Former hospital goes on the market
February 12th, 2010
A former hospital in Bowdon, Altrincham has been put on the market by Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust.
St Anne’s Hospital, which opened in 1885, was originally a specialist unit for the care of patients with TB. Its picturesque, leafy location was thought by leading physician Dr Arthur Ransome – a relative of Swallows and Amazons author Arthur Ransome – to provide the ideal combination of fresh air and sunshine that he believed were crucial to the successful treatment of TB.
The site, which features historic buildings of Italianate design, has been unoccupied since 2004 when the last remaining services were transferred to other locations. The Trust retained the land in case it was needed as a temporary home for Altrincham General while the town’s planned new hospital was being built. It now knows, however, that St Anne’s will not be needed as a temporary site for Altrincham General under any of the three options being considered for the new hospital so can be put on the market.
The Trust expects to use the money it receives for the site to help fund the construction of the new Altrincham hospital and to equip it.
Whoever buys St Anne’s will need to comply with a strict planning brief issued by Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. The Council is keen to ensure that the historic Victorian buildings at St Anne’s are preserved and that any replacement of the 20th century extensions complements the Devisdale Conservation Area. There are also a number of tree preservation orders which will need to be respected.
Tristram Reynolds, Director of Estates & Capital Development at the Trust, said: “St Anne’s is a prime location in Bowdon and we have already had expressions of interest from potential purchasers. The housing market is recovering and residential developers are again interested in acquiring good sites such as this.”
Historian of St Anne’s and member of Bowdon Conservation Group Sue Nichols said: “We look forward to working closely with the new owner of St Anne’s to ensure that all the 19th century buildings are fully restored and that all the trees, open space and rich wildlife habitat remain fully protected.”
The site has been advertised in the Estates Gazette.
History of St Anne’s
• A private home called Beech Grove is built in 1837 by merchant Ibotson Walker.
• When Walker leaves Bowdon in 1858, the house is rented by other local captains of industry.
• In 1868, it is bought as a private home by Joseph Sidebotham, founder of Manchester Photographic Society. He builds an observatory in the garden to cater to his passion for astronomy.
• Sidebotham is a friend of Dr Arthur Ransome from the Manchester Hospital for Consumption Disease of the Throat and Chest, a pioneer of TB research. Ransome is looking for a suburban location where patients can recuperate in the sunshine and fresh air.
• In 1884, Sidebotham sells the house to Ransome’s hospital and also makes a donation of £2,000. It is named St Anne’s Home in memory of Sidebotham’s late wife.
• St Anne’s opens in 1885 as part of the Manchester Hospital for Consumption Disease of the Throat and Chest. It is the only free sanatorium in Britain and has 16 patients who stay on average around two months.
• In 1886, a new wing opens. It is commissioned by engineer and philanthropist William J Crossley to a revolutionary new design maximising sunlight and with a ventilation system ensuring constant fresh air.
• St Anne’s becomes part of the new NHS in 1948. As antibiotics have reduced the prevalence of TB due to antibiotics, it is used for other hospital services, including Ear, Nose and Throat, general medicine, convalescence, geriatric and psychiatric care.
• The hospital closes in December 2004 when the last services finally transfer to other locations.
Ends
Contact:
Emer Scott, Head of Communications, 0161 746 2945 or emer.scott@trafford.nhs.uk
