Ok thought i would check this out. Its not been done in a little while so not sure what i was going to find.
Explore.
Well fun to be had here. Once i was close noticed it was all scaffy up and a lot of workers flying about. Its as you would call it in full flow. So my first intinct was to say fook it has from looking at it its a shell. But after a little nosey a found a nice little way in without drawing any attension from workers or neighbours. Inside was exactly has i thought a bloody shell nothing was left and renovation was in full flow. Bit gutted but having loads of fun watching workers plum about outside. Every single room was gutted no real signs of hospital anywhere. But my sole purpose was the clock tower. After a nosey arround at some rather nice old stairs i found another set of old stairs and knew it was up to tower. And boy it did not disapoint. Really nice views and nice clock well worth it. Shame weather was not the best Then on the way back down found quite a sweet underground section got to see quite a bit of it but was badly flooded to be honest the whole place had water coming down from all sides. Anyways visit was with my missus and was overall a good bit ov fun. Oh the one place i dident get to see was the chapel work on it was well under way and eyes all over lol. To be honest i feel it will be no different. Anyway funtimes avoiding workers etc was had and overall was quite a nice mooch if a little sad nothing really was left. Enjoy this nice little update for birch hill. Thanks all
History taken from manchester news. And others
A landmark Victorian hospital will finally close its doors to patients next month, it has been announced.
Birch Hill Hospital in Rochdale, which was once a workhouse, will shut on January 2, when its remaining services transfer to Rochdale Infirmary.
Services began switching from the run-down Birch Hill in 2001, but the relocation of the ophthalmology department will be the final piece of the jigsaw.
Bosses at Pennine Acute Trust are spending £1.8m to improve the ophthalmology service, and will house it in a specialist unit at the Infirmary. The development – known as the Eye Unit – includes two theatres, refurbished outpatient facilities and support accommodation.
The old Birch Hill site was built as a workhouse and opened in 1877. It had wards for ‘imbeciles’ and ‘fever’ patients, in addition to an infirmary block.
A modern hospital block opened in 1902 – at a cost of £30,000 – and part of the site was used by the military in the First World War. It was also used as an emergency medical service facility in the Second World War before becoming an NHS hospital.
Developer Persimmon Homes bought 28 acres of the former hospital site, on Union Road, for £21.5m in 2007 for housing – and the site has room for up to 400 homes. The historic clock tower will be preserved and form a centrepiece of the new development.
The new ophthalmology service at Rochdale Infirmary will provide planned and emergency eye care for the population of Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale, Bury, parts of east Lancashire, Tameside and Glossop.
Tanveer Hashmi, clinical director for ophthalmology at Pennine Acute Trust, said: “We are all keen to improve the experience that our patients receive and this new state-of-the-art environment at Rochdale Infirmary will provide this.
“A lot of thought has gone into how patients will move around the unit, which will enhance patient flow and productivity, but, most importantly, provide safe, high-quality care to all patients who are to undergo an ophthalmology procedure.
“There has been a considerable amount of commitment from all the staff involved in the development of the new Eye Unit at Rochdale Infirmary and the design will combine outpatients and treatment facilities which represent a significant improvement to both staff and patients.”
n 1871, the Union purchased a 24-acre site on the slopes of Birch Hill and Starring Hill at Dearnley for £2,500. The following year, building work began on a large new workhouse.
In March 1873, the old Spotland workhouse partially collapsed, possibly because of subsidence due to an old coal-pit beneath the building. However, since the new workhouse was far from ready, the Spotland building had to be patched up and was used for another four yours. Even then its days were not over — in 1881, Rochdale Corporation were forced to rent it for use as a temporary isolation hospital during a smallpox epidemic.
The new workhouse, designed by George Woodhouse and Edward Potts, was originally intended to accommodate 632 inmates but by its eventual opening in November 1877, various extensions had increased the capacity to 847, including 29 officers. The total cost of the buildings and land was £85,000. The building was officially opened by the Mayor of Rochdale, Alderman T Schofield, on Wednesday 19th December 1877. Around seventy guests attended the ceremony which was followed by a tour of the premises and dinner at 3pm. Afterwards there were long speeches and a performance by the Orpheus Glee Club.
At the centre of the main building were the Master's quarters, with the dining-hall (also originally used as a chapel) and kitchen and bakehouse forming the central block behind. Male inmates were accommodated to the west of the main block, and females to the east. At the rear of the main building were a laundry at the east and workshops and boiler-house to the west. The whole premises were heated by hot water pipes supplemented by an open fire in each room.
In 1902, a 172-bed infirmary was built at the north of the workhouse. It had a central administration block with male and female ward pavilions to each side.
During the First World War, part of the site was taken over by the military who also erected tents in the grounds.
In 1930, control of the site passed to Rochdale County Borough, with the Poor Law Institution being run by the Public Assistance Committee and the Hospital being run by the Health Committee. With the inauguration of the National Health Service in 1948, the site became a single hospital known as Birch Hill. Now run by Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust, many of the original buildings were in use until the hospital finally closed in 2013.
Pics..
The clock tower..
Extra shots from tunnels etc..
And last the reason for all the work and activity
Hope you all enjoyed and thanks for looking ...
Explore.
Well fun to be had here. Once i was close noticed it was all scaffy up and a lot of workers flying about. Its as you would call it in full flow. So my first intinct was to say fook it has from looking at it its a shell. But after a little nosey a found a nice little way in without drawing any attension from workers or neighbours. Inside was exactly has i thought a bloody shell nothing was left and renovation was in full flow. Bit gutted but having loads of fun watching workers plum about outside. Every single room was gutted no real signs of hospital anywhere. But my sole purpose was the clock tower. After a nosey arround at some rather nice old stairs i found another set of old stairs and knew it was up to tower. And boy it did not disapoint. Really nice views and nice clock well worth it. Shame weather was not the best Then on the way back down found quite a sweet underground section got to see quite a bit of it but was badly flooded to be honest the whole place had water coming down from all sides. Anyways visit was with my missus and was overall a good bit ov fun. Oh the one place i dident get to see was the chapel work on it was well under way and eyes all over lol. To be honest i feel it will be no different. Anyway funtimes avoiding workers etc was had and overall was quite a nice mooch if a little sad nothing really was left. Enjoy this nice little update for birch hill. Thanks all
History taken from manchester news. And others
A landmark Victorian hospital will finally close its doors to patients next month, it has been announced.
Birch Hill Hospital in Rochdale, which was once a workhouse, will shut on January 2, when its remaining services transfer to Rochdale Infirmary.
Services began switching from the run-down Birch Hill in 2001, but the relocation of the ophthalmology department will be the final piece of the jigsaw.
Bosses at Pennine Acute Trust are spending £1.8m to improve the ophthalmology service, and will house it in a specialist unit at the Infirmary. The development – known as the Eye Unit – includes two theatres, refurbished outpatient facilities and support accommodation.
The old Birch Hill site was built as a workhouse and opened in 1877. It had wards for ‘imbeciles’ and ‘fever’ patients, in addition to an infirmary block.
A modern hospital block opened in 1902 – at a cost of £30,000 – and part of the site was used by the military in the First World War. It was also used as an emergency medical service facility in the Second World War before becoming an NHS hospital.
Developer Persimmon Homes bought 28 acres of the former hospital site, on Union Road, for £21.5m in 2007 for housing – and the site has room for up to 400 homes. The historic clock tower will be preserved and form a centrepiece of the new development.
The new ophthalmology service at Rochdale Infirmary will provide planned and emergency eye care for the population of Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale, Bury, parts of east Lancashire, Tameside and Glossop.
Tanveer Hashmi, clinical director for ophthalmology at Pennine Acute Trust, said: “We are all keen to improve the experience that our patients receive and this new state-of-the-art environment at Rochdale Infirmary will provide this.
“A lot of thought has gone into how patients will move around the unit, which will enhance patient flow and productivity, but, most importantly, provide safe, high-quality care to all patients who are to undergo an ophthalmology procedure.
“There has been a considerable amount of commitment from all the staff involved in the development of the new Eye Unit at Rochdale Infirmary and the design will combine outpatients and treatment facilities which represent a significant improvement to both staff and patients.”
n 1871, the Union purchased a 24-acre site on the slopes of Birch Hill and Starring Hill at Dearnley for £2,500. The following year, building work began on a large new workhouse.
In March 1873, the old Spotland workhouse partially collapsed, possibly because of subsidence due to an old coal-pit beneath the building. However, since the new workhouse was far from ready, the Spotland building had to be patched up and was used for another four yours. Even then its days were not over — in 1881, Rochdale Corporation were forced to rent it for use as a temporary isolation hospital during a smallpox epidemic.
The new workhouse, designed by George Woodhouse and Edward Potts, was originally intended to accommodate 632 inmates but by its eventual opening in November 1877, various extensions had increased the capacity to 847, including 29 officers. The total cost of the buildings and land was £85,000. The building was officially opened by the Mayor of Rochdale, Alderman T Schofield, on Wednesday 19th December 1877. Around seventy guests attended the ceremony which was followed by a tour of the premises and dinner at 3pm. Afterwards there were long speeches and a performance by the Orpheus Glee Club.
At the centre of the main building were the Master's quarters, with the dining-hall (also originally used as a chapel) and kitchen and bakehouse forming the central block behind. Male inmates were accommodated to the west of the main block, and females to the east. At the rear of the main building were a laundry at the east and workshops and boiler-house to the west. The whole premises were heated by hot water pipes supplemented by an open fire in each room.
In 1902, a 172-bed infirmary was built at the north of the workhouse. It had a central administration block with male and female ward pavilions to each side.
During the First World War, part of the site was taken over by the military who also erected tents in the grounds.
In 1930, control of the site passed to Rochdale County Borough, with the Poor Law Institution being run by the Public Assistance Committee and the Hospital being run by the Health Committee. With the inauguration of the National Health Service in 1948, the site became a single hospital known as Birch Hill. Now run by Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust, many of the original buildings were in use until the hospital finally closed in 2013.
Pics..
The clock tower..
Extra shots from tunnels etc..
And last the reason for all the work and activity
Hope you all enjoyed and thanks for looking ...
Last edited by a moderator:
shame we didnt bump into you we left just as the builders were arriving on site 
