St Nicholas Hospital is an

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociat ...

located in

Gosforth Gosforth is a suburb of the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It constituted a separate urban district from 1895 until 1974 before officially merging with the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2001, it had a populati ...

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

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, UK. The entrance is located on Jubilee Road. The buildings range from Victorian-era to modern facilities and occupies of land. It is managed by

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest mental health and disability Trusts in England employing more than 7,000 staff, serving a population of approximately 1.7 million, providing services across an ar ...

History

Early history

As Newcastle upon Tyne did not have a hospital for mentally ill patients of its own, a new asylum was proposed in

Coxlodge Coxlodge is an area situated between Fawdon, Gosforth and Kenton in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. History By order of the Local Government Board on 20 September 1872, the parishes of South Gosforth and Coxlodge were constituted into an urba ...

, where a farmstead known as Dodd's Farm was purchased. In 1864 initial plans were drawn up, and William Lambie Moffatt was appointed architect. The facility opened as Newcastle upon Tyne Borough Lunatic Asylum in July 1869 and became the Newcastle upon Tyne City Lunatic Asylum in 1882. Some of the first patients were transferred from Bensham Asylum as Durham County Magistrates had refused to renew the contract of that facility. In 1884 permission was granted to extend the hospital, and the East and West Pavilions were completed in 1887. These allowed an additional 80 patients to be admitted. The asylum steadily grew, with more buildings were erected. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

the patients were evacuated and the hospital became Northumberland No. 1 War Hospital for wounded soldiers, who were brought there by train. The facility reverted to serving as an asylum again in 1921. In 1948 the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

took over the hospital and changed the name to St Nicholas Hospital. A new admissions unit called the Collingwood Clinic was opened in 1956. The site of the former Collingwood Clinic is now used by Gosforth Community Fire Station and

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. In 1986 a church that had been located within the hospital grounds burned down. The area used by the church is now occupied by the 1994-built Ashgrove Nursing Home.

Recent history

Work to build an extension, the Bamburgh Clinic, on the site of a former

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, at a cost of £22 million started in November 2004 and was completed in April 2006. The new clinic is bordered by residential properties and a

Northumberland Wildlife Trust Northumberland Wildlife Trust was established in 1971 (following a split from the ''Northumberland & Durham Trust'', established 1962) to help conserve and protect the wildlife of Northumberland, Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside in the UK ...

wildlife centre and office. In 2009 the Greentrees unit and the Lennox Ward were renovated at a cost of circa £8 million. The renovation of these Victorian hospital buildings was one of eight projects short-listed from 20 entries for the Best Design in the Community Benefit category of the

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North-East Renaissance Awards..

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, 2 April 2009

Jubilee Theatre

The hospital also includes the

Jubilee Theatre The Jubilee Theatre, is a grade II listed building theatre. It opened in 1899 in St Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. History The Victorian theatre was opened on 30 May 1900. It features a proscenium arch of Doulton ...

, a theatre which opened in 1899. Currently the theatre is primarily used by two groups: Juniper Productions (founded 1998) a drama group for sufferers of mental health difficulties, and since 1992, an external theatre company, First Act Theatre.

Bibliography

References

External links

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Nicholas Hospital Hospital buildings completed in 1869 NHS hospitals in England Teaching hospitals in England Hospitals established in 1864 Hospitals in Tyne and Wear Psychiatric hospitals in England 1864 establishments in England