Wolverhampton hospital opened in 1849, thanks to some local businessmen who decided that the town needed a hospital. Over the years it expanded, with new wings and operating facilities being built. It finally closed in 1997 when a new out-of-town hospital was built. Ten years later the buildings sit rotting away in Wolverhampton’s city centre, suffering at the hands of vandals, vagrants and arsonists. Tesco apparently own the site, and work has begun on some regeneration in the area…
If you’re interested in reading more about the hospital then this website has a far more detailed history.
External shots
The buildings are rather impressive. Most are to be demolished.
Being a hospital, it has relatively standard features…
Corridors
The intricate network of corridors (and staircases)
Accident & Emergency
An accident & emergency unit. Totally stripped out.
Operating Theatres
Operating theatres – these ones were added to the hospital during the 1960s. Again, they’re totally stripped out.
Wards
It’s a hospital. Yes, it has wards. They’re totally stripped out (see the theme?)
Maxillofacial Laboratory
We decided to make our way up to the roof for the view. Curiously there was a small, unassuming building on the roof – the Maxillofacial Laboratory.
Hmm, what do they in this laboratory? Based on bits left around, such as teeth and ears moulds, it was for faces. According to Wikipedia, Maxillofacial Surgery is surgery to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region.
Pharmacy
Oh, back to standard stuff. A pharmacy, for all of the medicines. Guess what – it’s stripped out.
X-Ray machine
If you’ve seen photos of this hospital before, you’ve probably seen people posing in some macabre-looking X-ray machine. If not, here’s a macabre looking X-ray machine. Without posing…
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Just seen these pics of the old hospital and i must say it is such a shame.
I had a long stay at the hospital as a little girl in 1991 after getting knocked down by a small van. I was on traction for 6 weeks so was bed bound. Altho it was scary being away from my parents i must say i only have good memories of my stay here. The nurses were fab in particular there were 2 student nurses called Jo and Tracy and they were the best even visited me a couple of times after i was discharched and wrote 2 me regular before losing contact with us all moving houses. I always remember watching the little mermaid over and over again think it did the nurses heads in haha and me putting my Jason Donovan posters up haha.
Its horrible to see the hospital in such a sorrid state I hope they renevate it soon.
i worked at the royal from aug 1988 at the age of 18 until 1996 when i tansferred over to new cross where i still am today it was such a good and freindly place to work. I can remember dressing the departments up at christmas for the best dressed department it was so much fun its such ashame it had to close
My mum died at the Royal in 1990 and she was well looked after. Not sure which ward but I remember it was a surgical ward. Used to work in A+ E there only for a short period. Now work in the South West.Its shame about the building it was so nice and a lot of history attatched to it + a few ghosts!!
I worked for the West Midlands RHA but outposted to Wolves. I worked on a number of assignements at the Royal and recall Pat Frost, Lew Payne, Julie Jones and Andy Sims. My abiding memory is working on a nursing study on a ward (can’t remember which one) and everything coming to a halt to watch the Columbia space shuttle land at the end of the first shuttle mission (April 14 1981).
Another memory is of a colleague of mine who didn’t knoiw the area stopping to ask directions form a ‘young lady’ in Steelhouse Lane. She got into the car and was, apparently, most put out to discover all he wanted was, in fact, directions to the Royal!
Great days and a great hospital.
Great place