Thread: Groundslow Hospital

This one seems to have slipped through the net as there's very little about it on the web.
It's about three-quarters of a mile to the south-west of Tittensor,Mid Staffs.

Groundslow Villa was built in 1832 as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Sutherland when he lived at Trentham Park (the date can be seen on one of the walls) and in 1913 was sold and became a tuberculosis sanatorium as an annexe to the Staffordshire General Infirmary in Stafford.
In post-war years it became a 117 bed maternity hospital until closure in 1983.
Camelot Court nursing home later opened in the administrative block of the former hospital in September 1985, while Groundslow Grange care home opened in October 1984 in the former nurses' accommodation, which had been built in 1949. It was run by Peter Ratchford and former Benny Hill girl Anne Bruzac.
The residential care home closed in 1997, and by 2002 the adjacent former hospital was redeveloped into detached homes and terraces, while the Duke's former home was converted into 25 flats.
But Anne and Peter remain on site in one of the few remaining parts, which are testament to the former life of this once grand estate.
Anne says: "I have done some homework into the site as I'm fascinated with history and old buildings. Groundslow is a hamlet and used to be an Elizabethan village so it's steeped in history.
"The surroundings are really beautiful here with lots of old trees. They are identical to those found at Trentham Gardens, because the Duke of Sutherland also owned that, so planted the same trees on both sites.
"The houses on the old site came after it was bulldozed in 2000, though the lodge which we live in was built in 1832. When they started building work they found a medieval wall deep underground, so then it became an archaeological site."
Anne and Peter remain owners of the nurses' accommodation building, and having initially thought about turning it into a hotel, last year they got permission to turn it into executive apartments.
But she says: "We won't demolish the nurses block, though we've been approached by a lot of developers wanting to do just that. We will keep the gardens and everything intact." (Most of the above is an August 2008 newspaper article about Groundslow)

An archaeological survey in 2001 reported that "Three trenches were excavated, identifying a prehistoric ditch that formed part of an enclosure seen in aerial photographs and a post hole, which is possibly part of a palisade. A gully was also found but could not be linked to the enclosure. The results showed that the proposed development would have an impact on the archaeology."

I understand that part of the hospital is still standing,although derelict,but it's on private property.





Groundslow Lodge

Fair Play to Anne and Peter - I like 'em already!

A Benny Hill Girl...

Nice feature BereniceUK!

Cheers,Indy

I was chatting later on to someone who said he'd taken photos before the hospital was demolished. There was also a hospital chapel.

Maybe,if he reads this thread,he'll put a few photos here?

I'd sort of forgotten about it but it appears that they may have been converted into flats... (If this is the right place!)

http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/sa...7-3881451.html

I was born there! It sounds pathetic but I'm sad to hear that the old place has fallen into disrepair.

I was born on 22nd April 1959. I returned to Groundslow only once to visit my first teacher Yvonne Farr when she gave birth. I guess that would have been around 1965.

Incidently, the building is still shown clearly on Google Earth.

regards

Wobsy

I too was born at Groundslow hospital, back in 1977. My mum talks fondly of the place saying that the surroundings were so peaceful and quiet. She remembers waking to hear the birds singing in the tress around the area. She says that despite it's past it was a really beautiful place to bring a new life into the world.

me too, 1978