Old hospital.
Oct 13, 2013 11:50:40 #
Bangour Village Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located west of Dechmont in West Lothian, Scotland. It was officially opened in October 1906 (under the name Edinburgh District Asylum), although the first patients had been admitted in June 1904. The hospital closed in 2004.
The hospital was modelled on the Alt Scherbitz asylum of the 1870s, at Schkeuditz, Germany, and represents one of the first "colony" plan psychiatric hospitals in Scotland. The Bangour institution comprised individual villas which would house approximately 30 patients each. The village also incorporated its own railway station, a farm, bakery, workshops, recreation hall, school, shop, library, and latterly, and a multi-denominational church.
The hospital was requisitioned by the government War Office during both wars when it became "Edinburgh War Hospital" and "The Scottish Emergency Medical Hospital", reverting to a psychiatric hospital between and after the wars.
The number of patients rose to over 3,000 in 1918. Temporary marquees and prefabricated huts were erected to cope with the demand for bed space, for both patients and staff. This led to the creation of Bangour General Hospital in the surrounding grounds, which was to become a world leader in many medical fields, in particular its esteemed burns and plastic surgery unit which was established in 1940.
The hospital was modelled on the Alt Scherbitz asylum of the 1870s, at Schkeuditz, Germany, and represents one of the first "colony" plan psychiatric hospitals in Scotland. The Bangour institution comprised individual villas which would house approximately 30 patients each. The village also incorporated its own railway station, a farm, bakery, workshops, recreation hall, school, shop, library, and latterly, and a multi-denominational church.
The hospital was requisitioned by the government War Office during both wars when it became "Edinburgh War Hospital" and "The Scottish Emergency Medical Hospital", reverting to a psychiatric hospital between and after the wars.
The number of patients rose to over 3,000 in 1918. Temporary marquees and prefabricated huts were erected to cope with the demand for bed space, for both patients and staff. This led to the creation of Bangour General Hospital in the surrounding grounds, which was to become a world leader in many medical fields, in particular its esteemed burns and plastic surgery unit which was established in 1940.
Oct 13, 2013 11:58:01 #
Oct 13, 2013 12:05:35 #
Thank you - that was a quick reply as I was still posting - nice one.
Oct 13, 2013 12:29:17 #
Oct 13, 2013 12:43:31 #
very interesting photos and story behind the buildings.
If those wall could only talk, they would probably have a best seller on their hands.
If those wall could only talk, they would probably have a best seller on their hands.
Oct 13, 2013 15:59:56 #
Thanks for the feedback, it's realy quite sad that nothing could be done to save it as a modern hospital, as it sits in a large area of ground.
Oct 13, 2013 16:14:59 #
As you mentioned about saving, It's most like so inefficient that someone has to draw a line and say enough. The requirements today with handicapped access, heating and cooling alone often out date a building with ceiling heights and such. Shame but true. Thanks for showing us the photo's, to bad it's probably to unsafe to do inside.
Oct 13, 2013 16:32:19 #
Most of the areas are either blacked out or roped off and looks pretty insecure.
Oct 14, 2013 12:37:55 #
riada22 wrote:
Great history and a very foreboding structure.Bangour Village Hospital was a psychiatric hospita... (show quote)
Oct 16, 2013 23:09:09 #
that's creepy !!! the smoke stack is ominous.
riada22 wrote:
Bangour Village Hospital was a psychiatric hospita... (show quote)
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