St. Nicholas Hospital Conservation Area

St. Nicholas Hospital Conservation Area was designated in 1991. It includes the C19 hospital buildings (the original symmetrical hospital block of 1867 by Moffat, HER 9131, and the theatre/recreation hall of 1896, HER 5057, are listed grade 2) in a pastoral parkland setting with surrounding stone wall (2.5m high built of squared and roughly dressed stone with a half-round hand-dressed stone coping) which marks the land bought by the Health Commission of the Mental Health Corporation (approx 100 acres). The hospital site regarded as special because it includes Dodds Farm (farmstead shown on Kenton Road as High Coxlodge on OS first edition map of 1858, purchased in 1865 for conversion into an asylum for 33 patients transferred from Bensham Asylum), and a major group of well-built Victorian hospital buildings built from stone from Kenton Quarry. The site represents the development of mental health care from 1865 and 1988. It is unique in Newcastle. The former cricket field, entrance drive and Victorian boiler room complex are not within the Conservation Area bit are potentially worthy of inclusion.