Visited with: @UrbanZ
The Cambridge Military Hospital was the fifth military hospital built in Aldershot, and was commissioned by Messrs Martin Wells and Co. of Aldershot at a cost of approx £45,758.
Opened in July by The Duke of Cambridge, the first patients were admitted on Friday the 18th 1879, and were either walked or taken by cart ambulance from the Connaught Hospital.
The hospital obtained it's name from His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Army at the time, and was built on a hill due to current clinical thinking the wind would sweep away any infection and clean the air.
It was also the first hospital in the UK to receive battle casualties directly from the front lines of World War One.
Spotting an entry point almost instantly, we parked up, donned our camera equipment and headed back only to find some guy loitering around right outside, presumably on his lunch break, smoking a fat spliff..
Easy entry plan 1 out the window!
Cue a quick rethink and one leisurely stroll later, we were in, and what a place.
Although just a shell of it's former self, much of the site having been demolished or torn apart, most recently for the removal of asbestos leaving little to no flooring in many parts of the building, one can still get a glimpse as to how it may have been in it's heyday.
Patients socialising, relaxing, taking in the unprecedented views over the town from the hillside whilst recovering within the relative comfort of the hospital.
The children's winnie the pooh paintings on the wall were a nice touch too, bringing back fond reminiscents of one's own lengthy stays in hospital.
We'd barely scratched the surface of the maternity ward before Urbanz got clock happy and made a run for the tower, subsequently setting off a PIR alarm and the fastest secca response time I've ever seen, as within 20 seconds we were surrounded!
At the time we were unaware they were unable to enter the enter the building, resulting in a treacherous 105 minute standoff.
Attempting to circumnavigate the hospital via scaffolding boards covering most of the non-existent floors without light looking for a way out (which we finally found after squeezing through a 2nd story window, down a cast-iron downpipe and into the trees), was a little dicey to say the least, as everytime my eyes adjusted to the darkness bright beams of light from the secca's torches would shine through the windows leaving me totally blind again.
In hindsight, the whole escapade was absolutely hilarious, although next time I'll remember to bring two thermals and night-vision goggles.
Onto the pics...
Stairs leading up from missing flooring.
2.
3. One of the many missing floors.
The commonly over-exagerated 250 metre long hallway.
Maternity ward staircase.
Filing/storage.
7.
8.
9.
Single column rads.
Piping. Most labeled "oxygen" supply.
Strangely laid out bathroom/toilet.
13.
14.
Thanks for looking.
History
The Cambridge Military Hospital was the fifth military hospital built in Aldershot, and was commissioned by Messrs Martin Wells and Co. of Aldershot at a cost of approx £45,758.
Opened in July by The Duke of Cambridge, the first patients were admitted on Friday the 18th 1879, and were either walked or taken by cart ambulance from the Connaught Hospital.
The hospital obtained it's name from His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Army at the time, and was built on a hill due to current clinical thinking the wind would sweep away any infection and clean the air.
It was also the first hospital in the UK to receive battle casualties directly from the front lines of World War One.
Explore
Spotting an entry point almost instantly, we parked up, donned our camera equipment and headed back only to find some guy loitering around right outside, presumably on his lunch break, smoking a fat spliff..
Easy entry plan 1 out the window!
Cue a quick rethink and one leisurely stroll later, we were in, and what a place.
Although just a shell of it's former self, much of the site having been demolished or torn apart, most recently for the removal of asbestos leaving little to no flooring in many parts of the building, one can still get a glimpse as to how it may have been in it's heyday.
Patients socialising, relaxing, taking in the unprecedented views over the town from the hillside whilst recovering within the relative comfort of the hospital.
The children's winnie the pooh paintings on the wall were a nice touch too, bringing back fond reminiscents of one's own lengthy stays in hospital.
We'd barely scratched the surface of the maternity ward before Urbanz got clock happy and made a run for the tower, subsequently setting off a PIR alarm and the fastest secca response time I've ever seen, as within 20 seconds we were surrounded!
At the time we were unaware they were unable to enter the enter the building, resulting in a treacherous 105 minute standoff.
Attempting to circumnavigate the hospital via scaffolding boards covering most of the non-existent floors without light looking for a way out (which we finally found after squeezing through a 2nd story window, down a cast-iron downpipe and into the trees), was a little dicey to say the least, as everytime my eyes adjusted to the darkness bright beams of light from the secca's torches would shine through the windows leaving me totally blind again.
In hindsight, the whole escapade was absolutely hilarious, although next time I'll remember to bring two thermals and night-vision goggles.
Onto the pics...
Stairs leading up from missing flooring.
2.
3. One of the many missing floors.
The commonly over-exagerated 250 metre long hallway.
Maternity ward staircase.
Filing/storage.
7.
8.
9.
Single column rads.
Piping. Most labeled "oxygen" supply.
Strangely laid out bathroom/toilet.
13.
14.
Thanks for looking.
Last edited:
this sounds like one heck of a guarded place though 
