It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

HER Number:	TQ 57 NW 46
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Orchard Hospital, Joyce Green, Dartford

Summary

Temporary small pox hospital established by the Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) in 1902. Designed by the Borad's architects, A & C Harrison, and provided 800 beds in single storeyed hutted ward ward pavilions. It was never used for smallpox cases, but was adapted as a general fever hospital and used fitfully until it was largely destroyed by bombs in the Second Word War

Grid Reference:	TQ 54390 76436
Map Sheet:	TQ57NW
Parish:	DARTFORD, DARTFORD, KENT

Monument Types

INFECTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITAL (Modern - 1902 AD to 1915 AD (between))
MILITARY HOSPITAL (Closed, Modern - 1915 AD? to 1918 AD? (at some time))
INFECTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITAL (Burnt down, Modern - 1918 AD? to 1945 AD? (between))

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

Orchard hospital, nr Dartford built by Metropolitan Asylums Board as temporary fever hospital in 1901-2 (architects A & C Harston), sister hospital of Joyce Green (TQ 57 NW 45) and Long Reach (TQ 57 NW 83). It provided 800 beds in two rows of single storey ward huts on N-S axis linked by covered ways. Admin block at W end, female staff at N end, male staff to S with isolation wards. Wood huts with corrugated roofs. Built as epidiemic smallpox hospital, not used till WW1 when it became the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital and again in WW2 when it was used to house nurses evacuated from London and under the Emergency Medical Scheme for air raid casualties and wounded form Dunkirk. Late in war it was almost entirely destoryed by incendiary and V-1 flying bombs. The remaining huts were adapted for farm use. It was linked to the Thames and the other "River Hospitals" by a tramway (TQ 57 NW 102)(1) Farm building situated in SE corner of site, now (1993) disused, c12 small brick buildings also standing and areas of compacted gravel surfaces visible marking the location of former ward blocks. A long backfilled open drain-like structure observed on the W edge of site, poss connecting to the farm buildings (2). Site photographs (3-18).

Orchard Military Convalescent Hospital (1200 beds) used as Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Hospital from May 1915 - handed over to Australian military authorities in Aug 1916.

Hazel Basford, 2004, Kent VAD - the work of voluntary aid detachments in Kent during the first World War (Unpublished document). SKE31644.

<1> RCHME, 1993, Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England: Compilation of Kent Hospitals Record Sheets, RCHME Report 1994 (Unpublished document). SKE6841.

<2> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, MOLAS 1993 Uni of Greenwich N Dartford Campus Assesment (desk based) (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<3> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9642.

<4> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9643.

<5> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9685.

<6> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9688.

<7> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9712.

<8> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9713.

<9> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9766.

<10> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9767.

<11> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9770.

<12> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9771.

<13> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9781.

<14> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10032.

<15> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10044.

<16> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10049.

<17> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10051.

<18> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10054.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref.	Source description
---	Unpublished document: Hazel Basford. 2004. Kent VAD - the work of voluntary aid detachments in Kent during the first World War.
<1>	Unpublished document: RCHME. 1993. Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England: Compilation of Kent Hospitals Record Sheets. RCHME Report 1994.
<2>	Miscellaneous Material: Not applicable. SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry. MOLAS 1993 Uni of Greenwich N Dartford Campus Assesment (desk based).
<3>	Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 1105. print.
<4>	Photograph (Print): 1946. Photograph. 1107. print.
<5>	Photograph (Print): 1945. Photograph. 6033. print.
<6>	Photograph (Print): 1945. Photograph. 6062. print.
<7>	Photograph (Print): 1945. Photograph. 3086. print.
<8>	Photograph (Print): 1945. Photograph. 3097. print.
<9>	Photograph (Print): 1947. Photograph. 6120. print.
<10>	Photograph (Print): 1947. Photograph. 6117. print.
<11>	Photograph (Print): 1947. Photograph. 6149. print.
<12>	Photograph (Print): 1947. Photograph. 6147. print.
<13>	Photograph (Print): 1947. Photograph. 6052. print.
<14>	Photograph (Print): 1944. Photograph. 4010. print.
<15>	Photograph (Print): 1944. Photograph. 4131. print.
<16>	Photograph (Print): 1944. Photograph. 4019. print.
<17>	Photograph (Print): 1944. Photograph. 3215. print.
<18>	Photograph (Print): 1944. Photograph. 4267. print.

Related records

TQ 57 NW 102

Parent of: River Hospitals Tramway, Joyce Green (Monument)