Rushford Court

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Rushford Court
County Hospital Durham crop.jpg
Rushford Court in 2019
Durham UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in County Durham
Former namesCounty Hospital, Durham
General information
TypeStudent residence; formerly hospital (closed 2010)
Town or city Durham
CountryUK
Coordinates 54°46′43″N1°35′05″W / 54.77859°N 1.58472°W / 54.77859; -1.58472
Named forHannah Rushford, Mayor of Durham
Completed1853
Renovated2018
Owner Unite Students
Other information
Number of rooms363
Website
https://www.unitestudents.com/durham/rushford-court

Rushford Court is a student residence and former hospital in Durham, England. It opened in 1853 as County Hospital, and closed as a hospital in 2010 after services were moved to Lanchester Road Hospital on the outskirts of the city.

Contents

In 2018, after extensive work to demolish later additions to the hospital building and construct new accommodation blocks, Unite Students reopened the site as a privately-operated hall for Durham University students under the name Rushford Court.

In 2019–20, Durham University used the site as a temporary home for its John Snow College, between the college's move from Queen's Campus in Thornaby-on-Tees and the completion of its new buildings at Mount Oswald. In the 2024-5 academic year, the site is housing the College of St Hild and St Bede while the college's historic site on Leazes Road, Gilesgate is redeveloped, with work taking place to provide a new college hub building at Rushford Court. After the College of St Hild and St Bede returns to its permanent site, the university plans to found a new college on the Rushford Court site.

History

As a hospital

An engraving of the hospital in 1866 Durham County Hospital. Steel engraving, 1866. Wellcome V0012563.jpg
An engraving of the hospital in 1866

The hospital, which was designed in the Elizabethan style and built at a cost of £7,500, opened in 1853, replacing a hospital on Allergate. [1] [2] The building was on an 'H' plan, with decorated gables, chimneys and a central bell tower, and was set in an open field with a terrace to the front. [3] A convalescent wing financed by donations from Dean Waddington, and additional wards financed by John Eden, opened in 1867 and 1886 respectively. [1] [3]

A freestanding building was added to the south of the hospital in 1914 to provide nursing accommodation, and an operating theatre on the east in 1919. [3] A major proposal to expand the hospital from 50 to 204 bed was made around 1920, but not implemented. [2] In 1938, a substantial extension called the Rushford Wing, designed by Cordingly and McIntyre, was added to the front of the building, hiding much of the original frontage. [3] The wing was named after Hannah Rushford, who would later be the city's first female mayor. [4]

The hospital joined the National Health Service in 1948. [5] In 1971, a major reorganisation of Durham's hospitals made Dryburn Hospital the city's main hospital, while County Hospital became a dedicated psychiatric facility. [2]

After psychiatric services had transferred to the Lanchester Road Hospital, the hospital closed in 2010. [6]

As a student residence

In 2014 planning permission was sought to remove the 1930s additions, returning the main building back to its original state and adapting it to house 82 student studio flats, and to create additional new-build blocks to house another 281 student flats. [7] [8] Planning was refused by Durham County Council, due to the effect of the new buildings on the city's conservation area and on local residents, but this decision was overturned and planning granted by the Planning Inspectorate in March 2016. [8]

Construction work began on the new scheme in May 2017 [9] and was completed in August 2018. The 363-bedroom complex was sold prior to completion to Unite Students, who operate it as Rushford Court. [10] [11]

Use by Durham University

During 2019–20, the site was used by Durham University to house John Snow College following the college's move from Queen's Campus in Thornaby-on-Tees, while the college awaited completion of its new buildings on the Mount Oswald site. [11]

In January 2023, Durham University announced plans to work with the owners to provide the full facilities of a Durham University college on the site, [12] accompanied by a planning proposal to construct an additional amenities building, set into existing terracing in front of the main historic building, [2] which was approved in April 2023. [13] The site will provide a temporary home for Hild Bede College from summer 2024, while that college's site at Leazes Road, Gilesgate, undergoes redevelopment. After the college returns to its permanent site, the university expects to found a new college on the Rushford Court site. [12] [14]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Kelly's Directory 1910
  2. 1 2 3 4 A Croft (12 October 2022). "Heritage Statement" (PDF). Chris Blandford Associates.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Planning Services Committee Report" (PDF). Durham County Council. March 2014.
  4. ↑ Richardson, Michael (2019). Lost Durham. Amberley Publishing. ISBN   978-1445691329.
  5. ↑ "Durham County Hospital, Durham". National archives. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  6. ↑ Tallentire, Mark (30 May 2013). "Durham's County Hospital sold to property developers". The Northern Echo . Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "Viaduct Court (County Hospital) Development". Stuome report. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  8. 1 2 Wright, Y (7 March 2016). "Appeal Decision" (PDF). The Planning Inspectorate. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "Work begins on transformation of former County Hospital into student accommodation". Sladden Estates. 3 May 2017. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Rushford Court, Durham". Sladden Estates. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  11. 1 2 Conner-Hill, Rachel (17 December 2018). "Durham University announces plans to take over city centre accommodation". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Future Development". College of St Hild and St Bede. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  13. ↑ "New university developments secured for BAM and Unite Students". PBC Today. 3 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Alice Martin (24 January 2023). "Rushford Court to become Durham's eighteenth college 'in the longer term'". The Tab .
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