# Blackburn & East Lancashire Royal Infirmary -July 09



## mexico75 (Jul 12, 2009)

*History*,
the Infirmary was opened in 1865. It was one of the first hospitals in England designed in accordance with the principles of a ‘pavilion hospital’. Eight linked eight wards were designed by a Manchester architect, Roger Turnbull, staggered along a spine corridor, with a larger central block. Construction halted in 1861 and the building was never finished to the original design, although increased patient demand led to its extension in 1884, with a nurses’ home added in the 1890s. The Victoria Wing was added in 1901, with later extensions to the east. Following the First World War, the Blackburn Memorial Committee decided
that the principal tribute and memorial to local men lost in the Great War would be the construction of a new wing, the War Memorial Wing. Designed in the early 1920’s by local architects Sames and Green, the construction of the War Memorial Wing began in 1924 and was completed in 1928. The building was designed to compliment the Italianate architecture of the original 19th century hospital. It was designed to provide an imposing frontage and statement building to greet any traveller entering Blackburn along the Bolton Road to the south east. Although it is not the oldest or the tallest building on the site, its location and design dominates the site. It rises above road level so that the tall central tower and wide flanking wings, with ornate decoration on the northern elevation, are seen as a highly visible feature.

The site has gone down hill rapidly recently with only the WW1 memorial wing left standing and the rest of the site nothing but crushed brick. The Grand Edwardian Memorial wing was saved from the demolition due to it's grade two listing, however the developers have preserved it how they always preserve buildings they are supposed to renovate, by stripping the roof and leaving it wide open to the local chav population, who where merrily smashing windows while we where inside. They did get chased off by the police eventually however, leaving us free to explore.
*Then*





*Now*














This light well looked all the way down onto an inticate mosaic on the ground floor at one point but was capped on the second floor at a later date,

















































Not at all 




Visited with Esposa & Silverstealth
History fromblackburnroyalinfirmary.fotopic.net/​


----------



## Neosea (Jul 12, 2009)

Very nice, I like this place!


----------



## james.s (Jul 12, 2009)

Yeah, it looks great


----------



## spikey (Jul 12, 2009)

nice pics mate - liking the one of the tubes going to the ceiling rose


----------



## mexico75 (Jul 12, 2009)

Cheers, thats my favourite of the day


----------



## Apopcalyptic (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks for your cracking pics mex! Looks like a good explore, and one that I'll have to take a peek at soon.


----------



## lost (Jul 13, 2009)

I haven't seen a report from here in a while, good to see it's still explorable. It's a real shame how decrepit it's become in the past few years.


----------



## Runner (Jul 13, 2009)

Some great shots there Mex,

I like the one looking up the gas lines too.
The domed roof and the circular verandah are awesome - hope that gets saved.


----------



## magoo² (Jul 13, 2009)

Nice one mex that dome room is awesome!


----------



## Trinpaul (Jul 13, 2009)

The rotunda is awesome but what a crying shame


----------



## inveigh (Jul 13, 2009)

Love the Intruder Alert pic! I would have had to be restrained to not push the button! Haha!


----------



## tbkscott (Jul 13, 2009)

nice one i love the pics of the light well the rounded roof shots are great - cool


----------



## Urban Ghost (Jul 15, 2009)

WOW! This place looks awesome. I love the intruder alarm button.


----------



## Smeghead159 (Jul 29, 2009)

Hey, where did you get permission to go in and get the pics? I'm dying to photograph inside.


----------



## mexico75 (Jul 29, 2009)

Permission kind of defeats the object, just go for it. You'll never get permission due to health and safety


----------



## Potter (Aug 2, 2009)

Theatre pipes is pure win.


----------



## Droppey (Aug 12, 2009)

Wow I work in Burnley and did a few shifts at this hospital - who'd have thought it looked as good as that  wish I'd seen this side of the hospital.

Nice pictures


----------



## gjmgjm (Aug 14, 2009)

looks so beautiful, was there much security?


----------



## mexico75 (Aug 14, 2009)

Forum rules state I can't answer that question


----------

