# Hospital In The Woods, Sep 2019



## KPUrban_ (Sep 30, 2019)

*The Building*
Former specialist hospital in orthopedics, rheumatology, and respiration lays dormant in an English woodland. After closing in 2004 and remaining relatively forgotten the hospital fell into an unexpected level of decay.

1882 the wife of the former owner died and the remaining family left the manor house. 
From 1884 the house was then leased to another occupier on a 21 year contract term.

from 1914 the hospital was unoccupied, was subsequently leased to the red cross hospital, and was refitted with electric lights, baths, and sanitary accommodation was updated. In 1915 the house opend as a hospital providing 100 beds employing 8 fully trained nurses and volunteer staff, with patients being the wounded soldiers. The hospital dealt with over 2000 patients in the First World War.

Followng the war conditions were so poor illnesses such as TB were common in the hospital. The local government had a duty to improved conditions and the proposal of the site being a tuberculosis sanatorium came into effect in 1922. Following the raising of funds the hospital now provided 140 beds split between children's, women's and men's accommodation. 

The hospital expanded over the next 15 years with a new men's section opening in 1939. Even throughout the war expansions were seen with the opening of a new physiotherapy department and a 65 bed women's ward and the addition of 19 children's bed spaces.

In 1948, following the creation of the NHS, a new X-Ray department was opened. As the number of TB cases dropped the hospital started working on more illnesses and treatments subsequently specialising in orthopedics, rheumatology, and respiratory illnesses. in 1953 the hospital earned the status of a chest hospital and subsequently changed it's name.

Following a reorganization of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1974 a new theatre was opened and X-Ray was redeveloped.
Following more management changes in 1980 services were slowly transferred even though new facilities had recently been added. Eventually in 2003 a series of budget cuts lead to the hospitals' fate in December 2004.

*The Explore*
It had been a long day of exploring for the first time without public transport and following a series of fails and wrong turns we finally made it to our final stop. After sneaking past security we found a tight squeeze which would get us inside.
Due to our limited time we only did the main building which featured the best decay and operating theatres before embarking on our long journey home.


Corridor made of asbestos.






Curvy Decaying ward





Not so curvy ward

Feeling Blue

Some medical bits





Slightly Disappointing Operating Theatre





The arms seemed to be for a par of old Hanaulux lights, which were common at the time of operation.





Physiotherapy Department





That'll be all.
KP
,


----------



## Dirus_Strictus (Sep 30, 2019)

Nice images. However if that was asbestos, you should never have even set foot in the place! Spent many years identifying all forms of asbestos during my working life and what you see here are insulating panels made from Wood Wool. This is a product that withstands damp conditions better than some forms of asbestos did, back in the time when this place was built.


----------



## mookster (Sep 30, 2019)

If this is the one I'm thinking it is - and with the mention of a manor house I am almost certain - it's quite incredible it's still kicking around undeveloped. It's decayed so nicely as it was stuffed full of alarms in all the buildings until fairly recently. I got around a small section of it that wasn't alarmed including the mortuary in 2012 but need to go back.


----------



## KPUrban_ (Oct 1, 2019)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> Nice images. However if that was asbestos, you should never have even set foot in the place! Spent many years identifying all forms of asbestos during my working life and what you see here are insulating panels made from Wood Wool. This is a product that withstands damp conditions better than some forms of asbestos did, back in the time when this place was built.



Thanks.

There was a lot of asbestos in the wall cladding in the area just behind me, had stickers saying to to tamper with it and such. The roof I was unsure and didn't think it was asbestos. Thanks for the info!


----------



## KPUrban_ (Oct 1, 2019)

mookster said:


> If this is the one I'm thinking it is - and with the mention of a manor house I am almost certain - it's quite incredible it's still kicking around undeveloped. It's decayed so nicely as it was stuffed full of alarms in all the buildings until fairly recently. I got around a small section of it that wasn't alarmed including the mortuary in 2012 but need to go back.



Alarms were still there, just water damaged. Didn't know about there being a morgue!


----------



## Sectionate (Oct 3, 2019)

That looks lovely! The peeling paint is right up my street


----------



## Darklldo (Dec 10, 2020)

Love the photos and a fascinating place, it must have been great to be there and feel it around you.
What interests me is the amount of peeling paint. Having done a fair bit of house painting in my time I have to wonder did they use a water base paint over enamel? It can be the only answer to the amount of it coming off the walls everywhere. 
Thank you, the photographs made me feel I was there


----------

