Description

LANCASTER

SD46SE ASHTON ROAD
1685-1/1/8 (West side)
18/02/70 Ripley St Thomas' School, original
school building

GV II

Orphanage, now part of school. 1856-64, additions 1885,
altered c1965. Design by J Cunningham at the expense of Mrs
Julia Ripley, with additions by Paley and Austin. Polygonal
sandstone masonry with ashlar dressings and slate roofs.
E-plan, with wings projecting on the north side, the east wing
now truncated, and with additions projecting towards the west
from the west wing. Gothic Revival style.
In the centre is a tall tower rising between 2 identical
gabled 3-storey wings, their gables now re-modelled. The
windows all have pointed lights. Each wing has 2 windows of
one light on the ground floor. Canted oriel windows rise
through the 1st and 2nd floors. The recessed tower rises in
the centre and has 3 tall lancet openings to its upper stage,
and a shield of arms carved on its embattled parapet. At
ground floor level is the main entrance, with a shallow
2-centred arch spanning between the wings and supporting a
parapet pierced with quatrefoils. The inner doorway is also
pointed and contains timber doors within a screen of coloured
glass. To each side are links of 2 storeys and 6 bays
separated by buttresses. The ground-floor arcades are now
glazed and the 1st floor windows are C20 in reconstructed
rectangular chamfered stone surrounds.
East wing now mostly demolished, with one bay of 2 storeys
remaining. West wing also now of 2 storeys, and of 6 bays with
a projecting stair turret towards the N end of the east wall.
The 1885 additions have 2 gabled bays facing north which have
3-light windows with Perpendicular tracery in pointed heads.
At the west end a wing projects towards the N and has 2
windows of 2 lights with Perpendicular tracery in its N gable
wall, separated by a buttress. The E wall of this wing
contains a doorway with the date '1885' carved above.
HISTORY: the Ripley Hospital was erected for the education and
maintenance of 300 orphaned and fatherless children of
Lancaster and Liverpool, with accommodation divided
symmetrically between boys and girls. In 1885 additions and
alterations by Paley and Austin were begun. These included the
Chapel (qv) and new schools and classrooms.
(Cross Fleury (pseud.): Time-Honoured Lancaster: Lancaster:
1891-: 395-398).

Listing NGR: SD4755360657

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26585884

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)