The Birth of Crossley Sanatorium

"On the high ground in the township of Kingswood two hospitals were built for the treatment of tuberculosis.  One hundred years ago this complaint was prevalent in industrial cities and, because it was highly infectious, isolation was essential.  Fresh air treatment was then the only known method of combating the disease."  (Latham, 1991, p. 123)

In the late 1800s Britain's industrial cities were plagued by tuberculosis - it was seen as an endemic disease of the urban poor.  More often than not the disease would be at its most virulent among workers in factories, mills, mines and other industrialised workplaces. 

Sir William Crossley was the owner of a large engineering company in Manchester.  When tuberculosis struck his workforce Crossley provided the funding for one of two hospitals to be built for the treatment of the disease.

The first of the two hospitals to be built was the Liverpool Sanatorium, which was opened in 1901.  This occupied a forty acres site and could house up to fifty patients from Liverpool.

Two years later, construction began on the near-by Manchester Sanatorium, which became known as Crossley Hospital East.  

Opened on March 31st 1905, Crossley Hospital East occupied a 66 acre site with a south-facing aspect at approximately 480 feet above sea level with beautiful views of the adjoining Delamere Forest, the Cheshire plains and distant Welsh and Peak District mountain ranges.

"This impressive building, with a facade of 300 feet and three storey's high, could take 100 patients."  (Latham, 1991, p. 123)

The location of the hospital, a site on the North-Western corner of Delamere forest was chosen by Sir William Crossley because of it's isolated location and beautiful surroundings.

Patients at the hospital were encouraged to be as active as possible, therefore, bed-treatment was used no longer than necessary.  

"[Patients] were encouraged to be mobile, feed in the dining hall and walk in the wooded grounds.  Treatment involved a long stay, often up to two years, so camaraderie was built up despite long absences from home."  (Latham, 1991, p. 123 & p. 124)

Operational Life

The building contained two large recreation/day rooms, a spacious dining hall, wards for four or six beds, single bed rooms, bath and douche rooms, an operating theatre, x-ray room, dark room, research block, and a nurses' home.

"Both hospitals [Liverpool Sanatorium and Crossley Hospital East] were, of necessity, separate self-contained units with their own medical superintendents in charge and houses for nurses and other staff."  (Latham, 1991, p. 123 & p. 124)

The Sanatorium also housed a large chapel to the rear of the building in which a Church of England chaplain would conduct Divine service on Sundays.

The Crossley site also housed a number of ancillary buildings including stables, a laboratory, a mortuary and morgue, engine and pump houses, a laundry and kitchens. 

In the grounds, there were numerous shelters, some fixed and others revolving.  Patients were transported from their wards to these shelters with the intention of providing fresh air and sunlight to the patients.  These shelters also featured tables and electric lights, so that patients could sit out and read on dark evenings.  

The circular, carousel-like loungers could be revolved to follow the course of the sun throughout the day.

The Decline of Sanatoria

In 1946 the development of the drug streptomycin provided the means to cure most patients and gradually the need for large scale sanatoria declined.  

The progressive use of streptomycin in combination with new surgical techniques left many empty beds at Crossley Hospital East.  From this period until the mid 1960s, Crossley Hospital East was used for specialist cases of tuberculosis and as a relief centre for overcrowded hospitals in the surrounding area - with patients now staying for weeks as opposed to years.

The Downfall of the Hospital

As the need for sanatoria decreased, the health authorities found several alternate uses for Crossley Hospital East.  From the late 1960s the hospital was used primarily as a care home for the elderly until the early 1980s when Crossley Hospital East spent a very brief period as a specialist psychiatric and recuperative hospital.  However, changes in the treatment of the mentally ill and the restructuring of Britain's health care system meant that many of these facilities were no longer required.

To that end, from the late 1980s the Crossley Hospital premises were leased out privately, hence why Crossley Hospital lived out it's final years as a boarding school known as Kingswood College - the brainchild of Kenneth Taylor.  Sadly, financial problems forced Kingswood College and it's day nursery to close in 1991 after only two years.  From then until the Summer of 2006 the hospital lay derelict, surrounded by forest and the Cheshire countryside.  The redevelopment of the Crossley Hospital site is due to begin in Autumn 2006.