Standish House was originally a large private residence, which in 1914 was unoccupied. In 1915 it was opened by the British Red Cross as Standish House Hospital with 100 beds treating soldiers wounded in the First World War. After the war, with living conditions across the country poor the house was reopened as a Tuberculosis Hospital after Gloucestershire County Council purchased the property outright from it's owner, Lord Sherborne. Funds were raised for suitable equipment and refurbishing, the Red Cross contributing £10,000. Standish House Sanatorium was opened on 6 July 1922. It had a total of 140 beds divided into men’s, women’s and children’s blocks. The wards were run to a strict timetable but there were also plenty of recreation activities including a jazz band, cinema, games, and concerts. Over the next 15 years, the accommodation was expanded and in 1939 a new men’s block was opened. During the Second World War expansion slowed but, despite this, in 1947, "C" block, with 65 female beds, 19 children's beds and a modern Physiotherapy Department was opened.
In 1948 it became part of the NHS and as TB began to decline, a new X-Ray building was constructed and the hospital began to specialise in Orthopaedic, Rheumatic and Respiratory illnesses, being renamed Standish Chest Hospital in 1953, and in 1956 branched out into Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. In 1974 a new operating theatre building was opened and the X-Ray building was replaced with a more modern facility, but by 1992 the first formal proposals to close the hospital were submitted. However it hung on for twelve more years, with all patients and services being transferred elsewhere in March 2004.
After closure, as I'm sure many of us know, the whole place was full of alarms and security occupied Standish House. Likewise I'm sure many of us can remember the large black security guard, who way back when didn't mind you wandering around the site provided you promised not to go in any buildings - there were a small handful at that time which didn't have any alarms including the nurses accomodation block and the mortuary, both of which I explored over seven years ago now. However of course times change, and at some point this year the power was cut to the buildings either intentionally or due to the overwhelming water ingress inside some of them. Security has vacated the manor house and is now camped right in the middle of the site, which means a certain degree of sneaking was to be had. I think I picked a bad time to visit as we only managed to get into one of the large TB buildings (the nurses block was also open but I'd been inside before years back) - it seemed as if there had been a fresh round of sealing done very recently with brand new boards on stuff and doors screwed shut which I had been told by my friend were open a month or so ago. This place has a lot more to give and as it's little over an hour from me I'm sure I'll be back very soon.
But my word, this is probably my favourite hospital I've explored in the UK since Selly Oak. The alarms littered through the buildings has meant it has decayed absolutely wonderfully, completely undamaged apart from maybe two tiny bits of graffiti. It's in such a beautiful state of dereliction right now that I hope it stays like this for a while longer!
This sort of explore was exactly what both me and @Landie_Man were desperately in need of, so I was very glad we at least got to see one part of it. Annoyingly we missed the theatre part to this building somehow, but if I'm honest I have no problem going back for it!
Thanks for looking
In 1948 it became part of the NHS and as TB began to decline, a new X-Ray building was constructed and the hospital began to specialise in Orthopaedic, Rheumatic and Respiratory illnesses, being renamed Standish Chest Hospital in 1953, and in 1956 branched out into Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. In 1974 a new operating theatre building was opened and the X-Ray building was replaced with a more modern facility, but by 1992 the first formal proposals to close the hospital were submitted. However it hung on for twelve more years, with all patients and services being transferred elsewhere in March 2004.
After closure, as I'm sure many of us know, the whole place was full of alarms and security occupied Standish House. Likewise I'm sure many of us can remember the large black security guard, who way back when didn't mind you wandering around the site provided you promised not to go in any buildings - there were a small handful at that time which didn't have any alarms including the nurses accomodation block and the mortuary, both of which I explored over seven years ago now. However of course times change, and at some point this year the power was cut to the buildings either intentionally or due to the overwhelming water ingress inside some of them. Security has vacated the manor house and is now camped right in the middle of the site, which means a certain degree of sneaking was to be had. I think I picked a bad time to visit as we only managed to get into one of the large TB buildings (the nurses block was also open but I'd been inside before years back) - it seemed as if there had been a fresh round of sealing done very recently with brand new boards on stuff and doors screwed shut which I had been told by my friend were open a month or so ago. This place has a lot more to give and as it's little over an hour from me I'm sure I'll be back very soon.
But my word, this is probably my favourite hospital I've explored in the UK since Selly Oak. The alarms littered through the buildings has meant it has decayed absolutely wonderfully, completely undamaged apart from maybe two tiny bits of graffiti. It's in such a beautiful state of dereliction right now that I hope it stays like this for a while longer!
This sort of explore was exactly what both me and @Landie_Man were desperately in need of, so I was very glad we at least got to see one part of it. Annoyingly we missed the theatre part to this building somehow, but if I'm honest I have no problem going back for it!
Thanks for looking
