Building record 3884/0/221 - Wellingborough Cottage Hospital, Doddington Road (Southwood House)

The former Wellingborough Cottage Hospital was built in 1899-1900, designed by Sharman and Archer. It comprised two major buildings, an administration block/nurses home and a ward block. There were later additions.

{1} Cottage Hospital, Doddington Road. Opened in 1900 with 17 beds. The building for the cottage hospital is still in existence and in use by 'Shaftsbury Housing Association'. The building has a commemorative stone which indicates 'This stone was laid by the most honourable Marquis of Northampton 3rd November 1899'. The mortuary shown on the map of 1926 has subsequently been demolished. (Film 15 Phot 14-16, 19).

{4} On 16th January 2025, Historic England denied the application for Southwood House (former Wellingborough Cottage) to be a listed building. This application was prompted by proposals for its demolition and redevelopment.
History:
Initially constructed between 1899-1900, the cottage hospital comprised a two-storey administration building with nurses' accommodation and single-storey range, with a detached single-storey building with a central block containing an operating theatre, surgery, and separation ward, with two-six bed wards to either side and a veranda wrapping around the southern elevation. The two buildings were linked by a covered way. Extensions had been made to the building by the time of the publication of the 1925 Ordnance Survey: wards were added to either side of the administration block, and a detached ward built to the south, linked by a covered way. The next available map of 1968 shows further large extensions to the south and there has been later C20 infill and some rebuilding. The buildings were used as a hospital until the 1980s when they were converted to use as a home for adults with learning difficulties, and later as accommodation for assisted living, involving the subdivision of the building into apartments.

<1> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Wellingborough (Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100290.

<2> Richardson H. (Editor), 1998, English Hospitals 1660-1948: A Survey of Their Architecture and Design, (unchecked) (Book). SNN62723.

<3> Historic England, SOUTHWOOD HOUSE, WELLINGBOROUGH, BF100451 (Archive). SNN114708.

<4> Historic England, 2025, Reject at Initial Assessment: Southwood House (former Wellingborogh Cottage Hospital), 44-48 (Report). SNN116713.

Record last edited

Jan 29 2025 12:53PM