Market Harborough District Hospital March 2019

mookster · Apr 1, 2019

Sometimes the exploring gods are looking down on you and on this particular day I managed to somehow get around eight locations, which is something I haven't managed for some considerable time if at all in the ten years I've been exploring. This hospital was the first location and a thoroughly enjoyable wander it was, after getting in shortly after sunrise we had the place to ourselves. It's starting to show more signs of idiocy inside with numerous shitty bits of graffiti however there are still some nice areas to be seen despite it being devoid of any and all hospital furnishings.

History....

In 1885, the Market Harborough Dispensary is said to have been built here and remained in use until 1909 where it was then replaced by the current hospital. Originally known as the Market Harborough Cottage Hospital and District Nursing Association, Market Harborough District Hospital was built and opened in 1910. It was staffed by a matron, two district nurses, and a probationer and contained 2 wards with 4 beds each, 2 private wards, an operating theatre, three bathrooms and the matrons living quarters.

A public meeting held in Market Harborough on 12th December 1918 proposed that the town should have two war memorials. The first was a column or cross in the town square to commemorate those who died in the Great War, but the second was to be a free library and reading room in the centre of town in recognition of all those who served. The memorial in the square (listed at Grade II) was dedicated on 21st Sept 1921, but the plans for the library never materialised, and instead were transformed into a memorial extension to the Cottage Hospital, opened in 1923. In 2017, the hospital closed due to the opening of the newly built St. Lukes hospital in the same town, the building was sold in the latter half of 2018 and demolition is expected this year with the buildings being replaced by a new 70–bed care home. The war memorial is in the entrance of the building and is listed and proposed to be kept as part of the new plans.

As is customary for me now I only managed to snap a couple of external shots on my phone after we were out the building.

Thanks for looking

KPUrban_ · Apr 1, 2019

Quite unusual to see the war memorial used still, hopefully the vandals stay away from it.

BikinGlynn · Apr 2, 2019

Was gonna do this a few weeks back but ran out of time nicely done

Silverlight · Apr 4, 2019

At least they removed all hospital,equipment and furnishings, as you say. Ive been in some where all you would need are staff and patients to run them again. Ive often wondered how it can possibly make sense to abandon MRI scanners in place, and CT/x-raynunits. One MRI scanner I saw in an abandoned hospital was only seven years old, according to,its plate. And they wonder why the NHS is pouring money down the drain. Anyway, thanks,for doing this. Nice images there.

krela · Apr 4, 2019

Silverlight said:
At least they removed all hospital,equipment and furnishings, as you say. Ive been in some where all you would need are staff and patients to run them again. Ive often wondered how it can possibly make sense to abandon MRI scanners in place, and CT/x-raynunits. One MRI scanner I saw in an abandoned hospital was only seven years old, according to,its plate. And they wonder why the NHS is pouring money down the drain. Anyway, thanks,for doing this. Nice images there.

This is such a tedious argument. Almost all high value machines in hospitals are leased or hired under managed equipment service agreements, and it can often cost significantly more money moving it and re-calibrating / reconditioning it than to replace, not to mention rapid updates in technology often make it worth upgrading even after short periods. It is generally the leasing company who chooses to lose out, not the NHS. People who don't know what they're talking about shouldn't make political statements...