.

HOUSE OF BETHANY ORPHANAGE AND CHAPEL, ST CLEMENTS ROAD, BOURNEMOUTH

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458994 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 27 2023 8:08AM