forums
new posts
donate
UER Store
events
location db
db map
search
members
faq
terms of service
privacy policy
register
login




UER Forum > UE Photography > Western Respiratory Hospital (Viewed 1463 times)
mookster 


Location: Oxford, UK
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 2372 likes




 |  | 
Western Respiratory Hospital
< on 10/27/2019 4:05 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
This hospital has been around the exploring scene in the UK for years, however almost all the buildings were full of alarms until very recently, which meant any visit had in the past was always a matter of restricting yourself to the few non-alarmed buildings at the rear of the site, and if you were feeling brave, a mad dash into one of the alarmed buildings to see how long you'd last before you got removed by security who were based inside one of the buildings in the middle of the site.

I paid my first two visits to this hospital back in the summer of 2012, back then it was watched over by a guard who didn't mind you wandering around as long as you promised to not go inside any of them - of course we did, but only the ones we knew weren't gonna get us turfed out! Back then the only parts you could do safely were the nurses accommodation block and attached small buildings and the mortuary/chapel of rest. However things change, and at some point the alarms had been switched off, and so recently I have gone back another two times to see as much of it as I can - there are still two buildings that have eluded me, for now, but I am happy with what I have come away with.

The hospital began life as a large manor house in private hands, however by the outbreak of the First World War it was vacant and then in 1915 was opened as a Red Cross hospital for wounded soldiers. After the war ended, the local council purchased the property and reopened it as a TB Sanatorium which, after refurbishment, opened in 1922. In 1939 a new dedicated male block was opened followed in 1947 by a new female & children block. In 1948 it became part of the newly formed NHS and with cases of TB in decline, was reformed as a specialist Orthopedic, Rheumatic and Respiratory hospital. In 1972 a hydrotherapy pool was constructed, and in 1974 new operating theatres were opened. The first plans to close the hospital came about in 1992, however the whole site hung on until 2004 when all services were transferred elsewhere.

Somehow, by some miracle, this place has avoided any sort of redevelopment in the intervening fifteen years, and with it being filled with alarms for almost the whole time, it has left it in an absolutely beautiful state of decay especially in the late Art Deco/modernist style female & childrens building, where I took most of my photos.

In my opinion this is probably the best hospital in England at the moment.

1


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


9


10


11


12


13


14


The preceding 14 photos were all taken on my previous trip, the following were all taken more recently.

15


16


17


18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25


26


27


28


29


30


31


32


33


34


35


36


37


38


39


40


41


Thanks for looking




Asbestos E-Liquid 


Location: Iowa
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 47 likes


I like concrete. It’s either already collapsed or perfectly safe

 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 1 on 10/27/2019 4:49 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Great set, but how did you know that the alarms were off?




mookster 


Location: Oxford, UK
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 2372 likes




 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 2 on 10/27/2019 4:55 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by Asbestos E-Liquid
Great set, but how did you know that the alarms were off?


...because none of them went off?

Also a friend who lives locally told me so a month or so before I went back.




randomesquephoto 


Total Likes: 1671 likes


Don't be a Maxx

 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 3 on 10/27/2019 5:23 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Awesome!




RIP Blackhawk
Baldran 


Location: The Ira Bemis House
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 873 likes


Solvitur Ambulando

 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 4 on 10/27/2019 7:44 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Wow, excellent! I love the pools in particular. Glad it's opened up to this extent!




Flickr
Cfourexplore 


Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 583 likes


Never a dull moment in Midworld.

 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 5 on 10/28/2019 11:15 AM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
This place is gorgeous (so much peely paint)! These shots are incredible, and I enjoyed the writeup as well...glad you were able to finally get in without the botheration of alarms. Thanks for sharing! 😊




"When you've truly done something right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."
Xiketic 


Location: Bay Area, CA/ATL, GA
Total Likes: 82 likes




 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 6 on 10/28/2019 7:16 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Beautiful! I love the vines slowly reclaiming the building.




More of my photos: https://www.instagram.com/xiketic_urbex/
DescentOnARope 


Location: Long Island, New York
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 662 likes




 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 7 on 10/29/2019 1:18 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Another excellent set from you. It's still in "good" shape in spite of the decay, something you don't really see all that often. Some interesting architecture in spots, particularly #28.




EsseXploreR 


Location: New Jersey
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 1172 likes




 |  |  | AbandonedNJ Photography
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 8 on 10/29/2019 1:31 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Cant get over that pool. Good shit buddy!




https://www.flickr...62837453@N07/sets/

http://www.tfpnj.blogspot.com
Dave Summer 


Location: Ontario
Total Likes: 89 likes




 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 9 on 10/29/2019 2:14 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Fantastic! Looks like a fun explore.




MisUnderstood! 


Location: SouthEast, Texas
Gender: Female
Total Likes: 2046 likes


W/MyOwnEyes

 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 10 on 10/30/2019 7:16 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Cool location and awesome pics! Love LOVE the last shot and the therapy pool pics as well.




A place of Mystery is Always worth a curiosity trip!
mookster 


Location: Oxford, UK
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 2372 likes




 |  | 
Re: Western Respiratory Hospital
< Reply # 11 on 11/7/2019 4:33 PM >
Reply with Quote
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Thanks all - my friend went here the other day and found a lot of groundworks going on with excavators and stuff, which I really hope doesn't mean the beginning of the end.




UER Forum > UE Photography > Western Respiratory Hospital (Viewed 1463 times)


Add a poll to this thread



This thread is in a public category, and can't be made private.



All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire.
To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site: UER CONTACT
View Terms of Service | View Privacy Policy | Server colocation provided by Beanfield
This page was generated for you in 93 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 737082394 pages have been generated.