ROYAL VICTORIA HOSPITAL
The Hospital Chapel - all that remains of the Military Hospital
The Chapel is all that remains of the massive 435m long
three storey Royal Victoria Military Hospital.
Built on a site purchased for £15,000, Queen Victoria laid
the foundation stone on 19th May 1856. The 2 tonne Welsh granite stone was laid
above a copper casket containing the plans of the hospital, the first Victoria
Cross, a silver Crimea medal with all four campaign bars, and coins of the
realm. The stone bore the
inscription:
‘This stone was laid on the 19th day of May
in the year of our Lord, 1856, by Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, Queen of
Great Britain and Ireland as the foundation stone of the Victoria Military
Hospital intended for the reception of the sick and wounded soldiers of her
Army.’
The building was completed at a cost of £350,000 in 1863 (Around £24 Million in today's money). As with most hospitals since, it was over budget and late.
Royal Victoria Military Hospital
Although visually grand and attractive, it was neither convenient nor practical. Florence Nightingale was highly critical of the design and with help from Lord Palmerston tried to get changes made. Little was done however to meet the criticisms. Lord Palmerston is reputed to have commented that 'the comfort and recovery of the patients had been sacrificed to make a building that would cut a dash when looked at from Southampton Water.'
Queen Victoria was a frequent visitor to the hospital, arriving by boat at the pier erected out into Southampton Water, The 170m long pier was built in 1865 to receive ships bringing back war casualties. It was made redundant when a new railway line was built in 1900 to link the hospital with the main line at Netley.
It is estimated that some 50,000 patients were treated at the hospital during the First World War.
In 1944, the hospital was taken over by United States Forces and 68,000 patients were treated over an eighteen month period.
After the end of the war, the hospital continued to care for those returning from overseas service, but the high cost of running the building eventually led to its closure in 1958.
In June 1963, a serious fire, probably started by vandals in the now dilapidated building, badly damaged the structure, and its fate was settled. In 1966 the bulldozers moved in.
The psychiatric hospital remained open until 1978
In 1979 Hampshire County Council purchased the grounds and buildings.
In May 1980 the Hospital grounds were opened to the public as the Royal Victoria Country Park.
Apart from the Royal Chapel, the Officers Mess building remains and has been turned into luxury apartments.
Further information about the hospital can be found in the book
"Spike Island: The Memory of a Military Hospital" by Philip Hoare.