Wolverhampton hospital opened in 1849, thanks to some local businessmen who decided that the town needed a hospital. Over the years it expanded, with new wings and operating facilities being built. It finally closed in 1997 when a new out-of-town hospital was built. Ten years later the buildings sit rotting away in Wolverhampton’s city centre, suffering at the hands of vandals, vagrants and arsonists. Tesco apparently own the site, and work has begun on some regeneration in the area…
If you’re interested in reading more about the hospital then this website has a far more detailed history.
External shots
The buildings are rather impressive. Most are to be demolished.
Being a hospital, it has relatively standard features…
Corridors
The intricate network of corridors (and staircases)
Accident & Emergency
An accident & emergency unit. Totally stripped out.
Operating Theatres
Operating theatres – these ones were added to the hospital during the 1960s. Again, they’re totally stripped out.
Wards
It’s a hospital. Yes, it has wards. They’re totally stripped out (see the theme?)
Maxillofacial Laboratory
We decided to make our way up to the roof for the view. Curiously there was a small, unassuming building on the roof – the Maxillofacial Laboratory.
Hmm, what do they in this laboratory? Based on bits left around, such as teeth and ears moulds, it was for faces. According to Wikipedia, Maxillofacial Surgery is surgery to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region.
Pharmacy
Oh, back to standard stuff. A pharmacy, for all of the medicines. Guess what – it’s stripped out.
X-Ray machine
If you’ve seen photos of this hospital before, you’ve probably seen people posing in some macabre-looking X-ray machine. If not, here’s a macabre looking X-ray machine. Without posing…
derelicte 
love this place shame they have let it go like this to be honist i have many hours here in a/e
we have a building in bilston old collage by the police station thats gone to wasite just sitting there boarded up even old pubs too
fab photos well done love to see more but it as been well boarded up as im a wheelchair user i do love to see these
cazwix
It’s so sad to see the Royal Photos on here,I work there from 1973 until in the cut backs I moved to New Cross in 2000, I worked there for about 2 year’s.Then moved to Scotland in 2001 until 2004 when I came to live in the USA. At the Royal I worked with Margaret Ash, Nancy Davis, Barbara Smith, Doris Banks, Carmella, Anna, Josie,Iris,Margaret,Elaine,Chris Brown,Elsie,Kris Ray, Mureen Potts, Jimmy Dolan. Happy days at the Royal we were all a family, New Cross just a number…
Fantastic site, love looking at all these photos of old derelict sites. Keep up the great work !
im working on the demolition on here and to b honest just to look at the placks on the walls and things lyk that u can tell that it has a lot of history same most of it has been nocked down
Creepy..
very spooky especialy the x ray machine
I also Like Kath Worked Main Kitchen For 13yrs, The Royal Was A Little Family We All Enjoyed Our Work We Were A Close Nit Unit Oh I Wish I Could Turn Back The Clock But Never To Be Again . Ive Just Loooked At The Pictures Of Inside And My Heart Sank , Hope The Can Revive The Old Place
my aunt was a sister at this hospital then transfering to new cross after the closure sadly she passed away last year my brother was also a patient at this hospital. lets hope when they finaly restore it it looks as good as it did those many years ago.
i was a cadet nurse from 1970 -1972 ( sue heath) then trained at rhw from 72-73 IN THE GOOD DAYS OF NURSING ! when respect was in abundance . I am now STILL nursing , and am a sister @ new x breaks ya heart to see these pictures . so so many memories
correction * trained 1972 -1975
Ex worker there used to work in a&e (porter)best days of my life. I was born and raised around the corner rogers chip shop great memories so sad to see the area now
What a shock to see the derelict building.I trained at the Royal, 1957-1960, then stayed for a year. I started working in Fracture room in 1956, as I was too young to start SRN training. I now live in Canada. But having watched the short movie ” Together We Cared” and now this web site, the change is a shock.But I am very proud to say I did my training at the Royal. It was a great place to work and live. It was like a family as everyone knew everyone. Though I don’t know Newcross Hospital, I’m sure it couldn’t have been, or be now, as great a place as was the Royal. My training days were some of the best years of my life. I lived in Codsall,so lived “in” for several months, then moved to a flat. Does anyone remember Sister Dora Martin? Or Matron Ritchie.Mr Benison, Mr Vincent Patrick,Mr or Mrs Dalton, all surgeons. Is anyone around who still remembers the “old” days of the Royal?
I did my basic dental technology training in the Maxillofacial Laboratory from 1980 to 1985, hot as hell in summer (especially with the furnace on) and as cold as a freezer on winter mornings but many happy memories of the place, shame to see it like this.
Nice shots!
The stripe of light is a slow-exposure torch run down the centre of the pic. Look below the stripe and you can just see the photographers feet as he walks along with the light…nothing spooky.
Am trying to get in touch with a Nurse Lorraine Piper who worked at the Royal in 1970. She was wonderful to my son David Mather Smith who had an operation at the Royal and Nurse Piper was his favourite. She did try to find us after David left but did not have time as she was due in Nottingham that day. Any help would be appreciated.
I used to mess around wif my m8s in this hospital a few years back great times. We went down the old maintenance tunnel (not shown in the photos) that was scary! the hospital is being demolished now its just the front thats gona look the same history has definately being lost through redevelopment.
I stopped in the Royal Hospital in the summer of 1976 when I was a little girl, it was a very hot summer that year, but when you’re a kid you don’t feel the heat like adults do. I loved my time there, even though I was very sick to begin with, over the weeks I remember getting better and better, I remember the nurses who nursed me back to health, they were wonderful. I remember being naughty and playing up with all of the other kids and being told off for being too noisy. I remember the music on the radio and every time I hear those songs now, it takes me right back to 1976 and The Royal. When I look at that old hospital now I have the happiest of memories, after all it saved my life and the life of many others, it is a shame to see it go.
hello, i am just wondering if its still possible to get into the royal hospital? i am hoping to get some photos for my art work at uni? if anyone can help me my email is loveandbones@hotmail.co.uk thank you xxx
Such happy times we had there, & such hard work! I trained there 1956-1959 & then worked on Harper Millar as staff nurse till 1963,when my son was born. My husband Eddie was a patient & I met him literally in theatre one!! I do remember you Anne Faulkner, I’m sure I worked with you at sometime. It was a wonderful place to ‘belong’ to.We worked hard but we were as you say like a big family pulling together & supporting each other. I remember Miss Ritchie who was so strict but fair & wern’t we amazed when she got married suddenly!? I remember too Dora Martin, who could forget her, who worked for her- she told me it was nurses like me who would cause the health service to fail! ( I got another roll of plaster out before we finished one!) And who could forgot our larger than life( or so it seemed) surgeons! Mr Heath, Benison, Hutchinson,& Mr Freeman (oh, how he used to swear at us in theatre didn’t he!!) And Dr Sheldon who was such a gentleman even to the most junior of nurses. I worked for many years for Mr Hughes & Mr Clarke who were lovely, but every year they went to the Wales versus Scotland rugby match together, & every year came back not speaking because one of them had lost! Will used to put the fear of God into me, but we are good friends now & correspond every Christmas. My chief memory of Mr Patrick was that when he did a round we all had to stay out of sight in the sluice & the patients couldn’t have any newspapers on the bed till he’d gone! Reading your remarks has revived so many happy memories for me. you are right, they were very, very happy times. ( just remembering too, the porters who were like fathers to us, George, Mr Gilbert & wasn’t it Len who worked in plaster room also Lawson who used to take all the children down for tonsillectomy, all on one trolley singing all the way down through the corridors & underground tunnels to the ENT theatre) Then there was Sister Jones who used to try to mother & fuss us & Sister Alsop too. Its amazing that one place had so many memorable people there at one time & I am very proud to have been a Royal trained nurse from that era. If you see this Anne best wishes & thanks
i worked with sr williams in ent as an oda loved the tonsil train what great parties we had . remember linda scholl , ann armstrong and loads more ann harper matron was it mary graff. best wishes to all
Great memories I worked in ENT as a theatre tech with Ann Williams John Elliott Mr Hughes and Mr Clarke .Great times with the Tonsil train and 20 secs T&As
i worked with sr williams in ent as an oda loved the tonsil train what great parties we had . remember linda scholl , ann armstrong and loads more ann harper matron was it mary graff. best wishes to all
i remember a Gerry Gibbons r u related ? Gerry visited new x a few years bk to see a family member i spoke with him as i didnt think he had altered at all , he showed me his scar ! lol my maiden name was Heath.
i was a patient at the Royal Hospital in 1952 in Darthmouth ward where sister Martin was in charge. A few years later i visited the hospital on a days outing from school and would you believe sister Martin remembered me. I now live in Canada but still remember my stay in hospital as the staff were so kind.
i was a patient at the Royal Hospital in 1952 in Darthmouth ward where sister Martin was in charge. A few years later i visited the hospital on a days outing from school and would you believe sister Martin remembered me. I now live in Canada but still remember my stay in hospital as the staff were so kind.
Does anyone know if this hospital is still standing or if it has been knocked down? and who owns the land? Thanx Louise x
Some of the building is currently being pulled down to make way for a new Tesco, but the main part is being converted into flats. Tesco own the whole site.
The current state of the roysl hospital is a pretty sad and pathetic state. Work grounded to a halt some time ago, and all the tarpaulin that was put up around the old main building resembles tatty flags flapping in the wind. It is a terrible waste and a shame that it has been left half developed whilst it is still an eyesore on the landscape. The same is apparent of the old eye infrimary on the junction of Chapel ash which has been closed for a number of years now. This is a also a listed building and is being left to rot, the council don’t seem to care about old buildings which could be put to good use. they prefer to squander the tax payer’s money on useless projects.
Trained there in 1980. The best days of my life were spent working on Scott/Twentyman ward with Sr. Macari & Co. Mr. Grace, Mr. Williams, Mr.McDougall – the Consultant rounds, crisp white sheets, spick and span cleanliness and the moral was amazing. John (married Grace, a staff nurse there) and Mark, the theatre porters – what are you all doing 30 years later ?
Tesco bought the site but they won’t redevelop it until they have control of the Raglan Street area (which is owned by Sainsbury’s). The development of The Royal depends on the development of Raglan Street.
Wolverhampton City Council ruled in favour of Tesco, made a compulsory purchase order against Sainsbury’s and they’ve been battling through the courts ever since.
When it looked as if Tesco were going to win, they started work on the site and set about demolishing the ungraded parts. Then it all ground to a halt again after yet another appeal from Sainsbury’s, who are understandably miffed at being told to sell prime land to their commercial rivals.
Sainsbury’s have recently won an appeal against the council on a very obscure legal technicality and it doesn’t look as if anything will be resolved soon.
Pity. Both sites are blots on their respective neighbourhoods and someone needs to knock a few heads together.
The x-ray pictures show a siemens CRT/4 Skull unit, if anyone is interested.
I worked in theatre at the Royal for 2 happy years. Most of the surgeons, especially Mr Hutchinson and Mr Young were true gentlemen and brilliant dedictated doctors. I left in 1973 when I got married. It was a pleasure to work there. Everyone knew everyone else. It was a proper ‘gossip shop’ but nice. It’s heartbreaking to see it now.
and how hun never did get married to cheryl moved to leicester left the health service for over twenty five years then went back on the grand parenting scheme love it !
I was in theatres Same time do you remember Chris Stangrooms ,John Hornsby Rocky Harrison one of the best and loveliest female Anaesthetiists I have ever worked with.I was engaged to Cheryl Davies and we went to Leicester together
In January 1938 I was 10 weeks old and was taken into “The Royal”suffering with projectile vomiting I was opperated on by Mr Vincent Patrick The condition was Pyloric Stenosis I have the scar still. This must have been cutting edge surgery. I am thankfull for having had a long and happy life.
Well these pictures of the royal have shocked me, i worked there for a few years up untill it closed, what a shame it ever did. Although the building is old, it had lots of old qualities.Where did the old furniture go to from the doctors rooms, and all the old pictures.What a lovely building it was.
From the age of 3 months up till i was 16yrs of age i had to attend The Royal Hospital on a yearly basis. My Doctor was Dr Evelyn Jones, a wonderfull doctor , but now passed away. Looking at these photos brought so many memories back not what i call happy memories as i was petrified of the Hospital especially going up those concrete steps out side and seeing the Figure of Mother and Child outside the big brown doors. I can remember the little refreshment bar by Dr Jones surgery and the goldfish tank that i loved to watch. As we entered Dr Jones surgery after waiting up to an hour , i remeber him asking questions to my mother then he would send me off into a side small ward where he would come and check me over , with my mother at my side . Dr Evelyn Jones had a nurse to help after all those years from the age of leaving at 16 now im 65 I saw that nurse again at the Eye infirmary she always had a kind face and beautiful skin and still has to this day. We had a wonderfull chat together. I was surprised she realized who i was. So here’s to the Late Dr Evelyn Jones thankyou for all your help.
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Just seen these pics of the old hospital and i must say it is such a shame.
I had a long stay at the hospital as a little girl in 1991 after getting knocked down by a small van. I was on traction for 6 weeks so was bed bound. Altho it was scary being away from my parents i must say i only have good memories of my stay here. The nurses were fab in particular there were 2 student nurses called Jo and Tracy and they were the best even visited me a couple of times after i was discharched and wrote 2 me regular before losing contact with us all moving houses. I always remember watching the little mermaid over and over again think it did the nurses heads in haha and me putting my Jason Donovan posters up haha.
Its horrible to see the hospital in such a sorrid state I hope they renevate it soon.
i worked at the royal from aug 1988 at the age of 18 until 1996 when i tansferred over to new cross where i still am today it was such a good and freindly place to work. I can remember dressing the departments up at christmas for the best dressed department it was so much fun its such ashame it had to close
My mum died at the Royal in 1990 and she was well looked after. Not sure which ward but I remember it was a surgical ward. Used to work in A+ E there only for a short period. Now work in the South West.Its shame about the building it was so nice and a lot of history attatched to it + a few ghosts!!
I worked for the West Midlands RHA but outposted to Wolves. I worked on a number of assignements at the Royal and recall Pat Frost, Lew Payne, Julie Jones and Andy Sims. My abiding memory is working on a nursing study on a ward (can’t remember which one) and everything coming to a halt to watch the Columbia space shuttle land at the end of the first shuttle mission (April 14 1981).
Another memory is of a colleague of mine who didn’t knoiw the area stopping to ask directions form a ‘young lady’ in Steelhouse Lane. She got into the car and was, apparently, most put out to discover all he wanted was, in fact, directions to the Royal!
Great days and a great hospital.
Great place
I took another look at the Royal Hospital. It seems that nothing has changed. No-one has done anything with it. Or have they and I can’t find out about it?
It is still shocking looking at it, when I remember it so well from SRN training days. I read most of the comments from over the years, and all who worked there seem to be of the same opinion…..we were like a family, and all loved working there, no matter how hard you had to work. Some of the names are familiar, I feel I remember you too Janet (nee)Austerberry. I think I had to have worked with you at some time, perhaps Harper Millar, I worked on all of them at some point. Didn’t we all?
I really hope the old place is fixed up, and not torn down. It is a historic building, and should be kept for that reason, as well as the many other reasons from over the years.
As I live in Canada now, I don’t get local news. But occasionally someone will write or email to let me know about the Royal.
If there is anyone out there who does remember me, I trained from 1957 — 1960, though started in 1956 as a pre-nursing student. I worked for a year after graduating on Childrens Ward 2, with Sister Dishman. Dr Everley Jones( now deceased I understand) and Dr Jones( a woman) and Dr’s John Kedwards, Paul Sadler, Ivor Sewell, and others, the housemen. Wonder what happened to them.
Please let me know, my email is harnden03@yahoo.ca
Now that Tesco have brought the site it can only get bad to worse. All they are interested in is building the biggest superstore they can fit on the site. The store will only plague the local area will traffic which will result in safety problems as a lot of child live in the area. The proposed petrol station will further endanger child who play in the park right next to the petrol station. Also, prostution is already a major problem which local authorities are struggling to bring under control however, having a superstore in the area where a huge amount of vehicles will be visiting will only increase the amount of prostution. As i live in the area i know that the local shop did a petition, against the proposal for the above and more reasons, which was signed by more than 3500 people. This figure represents almost 95% of the households in the local area. However the petition was ignored by the council, this can only be for one reason that is that they where bribed by Tesco.