[Please Not - These image have been moved and can be found: HERE (http://www.level-two.co.uk/gallery.php?locname=infirmary)]


The Royal Liverpool Infirmary (designed by Alfred Waterhouse) closed in 1978 and was unused until 1994 when the University of Liverpool bought

it. Some of it is used as department/lecture buildings, there is a doctors surgery at the front and some other admin offices, and a conference

center.

I noticed not long ago that a large proportion of the building was unused, and it looked particularly interesting with its Gothic architecture

and circular ward blocks. With some help, I managed to get a look inside in March this

year...

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/a4.jpg

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/a7.jpg

By the time the infirmary was built, the area around Brownlow Hill, Brownlow Street and Pembroke Place had become a 'medical quarter' - here had

existed the first two Liverpool Infirmaries along with the lunatic asylum and maternity hospital. Also the nearby School of Medicine and nurses homes

presented more reasons to build the new infirmary here.

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9890.jpg
One of the main corridors running across the hospital


When finished in 1889, the hospital included an impressive range of facilities. These included a

chapel, mortuary, administration block, kitchens eight pavilion-style wards and two blocks of circular

wards.

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9893.jpg

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9900.jpg

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9930.jpg
Staircases in the infirmary


The hospital was extended

in 1909-1911 with the addition of the outpatients department. Although not designed by Waterhouse, it was created in the same style, and today nicely matches

the former administration block.

During the design stage, Waterhouse had consulted with Florence Nightingale who was of the opinion that ventilation

was of upmost importance. Consequently all the wards were designed with this in mind, using a draft system to draw fresh air from the outside into the ward

and then up through an outer flue in the fire place. The rather unique circular ward blocks were created to give more room and light to patients, and one of

these blocks remains in 'original' condition.

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9973.jpg
A ward in the circular

'F' block

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9942.jpg
Standard pavilion-style 'Nightingale' ward


The

interior of the infirmary was beautifully decorated with glazed brickwork, and is similar in style to the Tate Hall in the University of Liverpool's

Victoria Building (also designed by Waterhouse).

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9931.jpg
Entrance to ward

1

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9940.jpg
Missing floor in 'B' block


Of particular interest in the

hospital are the bed plaques. Originally the hospital was voluntarily run, and so funding was a problem. Wealthy Liverpudlians sometimes made donations to

the hospital, sponsoring a bed. The remaining wall-mounted plaques give us a clue as to who was being treated in the hospital at various times. Unfortunately

some of the plaques were damaged when the hospital was taken over by the NHS - when fitting wall lamps, they simply drilled and screwed into the

plaques!

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9916.jpg
Plaque showing donation by Bruce Ismay, Chief Engineer on

Titanic

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9934.jpg
Dennis Bayley Fund donation


Some evidence of

sanitation facilities remains, with some toilets and a rather eerie looking shower still there. Aside from this, most fittings have been removed from the

hospital, including the mortuary and chapel

interiors.

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9952.jpg

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9971.jpg

I expect before long the rest of the hospital will be converted, so I hope to try and get back in there. Although the University

are preserving the original brickwork and layout, it will never be quite the same. I just wish I'd had a look round in 1994 when it was still totally

empty...

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9935.jpg

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9929.jpg

Thanks to the 'Liverpool Royal Infirmary - A History' booklet produced by the University of Liverpool for

information

http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9952.jpg

Who farted?:eek:



http://www.forties-design.co.uk/photos/rli/Dscf9971.jpg

Wahey, Private reading booth.:PDT_Aliboronz_24:

Thanks for these pics snapps. I love this type of interior decor, al very scary. Fantastic pics :PDT_Aliboronz_24: . Its great to see these

unseen parts of our beautiful city explored and shared :celb (23):

I wonder how those Toilets were destroyed like that!:Colorz_Grey_PDT_16:

Probably by an idiot with a sledgehammer.

Having said that, I smashed a toilet with a sledgehammer once, and it was really satisfying...

If I had used that toilet, it wouldn't exist no more.:eek:

Sledgehammer smashing is fun

though.

Excellent stuff, brings back memories that, in 95 I think it was I did the security there for Amec who had the contract for the redevelopment of part of the hospital which produced the Primary Day Care centre, opposite the Dental Hospital. I had 12 months to explore the whole of the hospital including the tunnels underneath the hospital, never seen a ghost once (lol) I remember one night exploring the tunnels by tourchlight, for some reason my dobberman dog would not venture down there and would wait at the top of a spiral staircase which led down to the tunnels. On this particular occasion I found a room off one of the passageways of the tunnel, shone my light into the room and there was one of those very large old wooden wheelchairs sat in front of an opened insinerator door :shock: time to go I thought (lol)

mr snappel

you are my hero!!!!

you should have an mbe for what you do!

Snappel you're a legend those pictures are quality mate.:PDT_Piratz_26:

snappel, I agree, looks great. Another building with a great interior similar in style was the Precot St. police station, is that still there?

snappel, I agree, looks great. Another building with a great interior similar in style was the Precot St. police station, is that still there?

By where the Royal hospital is? if so there's no police station there.

Shame that, it was a nice old building. Used to be a big pub next door called the Blue Ball had a blue light just like the cop shop.

i thought the infirmary was used by the Uni....am i thinking of something else??

On this particular occasion I found a room off one of the passageways of the tunnel, shone my light into the room and there was one of those very large old wooden wheelchairs sat in front of an opened insinerator door :shock: time to go I thought (lol)Interesting information. Most Victorian hospitals were built with heating/service ducts underneath them, and I've had several adventures in them at other locations, getting my feet nearly frozen off in cold water and smacking my head on low pipes and beams!!

Is this the incinerator you found?

http://www.level-two.co.uk/reports/images/infirmary/Dscf9871.jpg

EDIT: In fact, I should say this isn't an incinerator, it was an oven used for sterilising instruments. Still, might have been the thing you found?

i thought the infirmary was used by the Uni....am i thinking of something else??

You are right, they own it but only use part of it from what I understand.

ooohh i see.
it's weird,half of me wants people to use these buildings and make them all lovely again, but the other half of me desperately wants them to be preserved as they are so people like us can go 'ahhhhh' and 'ooohhh' when we find broken lavs, and old plaques and things...

i am torn!

snappel, I agree, looks great. Another building with a great interior similar in style was the Precot St. police station, is that still there?

It was, very recently.
It was called the Bridewell.
I'll check & take a photo if it is still there

You are right, they own it but only use part of it from what I understand.Yes, that's right - they use part of it for a conference centre, part of it for lecturing/admin, and the front part is now the Brownlow Hill Group Practice (NHS).

MissInformed - I know how you feel. I suppose it's nice if things stay original for as long as possible, but then when they have to be changed it's better to be converted than demolished. In fact, we're lucky the Infirmary has survived like this - if it had been bought by a property development company, etc, in 1994 instead of the University it would have been long since converted.

i know Snappel!
I love the romance of the old buildings...it's so fabulous you doing what you do!

The Infirmary pics remind me of the Elephant Man film. The old Victorian corridors... just amazing

i know Snappel!
I love the romance of the old buildings...it's so fabulous you doing what you do!

The Infirmary pics remind me of the Elephant Man film. The old Victorian corridors... just amazing

They are the stuff nightmares are made of. :shock:

:neutral: they probably are kev!
i was just born in the wrong time i think!!

What will happen to all the fixtures and signs and plaques when the infirmary is converted?
would love one of those signs!:)

aeriel pic of infirmary

Oh, there are worse places! Try rows of seclusion cells with thick wooden window-less doors, beds with straps, ECT machines and x-rays of skulls with holes in them...

EDIT: I should say, other places means other hospitals, not elsewhere in the Infirmary - nothing of that kind exists there as far as I know!!

http://www.level-two.co.uk/reports/images/infirmary/Dscf9871.jpg

That could be very well what I saw, was the wheelchair there?? (lol) I remember the hospital was split up into two sections, the section which was being redeveloped by Amec for the NHS I think it was, and the remainder of the hospital I think belonged to the university as there Security used to patrol the nurses accomodation adjacent to the hospital. There was lots of paperwork, books and letters on the floors of the wards, I found many letters from parents giving permission for the 'Surgeon' to operate on their child.

It never occured to me at the time to take photographs before the redevelopment got underway, but I recall the architects from Amec constantly snapping away, the project manager at the time was a Mr. David Robinson of Amec Design & Management, i'm sure tucked away somewhere in their offices are plenty of photo's should they wish to share.

ooohhh...maybe one of us should try to contact them...

Ok, I've written them a letter - I'll let everyone know if/what there response is.

Thanks again for the info GhostSearch.

fantastic detective work people...
keep us informed snappel!!

The contract for Amec was

The Liverpool Royal Infirmary Development - Phase 1
Pembroke Place Liverpool L3 5JZ

Attached is a pic of the infirmary from LCC Archives, plus one below I took of the top.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/391098386_45e1b50560.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/391098386/)

Thats not actually the royal that Kev mate. The building with the tower was actually purpose built for the University and was the first 'Red brick university'. Easy to confuse though as both this and the Royal were designed by the same architect, Alfred Waterhouse. Same man who designed the seaman's orphanage in Newsham park and the Northwestern hotel on the front of Lime street station (Aswell as Manchester town hall and St Pancras hotel in London.:) Love the picture of the tower with the cathedral behind. Shame it's not of the Lutyen's cathedral eh. That tower would have fitted in the arch of the entrance porch according to Lutyens.

Now I've looked at it again I realize its the other side! :PDT_Xtremez_42:

Thats not actually the royal that Kev mate. The building with the tower was actually purpose built for the University and was the first 'Red brick university'. Easy to confuse though as both this and the Royal were designed by the same architect, Alfred Waterhouse. Same man who designed the seaman's orphanage in Newsham park and the Northwestern hotel on the front of Lime street station (Aswell as Manchester town hall and St Pancras hotel in London.:) Love the picture of the tower with the cathedral behind. Shame it's not of the Lutyen's cathedral eh. That tower would have fitted in the arch of the entrance porch according to Lutyens.

Don't forget the Turner Home, St Edmunds College, all the Prudential Buildings and the Natural History Museum in London, to name a few more.
And he was born in Aigburth! :)

If anyone wants to know what's in the clocktower, you can see some photos here (http://www.level-two.co.uk/gallery.php?locname=victoria). Fortunately for me, during renovation work a while back the tower door was left open, but since then it's been locked up again. Shame, as I'd love to get back now I've got a decent camera...

Second try

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/406903037_4a5b11836a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/406903037/)

How come all of these buildings look so much better now than they did when they were everyday sights?

In 1951 I was an apprentice in the George Holt Physics building at the university. Our building backed onto the Royal Infirmary property and everytime I looked out of the window I must have seen all of this architecture. I even went to the Emergency once with a cut finger.

Of course, our gaze may have been diverted by the fact that we could see into the windows of the Nurses Residence. The young ladies were not very careful about drawing their curtains, so it was fairly common at shift change time to get a good view of the "activities". Now, in my defence, I must add that we were at the ground level so did not spend a lot of time at this. However, the lab boys and technicians at higher levels in the buildings knew the best windows and times for viewing. I'm surprised the building did fall over with the uneven weight as they clustered at the upper rear windows.

One of my chores in those days was to repair the bandsaw blades for the near-by Anatomy department. They were used to cut up cadavers and other assorted body parts, many of which came from the Infirmary. The young lady who did most of the cutting was always trying to get me to watch her at work whenever I returned her blades. We also used to observe her scurrying out of the back door of the Infirmary with brown paper wrapped parcels, which no doubt contained the "bits and pieces" she provided to the medical students.

Fascinating stories! The "activities" sound interesting!!

The mortuary was by the boiler house where the big chimney is, and so that's probably where she would've worked. Unfortunately both the boiler house and mortuary have been stripped out now...

I think that they should just leave it as it is and let people of like mind to us just wander round it and let their imaginations run wild!

We also used to observe her scurrying out of the back door of the Infirmary with brown paper wrapped parcels, which no doubt contained the "bits and pieces" she provided to the medical students.
Was that the back-door by the boiler house?

I remember going into the old Royal back in 1977 when I had been mugged. I was suffering from delusions there for three days before they blue lighted me to Walton.

I like this beautiful building and old schools in the same character. I think Liverpool has shot itself in the foot by getting rid of so much of such architecture, that it bleeds like an open wound.

My old school was a classic example of this architecture, Heyworth Street c.p. Pity it has been swallowed up by Everton Park

How come all of these buildings look so much better now than they did when they were everyday sights?
...
I think one of the reasons was, as I recall it (ie totally unreliable) that back then in the fifties the buildings were all coloured dark grey to black. At the time I did not realise that many were red underneath, the black being from the smoke of wartime fires during the Christmas and May blitz, years before I was born.

My brother used to work in the labs behind the Royal Infirmary around 1960 feeding, mucking out and slicing up labs rats and preparing microscope slides for the medical students.

I think one of the reasons was, as I recall it (ie totally unreliable) that back then in the fifties the buildings were all coloured dark grey to black. At the time I did not realise that many were red underneath, the black being from the smoke of wartime fires during the Christmas and May blitz, years before I was born.

The black buildings were caused by everyone burning coal for heat not by WW2.

Fascinating stories! The "activities" sound interesting!!

The mortuary was by the boiler house where the big chimney is, and so that's probably where she would've worked. Unfortunately both the boiler house and mortuary have been stripped out now...

My dad worked on the boilers at Walton hospital for many years. Sometimes the boilermen helped load stuff into the incinerators, and he said they often handled these parcels and bags of bits & pieces to be burned.
The remnants of operations and suchlike :eek:

Someone has to do it though.