# West Heath Hospital/Sanatorium



## Virusman26 (Jan 16, 2008)

Hey guys,

Finally got the weather and the chance to get some shots at this place. Great history behind it, when you can find any. The NHS kept it hush-hush for years. Here's the only history I can find...............

The History of West Heath Hospital


It is difficult to find details of the early years of West Heath Hospital, which was provided for the isolation of people with infectious diseases. No one wanted to know of their existence and visitors were as far as possible kept away. A local resident described how as a young child she went out into the country for picnics in the summer. The hospital was passed with much dread, she said ” we always held our breath and put handkerchiefs to our mouths to avoid infection.” So it is not really surprising that few early records of life in the hospital can be found. However, here is a brief summary of the hospitals history:
1888- Foundation stone laid.
1889- Kings Norton Infectious Diseases Hospital opened.
1906- Last case of smallpox treated, (Subsequent cases were sent to a hospital in Hollywood).
1910- First Medical Superintendent appointed. Commenced taking in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis.
1911- Taken over by the city of Birmingham.
1919- Ward 7 opened, and the hospital was now known as West Heath Sanatorium.
1920- Last cases of infectious diseases, other than tuberculosis, were discharged.
1946- Ward 4 opened.
1948- New Nurses home opened.
1954 - The Hospital name changed from West Heath Sanatorium to West Heath Hospital. It was still used mainly for tuberculosis but other chest diseases were accepted.
1958- New Kitchen block opened
1965- Ward 9, Sheldon unit, opened, part of the hospital at this time became Geriatric.
1972- New geriatric block opened.
1980 - Hospital became entirely a hospital for Older People

Nice eh? Well, here's the pics............

Main building(1888)



















































Out buildings, Maintenance, Catering and Classroom block............




































Sorry about the number of pics, but there is so much to see in the site!! Shame that the old mortuary was demolished long before the new contractors got their hands on the place.

Some more of the same............. http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/?saved=1


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## Virusman26 (Jan 16, 2008)

Just guess work on what little info I've been able to find on the site. The centre top demo'd building may have been the incinerator. Might have that wrong with the morgue tho.


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## Foxylady (Jan 17, 2008)

Excellent report and pics there virusman. Love the close-ups.

Cheers


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 17, 2008)

Agree with Foxy -lovely jubbly photos. Not seen this place before either. Nice work 

Lb

P.s. -is that close-up photo a meat mince or a pencil sharpener?


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## theladysleepless (Jan 17, 2008)

some really nice pics there. i love a pretty fire escape haha


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## Virusman26 (Jan 17, 2008)

Lightbuoy said:


> Agree with Foxy -lovely jubbly photos. Not seen this place before either. Nice work
> 
> Lb
> 
> P.s. -is that close-up photo a meat mince or a pencil sharpener?



Pencil variety of grinder. It was all off 2 inches long, and a wonderful little find in the maintenance office!

Thanks for the comments guys, it's nice to be welcomed here. Been elsewhere for a few weeks, and not really got on with some peeps there! Very clicky groups on some sites! :icon_evil


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## Ratters (Jan 19, 2008)

good report & pics 

love the 'retro' radiator  i want some


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## Andy_Woodall (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi all!

I actually work at West Heath Hospital and my office was actually situated in the building that you have taken all of the pics of up until Aug '07.

Any questions relating to it and I can prob find out further info for you without to many problems.

Had a chance to wander round the place several times once we had moved to a different buildng on the hospital site and it was a pretty spooky place once it had all been emptied out!!


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## smileysal (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi Andy,

Welcome to the forum by the way.

Yes please on anymore information you can give us regarding the former hospital. I don't suppose you have any photos or links to any photo's when the hospital was in existence do you? 

Welcome again,

 Sal


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## Virusman26 (Jan 28, 2008)

Great stuff. More info on the old hospital would be a bonus. I know a book was written about the place, and I Should be getting a copy of it through the NHS soon. Hopefully!


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## Andy_Woodall (Jan 30, 2008)

Thanks for the welcome 

They have started the building work now. I've been trying to find out what they are building there exactly but plans seem hard to come by.






Here's a plan of the site as it stood 12 months ago. This is after a lot of other demolition and development work took place on the site. All of the buildings down the left hand side are now being developed / demolished. It is the 'Administration' block that the above pics are of.

The only old buildings left now are Therapy (my current office along with the NHS Union) and Estates. These have been done up and decorated though so are decent condition now.


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## Virusman26 (Jan 31, 2008)

The main reception building is now sold off and being done out as flats. It's owned by Persimmon homes, and yeah, work is underway. It was already started when I visited it, with the original iron fireplaces being ripped out, and I guess, going off to the builders house!!!!! 

Do you have any official history of the place, as most of what I know is based on local and family knowledge of the place. There is a building down the furthest end from the road, opposite the catering and dining area that I didn't see. It was pretty old and and run-down, but I didn't have time to get in. Any idea what it is?


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## Wishmaster (Feb 2, 2008)

Love the close up shot of the broken window. nice report there mate


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## Virusman26 (Feb 2, 2008)

I went back today, to see if I could get back in and see the old visitors in reception.
Pissed off to find the maintenance building is now a pile of bricks and the site is double fenced off. Gutted.


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## Andy_Woodall (Feb 12, 2008)

Virusman26 said:


> Do you have any official history of the place, as most of what I know is based on local and family knowledge of the place. There is a building down the furthest end from the road, opposite the catering and dining area that I didn't see. It was pretty old and and run-down, but I didn't have time to get in. Any idea what it is?




I'll see what I can find, gotta be something here on site somewhere!

The old run down building was once a social club. Apparently it was quite a good one back in the day. Looks like more of a shack then anything else now 

They have started ripping down the main building now that you took all the pics of. Is very sad to see it being ripped to bits....


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## Virusman26 (Feb 12, 2008)

I was there today, and saw no damage to the main building apart from one window frame that was missing when I went. The maintenance building behind the admin block has now gone, and the classroom/training is next. The main admin is going to be kept(so I am informed) and used as the main living building. Flats and apartments. :icon_evil


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## Virusman26 (Feb 16, 2008)

Oh well, how wrong could I be? The following are pictures that sink my stomach. In a week, the entire site now looks like this....................


























GUTTED!


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## Reaperman (Feb 16, 2008)

Good thing you explored it when you did! Random factoid Pemmison are the firm that want to replace Annesley colliery with the Jasmine gardens development.


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## Virusman26 (Feb 16, 2008)

They are also the company who own Wordsley hospital in Stourbridge. I'm thinking more about seeing that place again now, after seeing how quickly they tore this place down. Gits.


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## Virusman26 (Feb 17, 2008)

Well, seeing as no-one else will get to see this gem, I've put some more pics on now of the interior. 


























































Enjoy guys


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## carew (Feb 17, 2008)

great pictures. love the fire place.

its amazing how fast they knocked the building down.


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## Foxylady (Feb 17, 2008)

Really sad to see the odd corners of buildings and that lone bit of wall with the two windows left. 
Cheers for the other pics VM...nice to see those.


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## King Al (Feb 18, 2008)

Great pics guys, love the fire place and cheers for the map Andy


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## Virusman26 (Feb 18, 2008)

Such a shame its all gone. I wanted to go back and get some more shots. I did, but after it has all been flattened. So not happy now!!!!! Glad we did it tho. Was a perfect day, no security, great weather, and I do believe we were the ONLY people do see the site before it went. Shat myself at every step tho. I kept thinking security or some pikies would come in and want our cameras. Wierd feeling there. :icon_evil


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 21, 2008)

Well done for getting the pics you did before it went. Am too amazed at how quickly it was razed to the ground!  (makes you wonder if they had Planning permission, or whether they'll just pay the fine, and make a retrospective Application!)

Lb

P.s. -nice interior pics


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## Virusman26 (Feb 27, 2008)

Lightbuoy said:


> Well done for getting the pics you did before it went. Am too amazed at how quickly it was razed to the ground!  (makes you wonder if they had Planning permission, or whether they'll just pay the fine, and make a retrospective Application!)
> 
> Lb
> 
> P.s. -nice interior pics



Well, lets face it. They'd have to pay VAT on EVERYTHING they change on an old property. If they knock it down and start again, it don't cost a penny in tax. Nice way to build eh? How many of these flat pack bloody houses will still look as good as Victorian buildings? :icon_evil


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