# ST Thomas' Hospital - Stockport - Oct 2016



## Hippie Alien (Oct 17, 2016)

*History:*

St Thomas's, formerly known as Shaw Heath Hospital, closed down more than a decade ago after treating thousands of psychiatric patients over the years.
The derelict building was once a Victorian workhouse known as The Grubber and in 2012 it featured in an episode of paranormal investigation show Most Haunted.
St Thomas's Hospital, once the Stockport Union Workhouse, was erected in 1841 to accommodate up to 690 inmates. 
Males lived at the north side and females at the south. Children's quarters and school rooms were located in cross wings at each end of the main block, with the area to the front containing enclosed boys' and girls' exercise yards. 

In 1894, the British Medical Journal set up a 'commission' to investigate conditions in provincial workhouses and their infirmaries. On their visit to Stockport, the commission found that due to a trade depression, inmates in the workhouse were 'packed like sardines in a tin'. The management of the hospital appeared to be 'completely without plan or method' and the female wards were 'comfortless and barnlike'. Many wards were so crowded as to present a serious danger in the case of fire. A new infirmary was built in response in 1905 - and the workhouse later became the Shaw Heath Hospital, before becoming St Thomas's. 

The hospital finally closed in 2004 and the site acquired by Stockport College.

Although planned for completion in 2011, the buildings remain derelict. It is estimated around 25,000 people passed through the building's doors when it was brutal Victorian workhouse.
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Pics:*


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## Rubex (Oct 18, 2016)

Pretty cool  nice report Hippie Alien!


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## smiler (Oct 18, 2016)

Them paranormal folk are getting you some decent explores Alien, check out the local batty folk, (Bat Protection an Conservation) they too have access to sites closed to most, I liked it, Thanks


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## Sam Haltin (Oct 19, 2016)

That's a very good post. Pretty well thrashed though, I like the wooden staircase.


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## flyboys90 (Oct 19, 2016)

Smashing shots,Thanks for sharing.


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## HughieD (Oct 20, 2016)

Pretty trashed but you make it look interesting with that set.


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## Potter (Oct 25, 2016)

Nice bit of peeling going on. Pretty disturbing they were referred to as 'inmates'.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Oct 26, 2016)

Pretty disturbing they were referred to as 'inmates'.[/QUOTE said:


> Once you were locked into the system the destitute ceased to have any rights - to all intents and purposes one was in prison because you could not support yourself. Begging was a social no no, they were cleared off the streets as if they were carriers of the plague, and don't forget that just becoming pregnant could get a teenage girl locked up in the mental wing in those days. Still, looking at the misfortunes of the really destitute and mentally ill today, I wonder how this conversation will go in 2116!


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## YORBEX (Nov 9, 2016)

im jealous


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