Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children in London was formed from the 1942 merger of the Queen's Hospital for Children in Bethnal Green and the Princess Elizabeth of York Hospital for Children, Shadwell. The Shadwell site was closed in 1963. In 1996 the hospital became part of The Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, later renamed Barts and The London NHS Trust. In 1998 the services carried out by the hospital were moved to within The Royal London Hospital, but retaining their separate identity.

As of 2014 the Bethnal Green site is being redeveloped by Rydon Homes and Family Mosaic Housing Association. A time capsule from the opening ceremony in May 1902 was discovered in December 2014, containing newspapers, a catalogue of donors, a hymn sheet and a ribbon from the ceremony.^[1]

Detailed history

1881–1947

• In 1881 a 28-acre (11 ha) site on Holly Lane, Banstead, was offered for sale. The land was bought by Francis Baring, a merchant banker.
• In 1884 Baring built a large country mansion, Banstead Wood House. The mansion was designed by the architect Norman Shaw (1831–1912), who also designed New Scotland Yard, 1890.
• In 1893 a local businessman, C. H. Garton, bought the estate and lived there until his death in 1934, whereupon the house was gifted to a hospital trust.
• On 8 May 1902, the hospital in Bethnal Green was declared open by Princess Beatrice.^[1]
• On July 23rd 1936 the foundation stone for the new Princess Elizabeth Hospital for Children in Shadwell was laid by Elizabeth, Duchess of York.
• In 1936 the building suffered extensive fire damage and was almost entirely destroyed.
• It was subsequently rebuilt to a design by Goodhart-Rendel (1887–1959).
• The original mansion was extended and other buildings were added.
• 1939–45: in wartime the mansion became an Emergency Military Hospital. The grounds of the Hospital were used by the War Office and as a military camp, later the Banstead Prisoner-of-War Camp.

1948–98

• The Banstead Wood hospital was finally officially opened in July 1948 by Princess Elizabeth (afterwards Queen Elizabeth II) as the Hospital for Children in London, it was believed that the healthy rural environment would be beneficial to deprived children.
• In 1973 it became a hospital for people with learning disabilities.
• The hospital was closed in 1998.

1999 – present

• In 2000, the grade II listed building became derelict.
• In 2005 the site was sold to Try Homes, who converted the existing buildings into a gated housing estate called Banstead Wood Estate. This comprises 110 one-to-three bedroom apartments. The original mansion is now Shaw House, the nurses' home is Goodhart House, and the hospital is Rendel House.

See also

• List of hospitals in England

References

External links

• The History of Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children at the Wayback Machine (archived February 25, 2013), Barts and the London NHS Trust

Coordinates: 51°31′06″N 0°03′36″W / 51.5184°N 0.0600°W / 51.5184; -0.0600