Report - Liverpool Royal Infirmary May June 2009

[SparkUK]

This is one that's turned up as I've been archiving some ridiculous amount of photos I've never sorted out. History from Wikipedia as usual...

Liverpool Infirmary was founded in 1743, took 6 years to build, and was opened by the Earl of Derby on March 25, 1749. The first Infirmary stood on the site of the present day St George's Hall, and cost £2,600 to build. It was expanded in 1771.

The Infirmary was brought about due, in part, to the unsanitary conditions of the town at the time. In 1700 the population was about 5000, by 1749 it had quadrupled to 20,000. With the population growing fast the people were housed in ill drained streets. The unsanitary conditions led to widespread illness and it was decided to open the Infirmary.

The Infirmary was built of brick and faced with stone. It was three storeys high. On the ground floor there were two exam rooms, a lodging room, an apothecary, and the Hospice Chapel. The second floor held four wards, an operating room and two bedrooms for nurses. The kitchen, wash-house, laundry and laboratory were situated in the cellar.

In 1823 a new hospital and lunatic asylum was built on Brownlow Street and renamed the Liverpool Royal Infirmary in 1851. The old Infirmary was closed in 1826 and eventually demolished in 1842 to make way for St George's Hall.

In 1890 a new Infirmary building by Alfred Waterhouse was constructed on the Brownlow Street site. The building is an impressive example of Victorian design, in red brick. In 1978 the building closed and was replaced by the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. In 1994 it was bought by Liverpool University and was restored after being left empty since its closure, and is now used by Liverpool Medical school for clinical skills teaching and examinations. The Royal Infirmary has since been used by the BBC for 'Casualty 1907' in 2006/2007.

I'd love to have another go at this and see what sort of state it's in now they've done more renovations.

Thanks for looking

 

[chrisr86]

That looks like a good explore. Definitely worth another look if it's possible Thanks!

 

[ZerO81]

Very nice

Loving your archives so far

 

[Jimmy]

nice, love seeing things out of liverpool.

 

[Verdi]

I visited the old Royal, can't remember what for, a show of some sort, had a little walk round, the Chapel is really impressive, lovely brickwork. Nice photos.

 

[Gone]

Lovely Spark.

 

[SparkUK]

Cheers folks

 

[Rookinella]

Great photos Spark, is this place still there or converted now? I was only thinking of it the other day but the photos were from so long ago, I couldn't remember where I'd seen them.

 

[SparkUK]

It's not been converted, more renovated, I don't think they've actually done anything with it though, it's likely a daytime one at the moment I think. I would like to have another crack at it soon though so I'll have a peep at it this week. The other photos were Snappels I think Rooks... maybe from when they were filming Casualty in there?

 

[Hidden]

That victorian tiling is fantastic, PM me if your heading over there, wouldn't mind a look at this