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Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Heritage Trail 17 - Salt's Hospital


'Continue downhill until you reach the crossroads, where the former Hospital building stands at the corner.'  This hospital was originally built to treat injuries sustained by workers in the mill.  There was a surgery on the mill site but the Infirmary was equipped for surgical operations and when it opened in 1868 it had nine beds.  It started off as a two storey building but it began to treat patients in the local community, as well as mill workers, and a third storey was added in 1909. (Looking at it now you would never realise that.) 

It continued as a hospital until 1979, when it became a retirement home.  I have vivid memories of going at Christmas with a group from my church to sing carols for the elderly people.  It was homely, but blessed with that beige/pale green paint style so beloved of institutional living.  More recently it was converted into quite stylish apartments.  Some of them make use of the very high ceilings by having mezzanine floors.

Incidentally, in the background of the picture you can see the top of Salts Mill chimney, indicating where our 'virtual walk' around Saltaire's Heritage Trail has taken us in relation to the mill.

[No 15 on the street plan]

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