Standish House Chest Hospital
A former country house turned into a chest hospital, situated in a small hamlet.
The Visit.
This venture was one of the first to be done without the need of taking public transport, so we took the opportunity to run around the west checking out numerous locations with almost zero success. Eventually we ended up here only expecting to spend a few moments onsite before being kicked out or walking away. But thankfully it was worthwhile and after slithering through a rather impractical, and as we would later find out unnecessary, entry we were in one of the buildings!
History
Pre Hospital A former country house turned into a chest hospital, situated in a small hamlet.
The Visit.
This venture was one of the first to be done without the need of taking public transport, so we took the opportunity to run around the west checking out numerous locations with almost zero success. Eventually we ended up here only expecting to spend a few moments onsite before being kicked out or walking away. But thankfully it was worthwhile and after slithering through a rather impractical, and as we would later find out unnecessary, entry we were in one of the buildings!
History
Dating back to around the 16th century standish park, formerly part of Standish Court, was under the ownership of the current Lord Sherborne who developed the land into a countryside retreat leading to the construction of Standish House.
The house itself was leased twice throughout the 1800's firstly to Richard Potter who notably constructed numerous greenhouses as well as a dam as part of his landscaping efforts on the property. By 1882 his wife had passed away and the family vacated the home leaving it empty for around 2 years.
1884 Standish House was again occupied by, the widow of a shipping magnate, Mrs. Annie Poole King. Along with her children and staff the house was occupied until the beginning of the Boer War after which the loss of income resulted in the family departing the house.
Still vacant by 1914 the current Lord Sherborne was approached by Mary King in hope leasing the house for use as a Red Cross hospital in aid of providing 100 beds for treating soldiers of the First World War. Lord Sherborne agreed to the lease of the house and went further by having the interior painted, having electrical lighting installed and improving sanitary conditions. The house, now a hospital, was opened in 1915 under the command of Mary King. The 100 bed house/hospital would go on to serve over 2,000 injured soldiers from the fist world war alone.
Corridor, connecting Physiotherapy to the wards.
Following the first world war, a rise in Tuberculosis (TB) cases lead to numerous openings of institutions (Royal Papworth For Example) for treating the disease among this was Standish House. By 1922 the park had been purchased by the Gloucestershire County Council and the house converted into a tuberculosis sanatorium with additional funds raised for improved medical equipment within. Upon opening the hospital was divided into three sections Men's, Women's and Children's among separate blocks providing 140 beds total.
Life within the hospital at the time was run to a strict schedule although providing many amenities for patients within.
Curved Ward
Over time accommodation was expanded with a new men's block being constructed in 1939 followed by the C block, after the second world war, in 1947 providing an additional 65 women's beds as well as additional children's beds and a Physiotherapy department.
Staircase
Smaller ward room
1948 saw the hospital become one of the many incorporated into the newly formed National Health Service with the hospital almost instantly seeing the construction of an X-Ray department. Like most hospitals in this time tuberculosis cases began to drop and the hospital started to treat a different variety of different illnesses. Standish Hospital began to specialise in Orthapedic, Respiratory and Rheumatology cases leading to the hospital undertaking procedures such as joint replacements and treating serious respiratory issues.
The hospital was given the name Standish House Chest Hospital, a few years later, in 1953. The hospital would further venture into treating Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.
Theatre from the prep room.
The National Health Service (NHS) saw a major reorganisation around 1974 in which Standish Hospital was placed under the control of the Gloucestershire Health Authority. This would soon see the hospital expand with a refurbished X-Ray department and the construction of a new operating theatre.
Operating Theatre: lamp heads, control boards and gas pipes removed only the lighting arms remained.
The Hospital's services, following the reorganization, gradually started to be transferred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital by the early 80's. With this, by 2003 considerations were being made to close standish. Spearheaded by cost cutting measures. Eventually the hospital's last patients would be transferred in December 2004.
A smaller corridor
Since closure, the hospital has been emptied of most equipment and left to rot.
Plans have been put forward several times, mostly after initial closure, for the site to be used as a social care center with most being dismissed or out bid by private corporations. Eventually the inevitable happened and plans were put forward for housing in 2017 with work starting to begin in around late 2019.
Close up of some equipment.
That'll be all.
Smaller ward room
1948 saw the hospital become one of the many incorporated into the newly formed National Health Service with the hospital almost instantly seeing the construction of an X-Ray department. Like most hospitals in this time tuberculosis cases began to drop and the hospital started to treat a different variety of different illnesses. Standish Hospital began to specialise in Orthapedic, Respiratory and Rheumatology cases leading to the hospital undertaking procedures such as joint replacements and treating serious respiratory issues.
The hospital was given the name Standish House Chest Hospital, a few years later, in 1953. The hospital would further venture into treating Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.
Theatre from the prep room.
The National Health Service (NHS) saw a major reorganisation around 1974 in which Standish Hospital was placed under the control of the Gloucestershire Health Authority. This would soon see the hospital expand with a refurbished X-Ray department and the construction of a new operating theatre.
Operating Theatre: lamp heads, control boards and gas pipes removed only the lighting arms remained.
The Hospital's services, following the reorganization, gradually started to be transferred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital by the early 80's. With this, by 2003 considerations were being made to close standish. Spearheaded by cost cutting measures. Eventually the hospital's last patients would be transferred in December 2004.
A smaller corridor
Since closure, the hospital has been emptied of most equipment and left to rot.
Plans have been put forward several times, mostly after initial closure, for the site to be used as a social care center with most being dismissed or out bid by private corporations. Eventually the inevitable happened and plans were put forward for housing in 2017 with work starting to begin in around late 2019.
Close up of some equipment.
That'll be all.
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