# Cambridge Military Hospital - External



## Babycpink (Jul 5, 2012)

Having a keen interest in hospitals and military dwellings, The Cambridge Military Hospital (CMH) has been on my list for a while...I have attempted a couple of trips in the past but as some of you are probably aware, it is a fairly tricky one for access. I'm on the fence on this (excuse the pun lol) as it has been preserved fairly well considering it opened in 1879 and has been derelict since 1996. (due to the high cost of running the old building as well as the discovery of asbestos in the walls) So 16 years later she is still in a beautiful condition along with the outbuildings... I suspect this would not be the case if it were easy to access mainly due to it's location.....

I'm not going to go mad on the history as it has been done before but here is a short snippet:

Cambridge Military Hospital
_
The CMH was built by Messrs Martin Wells and Co. of Aldershot. The building costs were approximately £45,758.
The first patients admitted to the CMH were on Friday 18 July 1879. They either walked or were taken by cart ambulance from the Connaught Hospital.
The title had nothing to do with the Cambridge area but came from His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Army at the time. The Duke of Cambridge opened the CMH Aldershot in July 1879.
The hospital was built on a hill because current clinical thinking at the time thought that the wind would sweep away any infection and clean the air.
The hospital soon became a fully functioning hospital and was the first in the UK to receive battle casualties directly from the front of World War One.
The Cambridge Military Hospital closed in 1996 _

Louise Margaret Hospital
_
The Louise Margaret Hospital was annexed to the CMH and cared for pre and post natal women and their babies. There was also a special care baby unit.
The Louise Margaret Hospital opened in 1898 and its function was initially to care for the wives and children of servicemen. It was named after Princess Louise Margaret, the Duchess of Connaught whose husband was the Duke of Connaught who was at the time the GOC of Aldershot Command.
Those who have visited the Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital may recall the narrow and shallow staircases. They were designed to allow nurses to run quickly up and down the stairs in their long nursing dresses.
The Louise Margaret Hospital continued to care for the spouses and children of the army until 1958 when its function and name changed to a maternity hospital. 
The Louise Margaret Hospital closed on the 18 January 1995._


Due to my failed entry attempts, I bit the bullet and arranged an external site visit. I wanted to document the buildings in their current state as re-development has now begun!! Although it's not expected to be finished for around 12 years, there are obvious signs of change already :-(

The proposed site (having seen the plans) is in keeping with the original layout unlike park prewett in Basingstoke for instance, which in my opinion is unrecognisable now!! The houses will be in long rows in keeping with the military layouts. The main buildings cannot be changed due to their grade 2 listing (Thank God) and the out buildings are also very well preserved.

The site is owned by the MOD and managed by a large development and residential landlord specialising in listed properties so I think they will do her justice  This was one of my favourite splores so far 

We spend a good couple of hours on site unsupervised and managed to get some really good shots...

The external side of the CMH site seemed to be lacking so here it is.....

Main Hospital




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr

Louise Margaret Hospital




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr

Outbuildings

Our good friend Asbestos...




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital - July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital - July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr

The Mortuary




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr

From the CMH looking down:




Cambridge Military Hospital July 2012 by Babycpink, on Flickr



There are plenty more at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157630369337110/ Please feel free to take a look around 

The Cambridge Military Hospital Site was a pleasure to visit and I hope you all enjoy


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## urban phantom (Jul 5, 2012)

That looks a great site shame there's no way in


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## shane.c (Jul 5, 2012)

Nice looking building, thanks for posting,


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## flyboys90 (Jul 5, 2012)

That was a great detailed report thanks for sharing.


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## nelly (Jul 5, 2012)

Cracking stuff, bet its nice inside!!!


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## Babycpink (Jul 5, 2012)

Cheers guys  it was great!! Xxx


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## Silent Hill (Jul 5, 2012)

Nice one. Love the little Mortuary shot 

Shame you couldn't do the internals


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## kehumff (Jul 5, 2012)

Great looking place, looks well secured , pity, good report & pics though.


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## tumbles (Jul 6, 2012)

nelly said:


> Cracking stuff, bet its nice inside!!!



It has bleeding walls


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## TeeJF (Jul 6, 2012)

Looks more like an asylum. I love the clock tower.

What angers me is that there's places like this getting shut down and then Help For Heros has to raise enpough money to open new military hospitals and rehabd centres.... bl**dy stinks frankly.

Some cracking pix mate!


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## sonyes (Jul 6, 2012)

Wow what an amazing place! Really is a shame there is no way in, bet it's amazing!


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## perjury saint (Jul 7, 2012)

Cor! Would bloody love to get in there!!


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## lilli (Jul 7, 2012)

tumbles said:


> It has bleeding walls



Its does 





and a main corridor so long it just disapears into the distance


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## Beaver (Jul 11, 2012)

urban phantom said:


> That looks a great site shame there's no way in



I was thinking the same. I still enjoyed viewing though. Nice work.


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## prettyvacant71 (Jul 22, 2012)

a good explore around the site...i was there a few months ago and couldn't get in, them Gurkhas are on the ball


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