I had always fancied this hospital but knowing it had on site security and every building alarmed and well sealed. It seemed to me the journey might be a waste as it's the other side of the country from Norfolk. A little heads up from mookster that it was open and alarms gone we decided to give it a look. We made two visits in the end, the first one we picked the wettest day of the year. We visited the art deco block and we got soaked through making our way to it. Got soaked coming out the block. We sort of lost the will a bit by then and went up the road to healings mill. A few weeks later mookster said the hydro block was open as well. So we decided to go back, this time the day was much brighter and we covered the hydro/therapy block again, the nurses block and manor house and spent the whole day here. We could not get in the top block with the nice orange tiles, as we could see a few people mooching about in suits and hard hats. It was lovely to explore a hospital that was just natural decay. I guess the on site security and alarms helped to keep it in a good way. We could see signs that work was about to start anytime. Reading the developers plans it seems they were keeping several of the buildings. The manor and stables is to be converted into 20 grand houses and apartments. The art deco block is to be converted into 26 properties. And the hydro pool into two properties. Which is good considering it was going to be demolished. Across the site is going to be 99 homes built varying in range.
Standish hall started life as a tuberculosis hospital in 1922. The Gloucestershire committee for tuberculosis was established in 1912 to combat the spread of the disease. They set up beds in several local hospitals. The committee purchased the house in 1920 and the hospital opened two years later. The house has been used a few years earlier by the red cross hospital in the great war. It had one hundred beds and eight fully trained nursing sisters and the rest of the staff were volunteers. So when it opened as a tuberculosis hospital it was quite well adapted already. It opened with a total of 140 beds which were then divided into men's, women's and children's blocks. The hospital was greatly expanded over the years and and lots of activities and recreation was available. This includes a cinema, jazz bands and concerts. In 1948 the hospital came under the wing of the NHS and treatments started changing at the hospital. It's specialised in rheumatology, orthopaedics and respiratory care. In the 1980s the trust started moving beds to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. It was going to operate at a reduced capacity but it was as decided to close the hospital permanently in December 2004.
The hydro pool and physio block was quite beautiful and really pleased to see this bit. What I can gather the pool was built after a large fund raiser. Their is also a large room with gym apparatus for recoupiraition.
A nice curved covered walkway connects the physiotherapy block to the art deco block.
Near to the manor is the old nurses block. Were the nurses would live when working there. Pretty standard rooms throughout.
Coming across this was surreal. It looks like a giant nest. I had seen this similar thing at West Raynham a long time ago.
Continued..
Standish hall started life as a tuberculosis hospital in 1922. The Gloucestershire committee for tuberculosis was established in 1912 to combat the spread of the disease. They set up beds in several local hospitals. The committee purchased the house in 1920 and the hospital opened two years later. The house has been used a few years earlier by the red cross hospital in the great war. It had one hundred beds and eight fully trained nursing sisters and the rest of the staff were volunteers. So when it opened as a tuberculosis hospital it was quite well adapted already. It opened with a total of 140 beds which were then divided into men's, women's and children's blocks. The hospital was greatly expanded over the years and and lots of activities and recreation was available. This includes a cinema, jazz bands and concerts. In 1948 the hospital came under the wing of the NHS and treatments started changing at the hospital. It's specialised in rheumatology, orthopaedics and respiratory care. In the 1980s the trust started moving beds to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. It was going to operate at a reduced capacity but it was as decided to close the hospital permanently in December 2004.
The hydro pool and physio block was quite beautiful and really pleased to see this bit. What I can gather the pool was built after a large fund raiser. Their is also a large room with gym apparatus for recoupiraition.
A nice curved covered walkway connects the physiotherapy block to the art deco block.
Near to the manor is the old nurses block. Were the nurses would live when working there. Pretty standard rooms throughout.
Coming across this was surreal. It looks like a giant nest. I had seen this similar thing at West Raynham a long time ago.
Continued..
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