# The Royal London Hospital – Whitechapel – September 2015



## mockney reject (Nov 20, 2015)

_The history _

The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital in 1980 when the Queen came to visit and gave it the added 'Royal'. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street, Moorfields in November 1740. In May 1741, the hospital then moved to Prescot Street, and remained there until 1757 when it moved to its current location on Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

In March 2005 planning permission was granted for a £1 billion redevelopment and expansion of The Royal London Hospital. Sited on the grounds of the existing hospital, the redevelopment will replace the hospital's previously demolished facilities, some of which date back to when the hospital moved to its existing site in 1757. On completion of the project, the hospital will have London’s leading trauma and emergency care centre, one of Europe’s largest renal services and the capital’s second biggest paediatric service. The new building opened in February 2012.


The Royal London is part of The Barts Health NHS Trust. The Royal London provides district general hospital services for the City and Tower Hamlets and specialist tertiary care services for patients from across London and elsewhere. It is also the base for London's Air Ambulance, operating out of a rooftop helipad.

Joseph Merrick, known as the "Elephant Man", spent the last few years of life at The Royal London Hospital and his mounted skeleton is currently housed at the Medical School, but is not on public display.

The TV series Casualty 1900s is set there, and follows the everyday life of the hospital throughout these years. Some of the storylines are based on actual cases drawn from the hospital records.

Recently the Old Royal London Hospital sold for £9m to Tower Hamlets council for a site for the new town hall.


_The Explore_


So we ventured into London on a Friday night, myself @alexanderzach and a non-member. The evening started off badly with us getting busted at The Chest Hospital and the most over the top comical security guard ever. “Don’t move or I will fucking hurt you” was just one of his quotes. By the time the 7 members of the Met’s finest got there my sides hurt with laughing at Mr OTT.

Once the police had joked about with us and walked us out of the site we headed off to The Royal London.

The streets around the place where heaving with people, well it was 9:30 on a Friday night. After a quick walk around the outside we found a potential entry point and in we went. Once inside the building it was all a little odd. 

We had heard that it was being used for filming so expected to walk into maybe a camera crew or some “actors” so were on tenterhooks already. But this shit was weird. The Royal London Signs had been crudely covered up to read Greater London Hospital and various other signs had been changed to make floors different to what they were etc. 

We had a wander around and snapped various wards, corridors etc. Then found that some parts of the hospital were bricked up making it impossible to get in them. 
The place has some killer staircases and amazing corridors. We found very little decay.

What we did find was a very freaky bedroom set up. When I say bedroom I mean a proper complete bedroom. Bed, shelves, books; bedside table’s etc etc @alexanderrzach has a pretty amazing picture of the bed that I'm sure you will see when he reports it. 

All in all we had a good 41/2 hours in there and had a great laugh. The roof access although a little tight gave us a great view of the city.

Please enjoy the pictures 


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## Rubex (Nov 20, 2015)

No way! I used to work here in the Sexual Health and Gynaecology department back in 2006. The things I saw while I was there  really great photos and report mockney reject  the only thing I miss about living in East London is the bagel shop down Brick Lane lol


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## krela (Nov 20, 2015)

Definite overkill on the reading light there for sure, otherwise it's not a bad bedroom...


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## flyboys90 (Nov 21, 2015)

Really interesting report.


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## smiler (Nov 21, 2015)

You do research your explores well MR, Nicely Done, Thanks


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## mockney reject (Nov 21, 2015)

Thanks guys it was a great explore


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## jmcjnr (Nov 21, 2015)

In the 70's I delivered supplies to this hospital. I used to park in a side street near the Pharmacy stores and soon discovered I was next to the Pox Clinic. It was dead hilarious watching the patients nonchalantly ambling up the street and darting in when they thought nobody was looking. Jim.


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## UrbanX (Nov 22, 2015)

Epic! Beautiful clean photos throughout too! 
Thanks for sharing


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## Lavino (Nov 22, 2015)

That's propper good well done on this one..


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## mockney reject (Nov 23, 2015)

Thanks for the comments guys


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## mockney reject (Dec 25, 2015)

Hi all

Just thought I'd drag this back up as I've just seen a trailer for the program that was being filmed there.

Keep your eyes out for Crashing on E4 on the 11th of January


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## mockney reject (Dec 25, 2015)

here's the trailer

https://youtu.be/fDWRERhKPBs


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## L.E.D (Feb 6, 2016)

really interesting, i wonder why they bricked up parts. odd bedroom set up too!


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## Scattergun (Feb 8, 2016)

I like this, lot's of history in the place. Anyone know if the rumoured 'dead body train' that supposedly ran to and from here ever existed?


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## tazong (Feb 8, 2016)

krela said:


> Definite overkill on the reading light there for sure, otherwise it's not a bad bedroom...



lmao - brilliant - loved the pictures great explore


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## Conrad (Feb 9, 2016)

Nicely done


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