| Summary : The Old Laundry was built in 1808 as part of the Royal Naval Hospital (AMIE NMR number 437649, SX 45 SE 134) of Plymouth limestone rubble brought to course with dry slate and simulated slate roofs. There is a large louvered ventilator over the large hipped roof to the right and a pyramidal roof over the tower towards the left. The building has an irregular plan, comprising a long, two-storey range aligned south west ' north east, with a taller tower on its left at the front; and is attached at an obtuse angle to a composite single storey south range. In circa 1892 this was rebuilt and extended to create a steam laundry. The hospital closed in 1995 and since then a number of the buildings at the site, including the laundry, have been converted into dwellings, offices and commercial premises. |
More information : The building is located on the north side of the former Royal Naval Hospital complex. The hospital was erected in 1758-65 and as one of the first to be built to the pavilion plan was regarded as amongst the finest of its kind in Europe and was imitated well into the 19th century. Sources indicate that the laundry was erected in 1808 to provide laundry services to the hospital, although it is not depicted on any maps until 1856. The town plan of 1856 shows a rectangular building marked as Matron's Quarters and Hospital Laundry, with attached wash house and coal store at its north east end. In circa 1892 this was rebuilt and extended to create a steam laundry, fitted with `most expensive machinery¿ and represented part of the first stage of the late-19th century extension and rebuilding of the hospital. The Royal Naval Hospital was significantly damaged during the Second World War and it is understood that the laundry was gutted and refurbished after the Second World War. The hospital closed in 1995 and since then a number of the buildings at the site, including the laundry, have been converted into dwellings, offices and commercial premises.
The Old Laundry is built of Plymouth limestone rubble brought to course with dry slate and simulated slate roofs. There is a large louvered ventilator over the large hipped roof to the right and a pyramidal roof over the tower towards the left. Those roofs with gable ends are coped. There are five tall dressed stone stacks with moulded cornices. The building has an irregular plan, comprising a long, two-storey range aligned south west ¿ north east, with a taller tower on its left at the front; and is attached at an obtuse angle to a composite single storey south range.
Exterior: The main block is a twelve-bay range with openings set within flush stone surrounds. The original off-centre entrance has been blocked but its position remains visible in the stonework. Following the building's conversion a number of the ground floor window openings were replaced with doorways that have fanlights, and some windows, which were previously metal-framed, have been replaced with horned sashes with glazing bars. The tower has three small lights under the eaves and paired lights to the first floor. To the left of this are irregularly-disposed single-storey wings, set at an angle. There are two by two-window gable ends plus a two-window range with a similar gable end to its left-hand return. Left of this gable end and set back is a slightly taller single-storey parallel block. It has a low-pitched south west gable end with a central oculus over three stepped round-arched cast-iron windows with glazing bars and spoked fanlight heads.
Interior: The building has a later steel roof structure where inspected.
Originally there was a large drying field alongside (south east) the laundry; this has now been built over.
When assessing buildings of this type and date for inclusion on the statutory list we take into account architectural quality, intactness and survival of original features, and their group value with surviving contemporary buildings. The Old Laundry is a purpose-built hospital laundry of 1808 which was rebuilt and refurbished in the late 19th century. It is a distinctive and well-detailed building with an external design that is above the purely functional, especially for a building that was used for such a utilitarian purpose. It is externally impressive with its good quality masonry, tall stacks and roof ventilators. Despite the superficial appearance of a well-preserved exterior, however, it has clearly been somewhat remodelled in the post-war period and again in the late 20th century. The main range appears to present a uniform design to its façade (south east) but this is largely the result of its conversion to dwellings, which has compromised the historical integrity of the building. Photographs of The Old Laundry prior to its conversion indicate the extent of alteration that has occurred: the original central entrance to the principal range has been blocked; metal-framed windows have been replaced with timber sashes, window openings have been altered to doorways and vice versa. The post-war refurbishment and subsequent conversion of The Old Laundry into nine separate dwellings has seen consequential changes to the interior. The single-storey south range has been sub-divided into three properties; mezzanines have been introduced into two of them and the roof comprises a later steel structure. Although not inspected internally a similar level of remodelling is expected to have taken place within the two-storey principal range. It is these internal alterations, undertaken mostly during its conversion in the late 20th century which will have had the greatest impact on the plan and layout of the building, affecting its integrity and readability as a former laundry. The Old Laundry forms part of the former Royal Naval Hospital complex and is one of an important group of 18th century and 19th century hospital buildings, many of which are listed. Whilst it is acknowledged that this conveys some historic interest to the building, it is not sufficient to outweigh the level of alteration and refurbishment that has occurred. Furthermore the laundry building is situated some distance from the principal hospital buildings, such as the Grade II* listed Quadrangle Centre of the mid-18th century; the North Gateway and store, water tower, and the Church of the Good Shepherd, all listed at Grade II. The majority of these buildings occupy higher ground to the south, east and south west of the laundry and, therefore, the building lacks a strong visual relationship with the significant buildings of the naval hospital complex. We have listed some laundry buildings, such as the example at Thornton Manor, Bebbington in Merseyside and the former laundry at Saltram House near Plymouth, but these are almost all estate or wash-house type laundries. Later examples, such as the 1906 laundry at King Edward VII Hospital in Easbourne near Chichester, have been selected for their completeness or their contribution to groups of major importance. In comparison The Old Laundry at the former Royal Naval Hospital is a substantially late-19th century building, albeit with early-19th century origins, that has undergone significant internal alteration, compromising its special interest. Despite this The Old Laundry remains an interesting survival of an ancillary building of the former Royal Naval Hospital and contributes to the Millfields Conservation Area. It has claims to historic significance, but this has local rather than national resonance, and as a discrete building it has been too altered to satisfy the criteria for listing.
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