Prestwich Hospital

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Prestwich Hospital
Opened 1852
Closed 1997
Current Status Demolished
Building Style Corridor Plan
Architect(s) Isaac Holden
Location Manchester
Alternate Names
  • Lancashire County Asylum



History[edit]

The Hospital was opened in 1851 to accommodate 500 patients, and originally built to face West with the main entrance on Clifton Road. In 1863 it was extended to accommodate afurther 560 patients and in 1884 the Annex was built. The Annex was built to house 1,100 patients and was served by bus due to it's distance from the main Hospital Site. By 1903 the site could handle 3,135 patients from Salford,Manchester and South Lancashire, of which 50 per cent recovered and 6.57 per cent died. Originally the back entrance of the Hospital, the clock tower was actually a water tower. In addition the Hospital had it's own electricity and gas supplies, it's own farm and fire station.

For nearly 150 years The Hospital was the largest employer in Prestwich, but more recently treatments methods have changed and the hospital has scaled down substantially. Now most of the site has been redeveloped as a supermarket, restaurant and Hotel, and some housing is also planned. The Annex has also changed substantially over the years.