Haslar - my most favourite of favourite of all explores, and without question, the only nice thing in Gosport. My biggest regret about this place is that I didn't manage to get in to it sooner. This place is huge. There is a particular MRI scanner somewhere in here that I encountered the first time I went in. I have been back about 10 times since and I still cannot find it! As most of my reports are "ok here are the photos bye" I'm aiming to make this one a little different. Anyway...
History
Haslar was built between 1745 and 1761, and served the injured men who would come in to Portsmouth from the various wars.
Such was the urgency to admit patients to the Royal Hospital Haslar that an order was given by the Board of the Admiralty for 100 patients to be admitted on the 10th October 1753 and with no record of an opening ceremony the hospital was commissioned.
During the 18th/19th century even the attics served as wards especially when Sir John Moore's Army returned decimated by disease from Corunna when the hospital patient numbers would have well exceeded 1,000.
By the turn of the 20th century there were some 58 large wards at Haslar each taking 14 patients. At the time the wards were two to a floor with a connecting door within each hospital block. The wards underwent modernisation and the central wall was altered and the wards opened to the full size seen today.
Many of the original wards served as Day Surgery, Theatres, out-patients and offices and in some areas the original ward design can still be seen.
Dr James Lind played a major part in discovering a cure for scurvy, not least through his pioneering use of a double blind methodology with Vitamin C supplements (limes). In the 1940's Haslar set up the country's first blood bank.
The first and last Navy hospital; Haslar was closed in 2009. Nice one modern government wankers.
(Random history) In 2000 a woman was murdered by her husband in an empty corridor here. The field at the back is a mass grave. Indeed, Xexxa's very own 4x great grandfather is buried at Haslar. A skeleton with coins in its eyes was also found here http://www.haslarheritagegroup.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=140
Future
Haslar and its 62 acre grounds were sold for £3m (mental, right?) to Our Enterprise. There is outline planning permission for the redevelopment of endless amounts of flats and care homes... the usual crap (but I would be lying if I said I wouldn't like to live there just so I can infiltrate the rest at ease) the budget is £100m and 7 years has been given to complete the works. However, Haslar popped up on a governement website for people seeking investors, where it was asking for £152m. This has caused some confusion. The developers are saying it is an error, but it could also signify that they don't have the cash to complete.
Planning a visit
If you haven't been to Haslar (or even if you have) before you should go soon, as time is running out. Security here are a mix of 50% nicest secca ever and 50% "I'm a horrible bastard because I failed as a copper" Usually, I have run ins with the latter. If they are arsey its just nice to give them the run around. Keep them on their toes
Pictures
Main Building
Operating theatre gauges
A peely corridor in 2014
and again in 2017
The centrifuge has now gone (god knows where)
One of the wards in about 2014
2017 - things are more stripped
Operating theatre
The hydroptherapy pool hasnt changed much at all
Skywalk
As you can see, it is almost demolished. Sadly annoying as this housed the eye unit (I think) and was one of my favourite parts.
A sad before and after of this old X-ray machine
Stairs
Haslar has some very interesting staircases. By far the most popular is the oval staircase, which was built in the 1960s (I hope this remains in the new building)
I regret not getting a full frame camera
History
Haslar was built between 1745 and 1761, and served the injured men who would come in to Portsmouth from the various wars.
Such was the urgency to admit patients to the Royal Hospital Haslar that an order was given by the Board of the Admiralty for 100 patients to be admitted on the 10th October 1753 and with no record of an opening ceremony the hospital was commissioned.
During the 18th/19th century even the attics served as wards especially when Sir John Moore's Army returned decimated by disease from Corunna when the hospital patient numbers would have well exceeded 1,000.
By the turn of the 20th century there were some 58 large wards at Haslar each taking 14 patients. At the time the wards were two to a floor with a connecting door within each hospital block. The wards underwent modernisation and the central wall was altered and the wards opened to the full size seen today.
Many of the original wards served as Day Surgery, Theatres, out-patients and offices and in some areas the original ward design can still be seen.
Dr James Lind played a major part in discovering a cure for scurvy, not least through his pioneering use of a double blind methodology with Vitamin C supplements (limes). In the 1940's Haslar set up the country's first blood bank.
The first and last Navy hospital; Haslar was closed in 2009. Nice one modern government wankers.
(Random history) In 2000 a woman was murdered by her husband in an empty corridor here. The field at the back is a mass grave. Indeed, Xexxa's very own 4x great grandfather is buried at Haslar. A skeleton with coins in its eyes was also found here http://www.haslarheritagegroup.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=140
Future
Haslar and its 62 acre grounds were sold for £3m (mental, right?) to Our Enterprise. There is outline planning permission for the redevelopment of endless amounts of flats and care homes... the usual crap (but I would be lying if I said I wouldn't like to live there just so I can infiltrate the rest at ease) the budget is £100m and 7 years has been given to complete the works. However, Haslar popped up on a governement website for people seeking investors, where it was asking for £152m. This has caused some confusion. The developers are saying it is an error, but it could also signify that they don't have the cash to complete.
Planning a visit
If you haven't been to Haslar (or even if you have) before you should go soon, as time is running out. Security here are a mix of 50% nicest secca ever and 50% "I'm a horrible bastard because I failed as a copper" Usually, I have run ins with the latter. If they are arsey its just nice to give them the run around. Keep them on their toes
Pictures
Main Building
Operating theatre gauges
A peely corridor in 2014
and again in 2017
The centrifuge has now gone (god knows where)
One of the wards in about 2014
2017 - things are more stripped
Operating theatre
The hydroptherapy pool hasnt changed much at all
Skywalk
As you can see, it is almost demolished. Sadly annoying as this housed the eye unit (I think) and was one of my favourite parts.
A sad before and after of this old X-ray machine
Stairs
Haslar has some very interesting staircases. By far the most popular is the oval staircase, which was built in the 1960s (I hope this remains in the new building)
I regret not getting a full frame camera
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