Report - Milford Hospital, Co Armagh, Northern Ireland

[BillAnd]

One of Team NI, Pacie, pointed out this little hospital/care home out in the sticks of County Armagh.

So, off we go Irishmanlost, Julespics, JDHolic and myself for a wee spin.

Im presuming, cos i cant find a lot of info on the site at the mo, that it was a long-term care/ home type facility from some of the equipment and the layout of the rooms etc.

so, enough waffle - on with the pics.

The hospital is a two storey victorian built grand house, local standards of security - breeze bloked windows and doors

Main enterance - beautiful plasterwork still mostly intact

a downstairs room

Upstairs

the stairs

one of the little 'pavilions' in the grounds

the rest of the teams work can be found by following the flickr link below.
Enjoy!

 

[JDholic]

Lovely Bill, Copied this from a member of team Ni's photostream. It's a history of Millford House.

"Milford House is the former seat of the Mc Crum family one of Ireland’s premier linen manufacturing dynasties. The proprietors of the world famous firm Mc Crum, Watson and Mercer Ltd( Milford factory held the record as the largest factory in Ireland until it was demolished in 1996. ‘The Palace of a modern magician’- the creation of Robert Garmany Mc Crum, self made industrialist, benefactor and inventor who revolutionised the linen industry in Ireland. Not only is this one of Ireland’s most important historic houses but it is world famous as the birthplace and home of William McCrum who invented the penalty kick rule in football in 1890. The field where he invented what is known as ‘the Irishman’s rule’ is in Milford village (the model village created by the family ) and is now the William Mc Crum park and open to the public. His sister Mrs. Harriette Miller was a founding member of the Women’s Suffragette Movement in Ireland and leading member of Amnesty International.

The house was begun in 1865 and R.G Mc Crum continued to build fanatically to it until his death in 1915.
The house is architecturally unique in that it built of ninety percent mass concrete.
The cast iron canopy which adorns the front is the only one of its kind in Ireland.

Famous as the first house in Ireland to have hydroelectricity, the remains of Lisbano mill where the electricity was generated still stand on the banks of the Callan River near the grounds of the house. By 1880 the house had fourteen bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms each with a Turkish bath and Jacuzzi (including the cook’s bathroom). The bedrooms even had plumbed in marble washbasin with taps shaped like lions heads. There was even a waterfall in the Dining room. It is the only house in County Armagh to have a proper Ballroom with four Waterford crystal chandeliers. R.G Mc Crum even invented an electric kettle and dishwasher.

There are fourteen acres of gardens and pleasure grounds, which include three walled gardens, the remains of seven glasshouses and two avenues. The back gates are by Musgrave and Co. Across from the back gates are three houses built in 1880 for Mr. Robert Gywnne the Head Gardener, Mr. Ernest George and a Miss Mackenzie (a spinster to whom the Mc Crum family were benefactors). The beautiful gothic style gate lodge at the entrance to the front avenue was designed by the architects Young and Mackenzie.

One of the most beautiful features was the lake which was designed by R.G Mc Crum and had two Japanese bridges and a boathouse. It is surrounded by a woodland walk. It is said that R.G Mc Crum thought more of his garden than he did of his house and collected trees and plants from all over the world. The Milford Buildings Preservation Trust ensured in 2005 that all the trees on the estate and in Milford village are protected by a Tree Preservation Order.
Milford House in the 20th Century

From 1936 to 1965 it was home to the Manor House School. They only country house residential school for girls of its kind in Ireland. The school built a new wing on the south side. Begun in 1940 and completed in 1965. In 1966 the house and the forty acre estate were sold to the Northern Ireland Hospital Authority and it became the Manor House Special Care Hospital. In 1984 the lake was drained and piped when two patients nearly drowned. In 1984 the avenue was sold to Mr. Gerard Mackle and the trees were cut down on the argument that they were dangerous. The Planning Service ruled after a battle which involved Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth that every tree which was removed must be replaced but this ruling was not adhered to.
The house has been derelict since the closure of the hospital in 1988."