Robertson House / Treloar Hospital
History
In 1901, what was then named the Princess Louise Hospital was founded by public subscription for sick and wounded soldiers returning from the Boer War. The hospital was located on Chawton Park Road, to the east of Alton. By the time it officially came into service in 1903, the war had ended. However, the hospital was used until 1905 by the Royal Army Medical Corps.
In 1907, Sir William Purdie Treloar who, during his tenure as Lord Mayor of London in 1906-1907, had raised the sum of £10,000 in his mayoral 'Cripples Fund', took over the Alton site for use as a hospital for the treatment of children up to the age of 12 who were suffering from tuberculosis of the bones or joints. A college was also established for teaching technical skills to physically disabled boys aged from 14 to 18, so that they could earn their own living.
Children came from all over the country to the hospital, which had its own railway station, Alton Park.
The original ward huts were demolished as part of a major reconstruction of the site from 1929 to 1937.
In 1948, the hospital facilities were taken over by the new National Health Service and in 1951 were renamed The Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital. In 1953, the college moved to its own site at Upper Froyle. The Florence Treloar School for Girls was opened at Holybourne in 1965. The boys' college and girls' school were amalgamated in 1978 to create the Lord Mayor Treloar College, now based just outside Alton at Holybourne.
Despite threats of closure from the 1970s onwards, the Lord Mayor Treloar Hospital continued in operation until 1994. The site was sold in 2001 and the buildings demolished. The site is now occupied by housing and a community hospital.
Explore
Having tried to get into Robertson House for the past 2 years, I saw some other Urban Explorers had been inside in the past week, i was so excited to get inside and have a look, being a 15minute drive, we made our way to the newly built housing estate that Robertson House looks over on top of the hill, the house reminded me of Haunting of Hill House being in the middle of woodland overlooking houses on top of a hill.
We walked up to the house and noticed builders were working in the grounds, we had to be careful and be ever so quiet trying to get in, a small squeeze and we were finally inside, i only wanted to see the ‘Blood Room’ as other Explorers have called it, we finally found it and took some pictures, without a torch we could see nothing! Sunlight ceased to exist inside the Hospital! We tiptoed around making as little noise as possible for about an hour and finally made our way out and past the builders unnoticed, another successful explore without being caught!
History
In 1901, what was then named the Princess Louise Hospital was founded by public subscription for sick and wounded soldiers returning from the Boer War. The hospital was located on Chawton Park Road, to the east of Alton. By the time it officially came into service in 1903, the war had ended. However, the hospital was used until 1905 by the Royal Army Medical Corps.
In 1907, Sir William Purdie Treloar who, during his tenure as Lord Mayor of London in 1906-1907, had raised the sum of £10,000 in his mayoral 'Cripples Fund', took over the Alton site for use as a hospital for the treatment of children up to the age of 12 who were suffering from tuberculosis of the bones or joints. A college was also established for teaching technical skills to physically disabled boys aged from 14 to 18, so that they could earn their own living.
Children came from all over the country to the hospital, which had its own railway station, Alton Park.
The original ward huts were demolished as part of a major reconstruction of the site from 1929 to 1937.
In 1948, the hospital facilities were taken over by the new National Health Service and in 1951 were renamed The Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital. In 1953, the college moved to its own site at Upper Froyle. The Florence Treloar School for Girls was opened at Holybourne in 1965. The boys' college and girls' school were amalgamated in 1978 to create the Lord Mayor Treloar College, now based just outside Alton at Holybourne.
Despite threats of closure from the 1970s onwards, the Lord Mayor Treloar Hospital continued in operation until 1994. The site was sold in 2001 and the buildings demolished. The site is now occupied by housing and a community hospital.
Explore
Having tried to get into Robertson House for the past 2 years, I saw some other Urban Explorers had been inside in the past week, i was so excited to get inside and have a look, being a 15minute drive, we made our way to the newly built housing estate that Robertson House looks over on top of the hill, the house reminded me of Haunting of Hill House being in the middle of woodland overlooking houses on top of a hill.
We walked up to the house and noticed builders were working in the grounds, we had to be careful and be ever so quiet trying to get in, a small squeeze and we were finally inside, i only wanted to see the ‘Blood Room’ as other Explorers have called it, we finally found it and took some pictures, without a torch we could see nothing! Sunlight ceased to exist inside the Hospital! We tiptoed around making as little noise as possible for about an hour and finally made our way out and past the builders unnoticed, another successful explore without being caught!
