Graylingwell Hospital Theatre

• Theatre ID
  3293
• Built / Converted
  1897
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  —
• Address
  Graylingwell Hospital, College Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO16 9PQ, England

Details

Graylingwell Hospital opened in 1897 on Graylingwell Farm, former home of novelist Anna Sewell of 'Black Beauty' fame and located to the north of Chichester. It was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, in what was to be his sole asylum design. The farmhouse stood next to the 'Grayling Well' which supplied the hospital. It comprised large main buildings with a water tower, an Isolation Hospital, administration blocks, wards, a Chapel, and two farms (later three), detached superintendents residence and compact arrow plan main asylum building. The original farmhouse was retained and converted to accommodate private patients, the whole amounting to three hundred and seventy acres. The theatre was constructed in the centre of the site surrounded on three sides with long corridors. Most of the buildings including the theatre were constructed in soft red brick with reconstituted stonework ornamentation in classical Queen Anne style. Like nearly all Asylums that were built with a theatre it doubled up as a multi-purpose hall, in this case mainly a gym and a dinner hall. The hall has attractive ornamentation including wooden panelled architraves, skirtings and dado rail. The proscenium arch is framed by two Ionic pilasters decorated with an egg & dart architrave within the entablature. It also has a plaster-coffered ceiling, infilled with tong-and-grove timber. Small balcony supported by pillars, and transomed mullioned windows, curtained for performances. Today it seats c.400. The proscenium stage has understage with central trap and dressing rooms, limited flying facilities and galleries on either side. The orchestra pit is slightly sunken. The theatre was later equipped with projection facilities and was much used as a cinema.

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• Events
  • 1897 Design/Construction:
    • Sir Arthur Blomfield - Architect
  • Owner/Management: Local Health Authority
• Capacities
  • Current: est. 400
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed
• Stage type
  • Proscenium flat