# Ex-Maternity Wing, Grantham Hospital, Lincs, October 2015



## HughieD (Oct 7, 2015)

Don't normally post reports where it's externals only. In the case of this place no one (as far as I'm aware) has been in as it is sealed tighter than a gnat's chuff. Hence I guessed some external pictures were better than nothing at all. The building in question is the oldest part of the hospital and home to the ex-maternity wing of Grantham hospital. It shares a special place in my heart as it is where my mother gave birth to me! Hence it saddens me to see this fantastic Victorian building in such a sorry state. 

There's quite a bit of history about it as the building dates back to 1874. Here's a picture of it in its heyday circa 1900:


Grantham hospital by HughieDW, on Flickr

As many know already, the hospital itself achieved notoriety in the early 1990s. Rogue nurse Beverley Allitt killed four young patients and harmed nine and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The wing is in question is the oldest part of the hospital. It has not been used by the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust for several years now and since its closure and boarding up the building has deteriorated "beyond repair" according to a trust spokesman. The costs of a total rewire, new fire alarm system, new hot water boiler, new cold water system and the replacement of floors that have rotted through and the roof which would need taking off completely and replacing have been deemed as 'uneconomic'. Given that the trust is currently facing a deficit of more than £40 million by the end of the year, anything other than a Section 60 demolition and the plot's use new car park seems like pie in the sky. Here's the externals.

This bit of the roof is just about OK:


img2035 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This was the main entrance:


img2050 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The chimney pots are starting to show the passage of time and neglect:


img2036 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The Victorian building is what we call "well secured":


img2037 by 

HughieDW, on Flickr

…as nature attempts to reclaim it:


img2038 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2047 by HughieDW, on Flick


img2039 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Other parts of the roof aren't fairing so well:


img2040 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2046 by HughieDW, on Flickr

No way in here;


img2041 by HughieDW, on Flickr

…or here;


img2043 by HughieDW, on Flickr

That flue is looking a bit wobbly…

img2042 by HughieDW, on Flickr

It's all about the stonework with this place:


img2044 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2045 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img2049 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!


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## smiler (Oct 7, 2015)

Shame you couldn't get in Hughie, the pigeons probably have, good report and pics


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## Sam Haltin (Oct 7, 2015)

That is such a nice building to be left to go to ruin. Could you not apply to the council if you could get permission to enter the premises on the basis of: its going to be demolished so I'd like to take pictures of the inside of the building before its gone, and: I was born there. I would try the council, they can't be all that bad, can they?


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## HughieD (Oct 8, 2015)

smiler said:


> Shame you couldn't get in Hughie, the pigeons probably have, good report and pics



Ha ha...you're probably not wrong there Smiler. No access issues for our feathered friends!



Hugh Jorgan said:


> That is such a nice building to be left to go to ruin. Could you not apply to the council if you could get permission to enter the premises on the basis of: its going to be demolished so I'd like to take pictures of the inside of the building before its gone, and: I was born there. I would try the council, they can't be all that bad, can they?



Might be worth a try...you're right. The council are very much against the place getting demo'ed...


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## UrbanX (Oct 8, 2015)

They don't make 'em like that anymore! What fantastic architecture. 
Well worth sharing even if only externals


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## stevejd (Oct 8, 2015)

this isn't truly the maternity wing but the original town hospital for Grantham that opened in 1847


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## HughieD (Oct 9, 2015)

stevejd said:


> this isn't truly the maternity wing but the original town hospital for Grantham that opened in 1847



You are right my fellow Yellow Belly...


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## frizman (Oct 10, 2015)

I think the fact that it was once family planning and has now been derelict for a number of years explains the Chav population of Grantham


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