There is a lot of complete bollocks written about this place. I think, possibly, because it’s known as an orphanage, but it’s got a lot of hospital equipment in it. So, the natural assumption is the orphans were being experimented on to make mutant soldiers. What actually happened, was…
The gothic building came to life in September 1872 as an orphanage for Roman Catholic girls. It owes its entire existence to the benevolent gift of £10,000 from the seriously wadded but generous, Mrs Maria Holland. £6,000 paid for the building and the balance paid for 30 orphans care. The orphanage was run by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy. They would accept orphan girls from two years old, who would stay until they were 14 or 15. Many of them went off to work in hospitals, but the nuns weren’t fussy. They’d train them up orphans to be servants, machinists, shop-girls or anything else they showed an aptitude for.
In 1877, the graciously loaded and quite nice lady, Mrs Holland, bunged the nuns another wedge to open a hospital for the sick and poor. That was built adjacent to the orphanage.
In 1879 the orphanage was accredited as a certified school, which meant the nuns could receive children who would otherwise have been sent to the workhouses. Although that certification was cancelled in July 1890.
In 1905 the whole site became St Joseph’s Hospital and the orphaned roman catholic girls were moved to Moorfield Orphanage, just up the road on Ribbleton Avenue. The hospital cared for wounded soldiers during ze vor and from 1958 acted as a training centre for nurses. The hospital finally closed it doors in 1966.
The Mount Street Nursing Home took over the building after the closure of the hospital, before closing in February 2002, because it could not meet stringent carte standards.
As for Mrs Maria Holland; well, she lived to the ripe old age of 72 and died of old age. She left everything in permanent endowment to the orphanage.
My Visits
My first trip is when I took most of my photos. I went, as most people who have been recently will have done, to look at the secret slab that everyone knows about. But also, it’s a Northern classic that I hadn’t seen so I got up early one Sunday morning and had a mooch around on my own. Fast forward a few weeks and it’s the morning of the 28 Days Manchester meet, and @albino-jay and I hooked up with @The Stig and @AuntieKnickers for the first explore of the day. I nobly went first, clearing the access of pigeon shit.
One of the first things I saw was the slab.
Then went onto a general mooch around some really soggy stuff and obvious evidence of old peoples home.
Umb3x Ch41r
I struggled to get passed this bit for a while, because the sign on the door said, "no admittance".
But Praised Be Jebus, I managed. I kinda have to explain this photo. I have never done and don't intend to do selective colour before, but I just wanted the Praised Be Jesus Christs, but it was wrong to take it out of its context. So this is my compromise.
Lonely badger is lonely.
The floors and stairs around this area were fucked, swallowing up anything on top of them. So I decided not to go on top of them (I was on my own at this point).
Traced back a bit and went through a smashed partition wall, which led to one of my favorite places of the whole explore. I know this is sadly ruined compared to what it used to be. But I still enjoyed it.
A peek of what was to come...
Full frontal.
To ze left.
You've got to have an Umb3x S3Lf13
Onwards and upwards, to the hospital...
When you're not quite wide enough and don't touch the sides...
Various, I'm guessing, either treatment or consultation rooms on this level...
Up to the penultimate level, with the surgery rooms (?)
These are different rooms. Honestly, I haven't just wangled the lighty thing over from one side to the other and taken two shots from different perspectives.
Corridor shot on this level...
Up to the final level...
Dodgy looking corridor...
That leads to an X-ray machine. I did not check this out on my first trip, since I was on my own on the top floor about to walk over a rotten floor with holes in. But Jay lead the tour on the second so I captured it for prosperity...
Glad he did too, because it's cool as fuck.
And that's my report, except for my final capture of the secret slab and Jebus. Who, like a decent loaf, rose twice.
Cheers, EOA
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