1920s cottage hospital, 'William Julien Courtauld Hospital' (formerly the 'Braintree and Bocking Cottage Hospital'), London Road, Bocking (EHER 15642)

Early 20th century cottage hospital. The first phase was constructed in 1920-1921 to designs by Coldwell and Nicholls, which reflected new medical and social thinking at that period. Later extensions were added to the original core in the 1920s, 1930s and 1960s. A maternity unit was built to the north of the main block, also designed by Coldwell and Nicholls, in 1936. It was built to replace the old hospital at Halstead Road, see EHER 15636.

1999. Field survey. The William Julien Courtauld Hospital was erected in 1920-1921 to plans prepared by architects Coldwell and Nicholls. In 1918 W.J. Courtauld offered the Committee of Braintree Cottage Hospital ‘a new commodious building with twice the accommodation as the present building’; the Braintree and Bocking Cottage Hospital being formerly located at Halstead Road (see EHER 15636). The new hospital was built to the west of London Road at a cost of £24,000 and contained four wards, which were extended to seven by 1936 (four of these being private). Financed from both public money and W.J. Courtauld, a new maternity wing was completed in 1936-1937 to the designs of the original architects. The main hospital range (1) lies to the south of the site and is a 1½-storey L-shaped building based on a corridor plan with three-bay Nightingale ward blocks set perpendicular to a central corridor; the 1936 ward extension was probably added to the east end of the main range. The hipped and half-hipped roofs are covered with plain tiles with half-round ridge tiles. Large rectangular stacks project through the roof-line together with flat-headed first-floor dormer windows; the ground-floor windows contain vertical sliding sashes. The main doorway has a moulded architrave with a triangular pediment above and lies centrally in a set back nine-bay block toward the eastern end of the building. The walls are lime-washed and rendered. The single-storey range (4) beside the main block (1) has a hipped roof with four symmetrically placed ventilation ducts built of half-round tiles along both long pitches; a further duct is present in each of the hipped ends. Two stacks project through the roof-line and the long walls contain five doors and four sash windows. Currently used for storage the building originally contained the laundry or kitchens. To the west are two utility buildings (7 and 8); the former has large double doors and probably housed an ambulance. A small half-brick half-rendered mortuary building (3) lies to the rear of (4). A glazed covered walk-way links the maternity block (2) to the main courtyard opposite (1); built in a similar architectural style the maternity block has a central corridor, rendered walls, hipped roofs and flat-headed dormers. Two free-standing two-storey staff houses face onto London Road; both are built around a similar plan, but (5) was built 1923 and (6) in 1926. Date plaques are mounted on the front projections. Parts of the original perimeter wall survives to the front of the site and the hospital grounds lie to the west of the main buildings. These retain the original landscape terracing with un-built stone steps bridging each terrace; further gardens survive to the rear of block (1). <1> <2> Improvised Maternity Homes Prior to the outbreak of war arrangements were made by the Ministry of Health for the large scale evacuation of pregnant mothers into Essex and it was therefore necessary to to establish several improvised maternity homes or utilise existing accommodation. The William Julien Courtauld Hospital reserved 10 beds for war time emergency maternity patients <3> 2013. Heritage assessment. A building recording undertaken in 2013 identified the first phase was constructed in 1920-1921 to designs by Coldwell and Nicholls, which reflected new medical and social thinking at that period. Later extensions were added to the original core in the 1920s, 1930s and 1960s. A maternity unit was built to the north of the main block, also designed by Coldwell and Nicholls, in 1936. <4> NRHE data transfer: See <5>. NRHE summary description: Former Braintree and Bocking Cottage Hospital. A two-storey cottage hospital of 1920-21 by Coldwell and Nicholls. A maternity wing was added in 1936.