Abandoned Hampshire: Hospital- New Forest
The hospital was originally built as a workhouse in 1836, with space for 200 inmates. In 1841 there were 131 people living in the workhouse, including 77 children. After the foundation of the NHS in 1948 the site was used to care for the elderly. The abandoned and accessible part of the site was built much more recently. The hospital closed in 2013, though judging by the condition, it seems that this particular building was in use until fairly recently.
Urban Exploration
This was a freshly abandoned hospital building in the heart of the New Forest. The alarm on the building had been disarmed just days before our visit, as shown on the control panel as we entered. The corridors were still clinically clean and still smelt like a hospital. The door to the building was conveniently propped open by an old towel. Part of the hospital is still a live site- a maternity care unit. The area was bustling with people coming and going, so we had to be very cautious as we explored the abandoned part of the site.
On arriving at the site, we quickly walked through a gap in the fencing, trying not to attract the attention of the many walkers ambling around this New Forest village. We crept around the building and entered through the open door. Many of the abandoned building’s windows overlooked the bustling active site that was just metres away. This gave exploring the site a risky feel. Other than the toilets and sinks filled with sandbags to keep rats out, the empty rooms and slight signs of damage, you wouldn’t know this building was abandoned. The building seems to have been used as offices and an education facility. There were posters still pinned on notice boards and half-cleaned notes still visible on whiteboards. In contrast to the emptiness of most rooms, a small store room was filled with laptops, folders and a projector.
Future of this Abandoned Hampshire Hospital
The building is now secured and alarmed, with no access possible. Plans are in place to demolish this building and some of the surrounding buildings on the hospital site. It is set to become a care home with 70 beds. The maternity unit will be extended to include a “family health and wellbeing centre,” which will include a cafe.
Last Updated on 3 March 2023 by Michael
