Zachary Merton Ward, Royal National Orthapaedic Hospital, Stanmore
History
The hospital opened in 1922 after the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital on London's Portland Street decided to open a second site (referred to as the 'Country Branch' rather than the 'Town Branch' in London), the at-the-time vacant Mary Wardell Convalescent Home was chosen as a suitable location. By 1923 around 100 patients were housed at Stanmore, mostly suffering long cases of Tuberculosis so requiring, such was the medical thought at the time, long periods of convalescence in the fresh open air. The hospital expanded it's services in the following decades and grew into a large institution in it's own right. In the present day it's a large, modern facility undergoing a huge amount of redevelopment, a lot of the older buildings have been demolished or renovated but there are a few yet to meet the chopping block. One of them is the Zachary Merton Building, a convalescent ward opened in 1936 with 44 beds. It was originally only called the Convalescent Ward however in 1961 was renamed the Zachary Merton Ward, in honour of the trust by the same name. In the late 1970s the kitchens and offices of the building were adapted for use by the Scoliosis Unit. In 1982 the hospital came under control of the Bloomsbury Health Authority following a major NHS reorganisation. Up until this point children, following operations, had been ferried from the main site to the Zachary Merton Ward by a towed ambulance, however when the rear axle of the last operational ambulance broke, Bloomsbury Health Authority refused to pay for a repair or replacement and following that, the Zachary Merton Ward closed.
Explore
Parking up and walking past the main hospital on a through road trying not to be spotted by the dozens of flood lights, it seemed impossible but we made it into the woods with Zachary Hospital in sight, climbed the low wall and inside we went, this place was falling apart, the building was crumbling with each step we took, beautiful building but in decay beyond repair, we looked around taking pictures, wishing I had been here much sooner to see the building in it's glory, we finished our walk through the bottom floor and made our way up the stairs to the top floor, the floors were dangerous so we didn't venture far, we made our way back down the stairs, took a couple more pictures and made our way out, an uninterrupted explore, I'll visit this place again before its demolished!
History
The hospital opened in 1922 after the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital on London's Portland Street decided to open a second site (referred to as the 'Country Branch' rather than the 'Town Branch' in London), the at-the-time vacant Mary Wardell Convalescent Home was chosen as a suitable location. By 1923 around 100 patients were housed at Stanmore, mostly suffering long cases of Tuberculosis so requiring, such was the medical thought at the time, long periods of convalescence in the fresh open air. The hospital expanded it's services in the following decades and grew into a large institution in it's own right. In the present day it's a large, modern facility undergoing a huge amount of redevelopment, a lot of the older buildings have been demolished or renovated but there are a few yet to meet the chopping block. One of them is the Zachary Merton Building, a convalescent ward opened in 1936 with 44 beds. It was originally only called the Convalescent Ward however in 1961 was renamed the Zachary Merton Ward, in honour of the trust by the same name. In the late 1970s the kitchens and offices of the building were adapted for use by the Scoliosis Unit. In 1982 the hospital came under control of the Bloomsbury Health Authority following a major NHS reorganisation. Up until this point children, following operations, had been ferried from the main site to the Zachary Merton Ward by a towed ambulance, however when the rear axle of the last operational ambulance broke, Bloomsbury Health Authority refused to pay for a repair or replacement and following that, the Zachary Merton Ward closed.
Explore
Parking up and walking past the main hospital on a through road trying not to be spotted by the dozens of flood lights, it seemed impossible but we made it into the woods with Zachary Hospital in sight, climbed the low wall and inside we went, this place was falling apart, the building was crumbling with each step we took, beautiful building but in decay beyond repair, we looked around taking pictures, wishing I had been here much sooner to see the building in it's glory, we finished our walk through the bottom floor and made our way up the stairs to the top floor, the floors were dangerous so we didn't venture far, we made our way back down the stairs, took a couple more pictures and made our way out, an uninterrupted explore, I'll visit this place again before its demolished!
nice explore
