Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Cottage hospital built in 1894 as a memorial to Dr David Livingstone and H. Stanley laid the foundation stone. Major extensions were carried out to the south from 1910.

Monument Types

• COTTAGE HOSPITAL (Post Medieval - 1894 AD to 1894 AD (post))

Full description

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Hospital founded as a memorial to David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and traveller. The foundation stone was laid by Henry Morton Stanley who had been sent to "find" Livingstone. The hospital was designed by the local architect G. H. Tait and the builders were J. G. Naylor and Son.

Originally built as a small cottage hospital with 18 beds with two distinct blocks connected by a covered way at the centre. The plan is more reminiscent of fever hospitals than general hospitals. The administration block was at the front, facing north onto East Hill. The south block with the wards was to the rear. The admin block was largely of one storey with a two storey central section. On the ground floor were the kitchen, pantry and scullery to the east, and stores to the rear. The main entrance was set between two bay-windowed rooms. The upper floor contained three bedrooms for staff.

The single-storey south block was planned symmetrically with a central entrance from the covered way into a large lobby giving access to the two main wards; eight beds each one for males and the other for females. The nurses' duty room was placed in the centre behind the lobby and off this were two single bedded special wards, one to the east and one to the west. At the time the wards were criticized for providing imperfect lighting and ventilation due to the location of the special wards and lobbies. In 1910 a children's ward was added raising the number of beds to 40. A large pavillion ward wing was added on a north-south axis with sanitary annexes, separated by cross-ventilated lobbies, set at an angle across the south corners. Further additions were made after the First World War. A maternity ward and night clinic were added in 1933 and a rebuilding programme began in 1937.

In 1948 the hospital was transferred to the NHS and continues in use. (1,2)

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury Sites and Monuments Record, 64 (Index). SWX11836.

<2> RCHME, 1993, Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England: Compilation of Kent Hospitals Record Sheets (Unpublished document). SKE6841.

Sources and further reading