The Old Isolation Hospital

[puddleshark]

Formerly "a smallpox isolation hospital. It was built in the early twentieth century. The building itself is one storey, constructed of corrugated iron over a timber frame. The roof is pitched, clad in asbestos tiles." heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRecord.aspx...

Now a National Trust holiday cottage...

Comments

[kaishin108]

What a fascinating history. Wow - those poor nurses back then, it is so contagious.

Quite a beautiful structure and surroundings though!

[puddleshark]

I was surprised to learn that they were still having to use such measures to deal with smallpox at the beginning of the twentieth century, despite the existence of early vaccines.

It's definitely an isolated isolation hospital, tucked away on the heath.

[kaishin108]

When my mom was a baby, it must have been 124, she went with my grandma to tend to a sick man and my grandma laid her on the foot of the bed. And my mom got smallpox! Luckily it was a light case and she only ended up with one scar on her forehead. It's crazy they exposed her.

[puddleshark]

Oh, my goodness...

[kaishin108]

I know! :-o

[heleninwales]

What an interesting history. It looks so ordinary, not even terribly permanent with its corrugated iron construction, yet it could probably tell some tales if walls could speak.

[puddleshark]

They seemed to take public health seriously back then. Though I suppose it's a little ironic that it was built just before the Spanish Flu pandemic.