Rossendale Hospital
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Rossendale Hopital is the former Haslingden Workhouse. Built between 1868-9 in a T-Shape design by Mr Henry F Lockwood and Mr William Mawson, architects of various other Northern Workhouses. Haslingden as it was known then operated under the Poor Law Institute and was home to the towns Paupers and Lunatics. In 1912 construction began on a new infirmary to the North East side of the workhouse.
Shorlty after the infirmary was constructed, the "Workhouse" as it was then changed its name to the Moorland House Public Assistance Institution, in 1929 it changed its name again to The Haslingden New Infirmary and again to Rossendale General Hospital.
The hospital today is still active but the original section which was the workhouse and its adjacent buildings and out houses have laid derelict since 2006 when this section was closed down. Surprisingly the main building is still in exceptional condition but the adjacent buildings have fallen victim to vandalism.
The main building itself though is an impressive structure, with its two domed spires dominating the building and its bold apperance it does leave a lasting impression. Some sections feel very eerie and its layout has more in common with an Asylum. Coupled with hospital staff still wandering the grounds it does make for a very curious and interesting explore.
What did surprise us was the amount of records still left in situ in some sections of the site. Everything from patient records right down to confidential internal hospital reports and medical journals of all descriptions dating back years. We even found an old patient admissions book for ambulace arrivals dating back to the 1960s!
Alongside of the hospital records where also confidential memos and reports for experimental drugs that the hospital was testing on patients and its relevent results.
The records alone are worth making the trip for as they are rather concise and very detailed.
The hospital featured in the local papers in late 2008 due to various breakins and thefts.Fortunatley this has now stopped and the damage has been repaired.
A truly superb looking building set in picturesque surroundings and stacked to the roof with interesting features and documents of all sorts and descriptions.
The surprising thing is that this place has been closed for over two years and hardly anyone knows about it.
A very intersting explore and one definatley worth seeing again and again!
