This is one of those posts that was lost when we moved to the new site.
A view of Stockton Hospital which was built in 1862. We believe this image to have been taken c1909. Does anyone know where it was located?
We have tried to recreate as many of the original comments as possible…
After studying several photos on Picture Stockton, I suggest that Stockton Hospital was in Thistle Green. The shop on the left is Wilkinson the provision dealer. You can see that the frontage of Wilkinson’s shop is at a slight angle to the terrace on the right.
The archway was one of the scenes painted by J Batty, but unfortunately for some reason the painting cannot currently be viewed. The archway lead through to the area known as Sugarhouse Open.
Chris Bailey was right about the dilapidated condition of the brickwork above the archway. I believe that the end of terrace (over the archway) was taken down. This created an open alleyway through to Sugarhouse Open. The resulting view can be seen if you search the site for “Bishop Warehouse” . This shows an aerial view looking down on this side of Thistle Green.
The view (taken about 1925) shows Wilkinson’s shop, at a slight angle to the terrace on the right, with an open alleyway separating the two.
Cliff, I’m grateful as you point out, that there are subsequent photographs of this building that show the offending section of the structure removed, resulting in an ‘open’ access route to the rear.
My ‘theory’ that the pictured thru’ -way’ was created after the premises were built, is based upon the proportions and the positioning of the main-entrance slightly ‘off line’ to the window above, a fairly common trait in Stockton 18thC or ‘Georgian’ architecture. The width of the opening would therefore be the full width of a grd flr. l/hand side reception-room, i.e there is no right-angle ‘return’ to the facade in order to carry the supporting lintol, or arch, which is normally the case.
The height of the opening also seems somewhat disproportionate. Also interesting to note, is that the cellar seems to pass only under the right hand areas of the building. Has the left hand cellar area been infilled?
Presumably this building, being at the end of the 3-storey terrace, once had an open access to the rear, prior to the building of the lower building (occupied by Wilkinson’s), against the gable-end as the street extended?
Alternatively, there may have originally been a simple ‘gated’ pedestrian passageway, which has been widened to accept a horse drawn cart, or in the case of it’s later use, an early horse-drawn ambulance?
We’ll possibly never know.
Daphne, the only place you might possibly is at Teesside (OKA Middlesbrough) Archives; they are on the web. They had a couple of years for my old school, so you never know.
Ouch! It appears that a entryway to the rear yard, or garden, has after the house was built, been subsequently created by driving an aperture through what would have been the left hand downstairs rooms. Unfortunately, the lintol support has failed, causing the whole of the gable-end to dramatically subside, against the adjoining shop-property. It also appears that the gable wall brickwork has been ‘corbelled’ out, at street level, in an effort to provide some support.
Heavily-laden horse drawn carts, turning into the opening, and repeatedly experiencing a wheel-strike, would cause loosening of brickwork, leading to such damage. Usually, granite ‘quadrants’ or short stonework posts, were positioned at the corners of such cart-openings, to prevent the wheels making contact with the brickwork.
Thankfully, it looks as though the premises have been totally vacated, in view of the danger of imminent collapse. The question is, were the premises ever restored?
Does anyone know where it was situated? What is there now?
Alan Wealleans
The old Stockton Hospital. As the road looks like having a steep slope it looks like Finkle Street or Castlegate?
Robert Dicken
The road does look like it has a slope. The Ordnance Survey Map of 1899 shows the Stockton Hospital to be on the same site as the late Stockton and Thornaby Hospital off Bowesfield Lane which was built in 1877 but that area does not have any slopes.
Peter Weatherall
The original Stockton Hospital was in Sugarhouse Open which ran east from Thistle Green to the Baltic Tavern. The line of Sugarhouse Open would roughly correspond to the road that runs behind Stockton Police Station. This area is shown on maps in the recently republished “The History of Stockton and Thornaby in Maps”
Julian Herbert
Stockton Hospital 1862 – According to “Richmond’s Local History” May 1862 A Surgical-Hospital was established this year on Thistle-Green with accommodation of 6 beds. On the opening of Stockton and Thornaby Hospital Bowesfield lane the building became a “Common Lodging-house” to be taken over in 1906 as The Quayside-Mission closing in 1970s now as stated previously site of Stockton Police-Station Older surfers will remember this area as the site of Stockton-cattle-market and the many “Bull or Cow runs” as animals evaded the wagons and pens to gallop down Stockton High Street pursued by half the kids of Stockton
Bob Harbron
I would be interested to know if anyone knows how I could get a staff list of Stockton and Thornaby Hospital as of June 1912…
Daphne Kennedy
On my GG Grandmothers death certificate it states that she died at Stockton Hospital in 1882. She committed suicide. Does anyone know if that is where bodies would have been taken? It is said that she threw herself into the River Tees.
Lesley Targett