# Millitary Hospital side of Phillipson Sanitarium Tranwell (Pic Heavy)



## jonney (Apr 9, 2012)

Near Tranwell, Morpeth there were two hospitals, the famous St. Mary's at Stannington (which has appeared here on numerous occasions) and the less well know Philipsons Sanitarium. 

Back in the 1900s the killer disease tuberculosis was rife, claiming the lives of hundreds of children. Poverty was a huge factor and very little was done to help youngsters who were blighted by the disease.

In response to the growing number of afflicted children in the North East, the Poor Children’s Holiday Association opened Stannington Sanatorium (Philipson Sanitarium) in 1907. It was the first children’s TB sanatorium in the country.

Children suffering from this disease were treated with good food grown on the farm colony (the farm is now the Whitehouse Farm Centre), fresh air and exercise.

The sanatorium had all the latest equipment and used all the latest techniques.

During the war years the sanatorium was used to treat soldiers and the children were sent to Hexham Hydro Sanatorium, which is now the home of Queen Elizabeth High School.

The main part of the hospital was demolished sometime in the last 20 years (I cannot find an exact date) and nothing of it survives bar signs nailed to trees saying private property keep out, dangerous buildings. I have put this report in the military section because it is the military extension to this hospital that remains along with the boiler house and water tower. This place is opposite dispersal sites 5 and 6 of RAF Tranwell (Morpeth) and part of it has been turned into a private residence. Here is what remains of the military part...

Mains power and main road way












I am standing inside what would have been a nissen hut, one of 4 on this side of the site. I presume these would have been wards











nissen hut mounting bolts











pipe work






door ways






brick buildings that ran along the back wall of the 4 nissen huts (use unknown)
















The other three were sealed up





















roof vent?
















at the bottom of the row of nissen huts attached to the back wall of the first brick building was this building again use unknown


























Bed frame





















original fence






The other side of the site and yet another nissen hut base






red lead floor covering 






pipework.... now what could this have been from






This perhaps (no I didn't climb it as I'm not good with heights)











the blue valve looks to be new so im guessing it's still being used by the private residence






old valves






And lastly from here is the boiler house This place is sealed but does contain 2 lovely boilers that are fed by metal conveyors that look like tank tracks. Wish I could have got some pics of them but I could only squint through the mesh covering the windows (the last few photos were taken a few weeks ago when I first found the site)


























inside the last little lean too






Well that's all from here, thanks for staying awake and making it to the end. One last thing I have been calling the first 4 buildings Nissen huts but I think they were probably more likely to have been square shaped metal framed buildings judging by the imprint on the brick walls but I cannot be 100% so I'm calling them that for want of a better name. 
All comments and theories are always welcome

Cheers Jon


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## tigger2 (Apr 9, 2012)

Love the water tower

...not keen on ladders (though fine with heights, ropes etc) but I'd have had to check the view from the top!


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## RichCooper (Apr 9, 2012)

Nice one mate but do you ever sleep ?


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## jonney (Apr 9, 2012)

RichCooper said:


> Nice one mate but do you ever sleep ?



the body's that used to being up at stupid o'clock for work mate, mind you I did go back to sleep for an hour after I'd posted this up lol


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## SeffyboyUK (Apr 9, 2012)

Tower looks good.. Didn't climb it then?


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## jonney (Apr 9, 2012)

seffyboy523 said:


> Tower looks good.. Didn't climb it then?



no I'm no good with heights and it's right next to the private residence on the site.Thought I would leave the climbing to someone who could handle it (if anyone wants the location just pm me)


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## m1dpqq (Jun 4, 2012)

*Philipson Sanitarium*

Hello Folks,

Well I know this site very well having spent 4 years of my life at the former Stannington Children's Hospital School, that this area belongs or belonged to.. but in reality was and possibly still is owned by Gateshead area Health Authority..

The concrete water tower has been climbed by many who attended the school, as a hide-away, it is or was open-topped and full of cold water, which is possibly stinky and slimy now.. but you are welcome to climb up.. just be aware that it is private property now, and you could get yourselves a free ride in a nice shiney Police Car !!!

The area that mentions the nissan huts were actually brick buildings which were used as store-rooms and classrooms, for the school.. There was a bigger building on the site nearby which was used as a Nurse's Home & Conference centre, but sadly that is all gone now, even the wards that many of us were housed are now gone.. flattened under the guise of demolition.. the site is berift of any buildings except the former Boiler House which is full of "White Asbestoes", so caution is required when trying to access this building..

The hospital used to have a super-charged heated steam system for the heating etc, and these pipes were wrapped in this white asbestoes (the dangerous stuff).. and we were beside it day by day... 

But it was an RAF Convalensence Hospital from 1939/40 until 1945/46 before returning to be a TB Sanitorium and then in the early 1950's becoming a Children's Hospital with a school attached.. 

We have almost regular re-unions for those that we met whom we count as family.. I also have the full history of the RAF site which i was able to access via the RAF Museum at Hendon as it was part of the BOMBER COMMAND OCU's for the Polish airmen..

Hope this throws a bit more light on the place..

regards

M1dpqq


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## mrscorp (Jun 5, 2012)

I wonder if it is possible to assume that the brick buildings that were behind the nissen huts may have been ablutions blocks?


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## flyboys90 (Jun 5, 2012)

Could the boiler house have been a parachute store for Tranwell?


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## Ninja Kitten (Jun 5, 2012)

so many weird and wonderful structures all over the place..so nice to see the research that goes into finding out about them..good one.


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## krela (Jun 5, 2012)

flyboys90 said:


> Could the boiler house have been a parachute store for Tranwell?





mrscorp said:


> I wonder if it is possible to assume that the brick buildings that were behind the nissen huts may have been ablutions blocks?



I thought the same. I'm wondering if this was a dispersal site.


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## jonney (Jun 7, 2012)

it is between two dispersal sites and isn't on the raf site plans but I'd have to say that, having looked through the mesh and knowing what is inside, I don't think it was a parachute store just the boiler house and electrical substation for the hospital. I would agree that the brick buildings behind the Nissen huts were abolitions blocks


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## Munchh (Jun 7, 2012)

Ninja Kitten said:


> so many weird and wonderful structures all over the place..so nice to see the research that goes into finding out about them..good one.



Oh agreed! 

The research put in by the military buffs on here is what pushes this branch of exploration toward Military Archaeology. We're quite often looking at sites that have been abandoned/derelict for 70+ years. Remains can sometimes be few and far between. I have walking boots on repeat mail order. 

Well done Jon. Another piece of history highlighted.


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