MIDDLETON TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL
Ilkley, England
March 2020
HISTORY
Middleton Hospital opened in 1920, after the First World War, to treat patients suffering from Tuberculosis. The original hospital site spanned across 57 acres and consisted of around 20 buildings and outhouses.
Today, the site is hidden away through the dense woodland up in the hills above Ilkley. Many of the buildings were demolished in 1991 after the sites closure in 1990 and today, only 4 buildings remain on the site. The largest of which is the former Social Club for patients, with others being the Lodge, a sub station and a building reported to be either an admin block or a mortuary, depending on which planning application you read. During its 80 years of activity, the compex was used as a military hospital, a TB Sanatorium, and before its closure a Geriatric hospital.
In 2005, Ilkley residents Mark and Janet Sayer reportedly paid £275,000 for the land for the concept of building a nouveaux-style 'eco-villiage'. They wanted to create a sustainable community of 16 homes along with leasure facilities, a nature reserve and micro-brewery. These plans were rejected by Harrogate Borough Council in late 2006 due to concerns over the viability of the proposal. Other applications for residential opportunities on the site have been submitted in recent years, however nothing seems to have come into fruition.
EXPLORE
A nice, scenic walk to find this one. Access to the old social club wasn't too tricky, but the building is very dangerous. The metal sheets on the roof are very shakey, and at every gust of wind I thought one was going to fall off and slice me in half.
Inside here and the other outbuildings are like a garden centre. I thought I'd stumbled onto a weed farm at first. Plants and nettles have completely taken over the buildings.
There is now a fair bit of wildlife living in and around the hospital site. Shout out to the massive, gigantic hare for bouncing out of some bushes next to me and scaring me half to death!
Thanks for looking.
Ilkley, England
March 2020
HISTORY
Middleton Hospital opened in 1920, after the First World War, to treat patients suffering from Tuberculosis. The original hospital site spanned across 57 acres and consisted of around 20 buildings and outhouses.
Today, the site is hidden away through the dense woodland up in the hills above Ilkley. Many of the buildings were demolished in 1991 after the sites closure in 1990 and today, only 4 buildings remain on the site. The largest of which is the former Social Club for patients, with others being the Lodge, a sub station and a building reported to be either an admin block or a mortuary, depending on which planning application you read. During its 80 years of activity, the compex was used as a military hospital, a TB Sanatorium, and before its closure a Geriatric hospital.
In 2005, Ilkley residents Mark and Janet Sayer reportedly paid £275,000 for the land for the concept of building a nouveaux-style 'eco-villiage'. They wanted to create a sustainable community of 16 homes along with leasure facilities, a nature reserve and micro-brewery. These plans were rejected by Harrogate Borough Council in late 2006 due to concerns over the viability of the proposal. Other applications for residential opportunities on the site have been submitted in recent years, however nothing seems to have come into fruition.
EXPLORE
A nice, scenic walk to find this one. Access to the old social club wasn't too tricky, but the building is very dangerous. The metal sheets on the roof are very shakey, and at every gust of wind I thought one was going to fall off and slice me in half.
Inside here and the other outbuildings are like a garden centre. I thought I'd stumbled onto a weed farm at first. Plants and nettles have completely taken over the buildings.
There is now a fair bit of wildlife living in and around the hospital site. Shout out to the massive, gigantic hare for bouncing out of some bushes next to me and scaring me half to death!
Thanks for looking.
