# St Margaret's Hosptial - Great Barr - 2006 to 2011



## Derelict-UK (Feb 13, 2011)

First off, I hope my images aren't too big, but as I need to show the comparisons side by side, I hope this is OK?


I first visited St Margaret's Hospital in Great Barr back in May of 2006, most of the site was standing, all be it trashed.

I returned in 2007 to find Bovis, the property company who bought the land, had been hard at work demolishing everything.

And here we are in the present day, some parts untouched since demolition, some parts totally rebuilt.

Great Barr Hall is thankfully still standing, even though there has been a pretty major fire in there (post 2006). Not much work has been done to it though and I swear massive holes have appeared in the walls of the house. This isn't very encouraging, especially because Bovis only got the contract to buy the site if they restored the hall. Conveniently for them, it is out of the public eye and to get pictures of it without meeting security, you have to go very cross country!!

I couldn't get in the hall as the guard dog (loose) was eyeing me up lol.

In the present, the road that ran around the old accommodation blocks that have been demolished, but not built on, is now used as a dirt bike track.

In the pictures, those with 3 go: 2006, 2007, 2011 those with two go: 2006 & 2011 (apart from the last image which is 2007 & 2011).

Pics...

1.






2.





3. The Bridge is one of the best things Bovis have done to the place!





4.





5. Great Barr Hall





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To see my original report on this place, please view the '2006 - 2007' section on my website, www.photoaddiction.co.uk.


*D-UK*


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## TranKmasT (Feb 13, 2011)

Derelict-UK said:


> First off, I hope my images aren't too big, but as I need to show the comparisons side by side, I hope this is OK?
> 
> 
> *D-UK*



You're joking aren't you. Surely the preview would of shown you the results. They are way to small.

I've seen them on you main site now anyway. Very good. I worked on that site once doing the new Street lighting. before I got into this urbex malarky. Wish I'd been into then.


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## lost (Feb 13, 2011)

They are fine for me but my monitor is quite low resolution.

Did they just retain the hall?


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## GrannySmiff (Feb 13, 2011)

Good effort, nice pics and well documented.


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## Derelict-UK (Feb 13, 2011)

I can upload the original size (1600 pixies wide) if you like, didn't realise they would be reduced. But I know the flack people get for posting massive images so didn't want to push my luck.

Or was that sarcasm lol?


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## UrbanX (Feb 13, 2011)

Nice photos, size seems fine to me.
That is a great loss of a lot of nice buildings, but there are a lot of references to the previous architecture in the new build if you look for them.


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## Derelict-UK (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks for the replies 

@lost, yeah they had to renovate the hall back to a live-in standard, but it seems it will take many many many years to do, by which time there will no doubt be another 'arson' attack and it will be conveniently, yet regrettably burnt to a point where it will be to unsafe to continue and it will be demolished (like most sites with a building that needs to be renovated to get the contract it seems).



UrbanX said:


> Nice photos, size seems fine to me.
> That is a great loss of a lot of nice buildings, but there are a lot of references to the previous architecture in the new build if you look for them.



Yes, I did notice that from when you look up from the green to where the main hall used to be, the 2 side buildings are closer than the central building, but it seems that this view will be blocked in the future going by the foundations on the open area...

Close resemblance to the old picture...






New Foundations that will block the view (maybe, or maybe it will look better?)...







For the full size images, you can do so in my flicky account... 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157626034604196/


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## Munchh (Feb 13, 2011)

I can certainly see why you've tried the side by side comparisons and I like the idea. The downside for me at least is that the full size image is still too small to really get the feel of the pictures. I would be just as happy to see one below the other on here as I prefer to not flick between websites. The report in itself is really good apart from this one little niggle. Thanks for this.


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## TranKmasT (Feb 13, 2011)

Derelict-UK said:


> Or was that sarcasm lol?



No mate. Before I got chance it looks like Munchh's reply has said it better than I could. 

I've been looking closely on how this forum resizes our pictures. I host my pictures on Photobucket for reports 800x533. DP reccomends pictures to be no bigger then 1024x768 in it's FAQ, but resizes them to 640x426. In future I might start posting my pictures with this size rather than having that ugly "This as been resized..." banner at the top.


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## krela (Feb 13, 2011)

TranKmasT said:


> No mate. Before I got chance it looks like Munchh's reply has said it better than I could.
> 
> I've been looking closely on how this forum resizes our pictures. I host my pictures on Photobucket for reports 800x533. DP reccomends pictures to be no bigger then 1024x768 in it's FAQ, but resizes them to 640x426. In future I might start posting my pictures with this size rather than having that ugly "This as been resized..." banner at the top.



You're completely missing the point of the functionality of the resizing code.

It resizes the image so that it doesnt break the page layouts if people post massive images on the forum, but you can click on the 'ugly' banner to see the image at the full resolution it was posted in line without it reloading anything.

If you just post images that are 640px then people wont be able to click through to see the larger image.

Oh, and I have just changed it to resize pictures to 800px wide now, less people are using 1024x769 as their desktop resolution these days.


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## TranKmasT (Feb 13, 2011)

I understand more now. Thanks for putting me straight on that Krela.


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## darkmother (Mar 5, 2011)

well having lived there for yrs before moving north it is a tragic shame that the hall hasnt been restored given they originally moved the buldozers in quick enough elsewhere on site. 
i hope they do restore it ..but i rather think that one morning ppl will get up to find it raised to ground like many developers seem to do these days inc listed buildings. 
once flattened you can hardly rebuild it to its former glory so they stick houses on it it more profitable. really nice to see tho well done and thanks


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## Pincheck (Mar 6, 2011)

nice set mate, like the way you did it


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## hamishsfriend (Mar 6, 2011)

Fascinating to compare the Before and After, a very interesting set of pictures, thanks.


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