Alderley, Disley, Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
In July 2000 the Devonshire Royal Hospital (Fig. 1) closed its doors to patients for the last time and so brought to an end an era of care of the infirm extending over many centuries.
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Early history
The Romans first discovered and used the mineral springs at Buxton, but after their departure these were neglected and were not revived until the reign of Elizabeth 1. Mary Queen of Scots stayed in the Old Hall Hotel on at least four occasions for relief of her rheumatism in the thermal baths and recorded her satisfaction by scratching on a window with her diamond the following couplet: Buxtona, Quau calidae celebrabere nomine lymphae, Forte mihi postac non aduenda, vale.
The welfare and treatment of the sick poor, with increasing emphasis on medical supervision, was conducted under the auspices of the Buxton Bath Charity. A report of the Charity dated September 13th 1785 provided that:
1. No inhabitant of Buxton or any place within 7 miles distance from Buxton was permitted to partake of the Charity.
2. No person should be relieved during the months of November to April.
3. During the remaining 6 months not more than 16 objects (sic) at one time should be relieved by the Charity.
4. No patient was permitted to be admitted more than once during the season nor relieved by the Charity for a longer period than 5 weeks.
5. No patient was relieved with a greater sum than 6 shillings per week.
The building
In 1798 the Duke of Devonshire built a range of magnificent stables, in the form of an irregular octagon, with stalls for 110 horses and an inner circular exercising ground 164 feet in diameter. Within this area is a circle of columns forming a colonnade 13 feet wide around the inner space.
In 1858, with increasing need for the provision of shelter for those journeying to Buxton for treatment, the Duke of Devonshire allowed the building to be converted to a hospital and its doors were opened for the reception of patients in 1859.
The remaining buildings, the hot baths in George Street, together with the grounds were conveyed to the trustees by the Duke of Devonshire in 1878, and in 1881 the great dome was added to provide cover and to enclose the whole of the central area. This was made possible by a grant of £24 000 from the Cotton Famine Relief Fund in recognition of services rendered to distressed cotton operatives from northern mill towns during the American Civil War.
The dome has an internal diameter of 154 feet and was the largest unsupported structure of its kind in the world until the construction of the Sportsdrome in Houston, Texas.
Extensions were made and additional buildings acquired in the years 1899, 1921, 1931 and 1946 and in 1934 King George V gave his permission for the hospital to be known as the Devonshire Royal Hospital.
In 1916 new baths were acquired within the hospital building, which consisted initially of immersion baths for a single patient. In 1958 these were replaced by a deep pool and this together with spray massage and the whirlpool baths continued to be supplied with spring water at a constant temperature of 28°C. A continuous supply of spring water was available in the dome for many years; nowadays devotees are frequently to be seen at St Ann's Well filling their plastic bottles. Alternatively, they may purchase it already bottled by an internationally known company.
National Health Service
With the advent of the NHS in 1948 the scope of treatment widened and medical supervision improved further. At this time the hospital had 250 beds with an additional 50 beds for amenity patients in the Annexe, housed in the eastern half of the crescent, and the resident medical staff comprised one registrar and one house officer.
Close ties were established with teaching hospitals, consultants posts in rheumatology, rehabilitation and orthopaedics were created jointly with the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Withington Hospital and Stockport Infirmary, and the Rheumatism Research Unit at Manchester University sent their long-stay patients to the hospital.
In the latter decades of the twentieth century the hospital became a designated regional rehabilitation centre, the operating theatre was built with a laminar airflow system to facilitate joint replacement surgery and a 12-bed unit for rehabilitation after severe head injury was opened.
Simultaneously, the number of beds in the hospital was gradually reduced, outlying buildings were sold to reduce costs and eventually it was decided to close the hospital in line with the concept that all medical services should be near to the population they serve.
The hospital, now a grade 2 listed building, has been acquired by the University of Derby and will be devoted to the study of hotel management and catering.