The former Cambridge Military Hospital is located at Stanhope Lines, Aldershot, Hampshire, England. Over the years, the hospital served various camps of the British Army.
During the First World War, this place took care of soldiers who had suffered from injuries at the Western Front. It is also renowned as the very first place where plastic surgery was trialed in the British Empire.
Martin Wells and Co. from Aldershot were the builders of Cambridge Hospital. The hospital’s design was partly based on the design of the Royal Herbert Hospital in Woolwich.
The opening of the took place on July 18, 1879. It received its name in honor of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, a cousin of Queen Victoria.
Hippolyte Morestin was a well-known French plastic surgeon who restored people’s faces at the Val de Grace hospital in Paris. Sir Harold Gillis, a British surgeon, met Morestin during his vacation in Paris in 1915. Upon his return, Gillis founded the plastic surgery department at Cambridge Hospital in late 1915.
By the time of the First World War, the hospital had already expanded. By 1893, two new corner pavilions had been completed at the ends of the main corridor. However, since 1931, the changes and additions that have taken place have slightly changed the original design, making it less elegant.
During the wars, the hospital supplied various items of surgical equipment to the Front so that operations could be carried out there. After the end of World War II, British military duties declined. Consequently, the hospital opened its doors to civilians as well.
Closure
The usefulness of the former hospital ended on February 2, 1996. There were several reasons for its closure: asbestos had been detected in the walls; the cost of operating the old building became very high; and other modern structures appeared in this area. All of these elements combined forced the military hospital to close.
Today
After its closure, it was left to nature. As a result, paint began to peel off the walls, and rust and mold appeared in many places.
The building is guarded, but this does not prevent lovers of abandoned places from visiting the former hospital. Street artists also manage to get in and leave interesting graffiti on the walls.
Big thanks to photographer Adam for providing photographs of the abandoned military hospital. Go to his website to see more.
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