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Burnley General Hospital. Lancashire
As a patient at this hospital, i thought it'd be rude not to investigate the few buildings that are currently being demolished. So wearing my mismatched NHS issue pyjamas, slippers and hobbling about on my crutches, i set off from the ward I only managed to get around the ground floor due to the demolition guys working on the upper floors. These buildings were once part of the Burnley workhouses. The workhouses covered a 10-acre site and housed around 500 inmates including men, women and children Burnley's workhouse was one of the latest of these uncompromising Victorian institutions It was built in 1873 with the first inmates entering in 1876. Still seen from Briercliffe Road, this would have housed the master and matron's accommodation as well as that of the unfortunate residents. An infirmary was built around the same time, which stood on the site of the current Phase 5 building. It treated those too sick or too weak to work. In the workhouse buildings, long dank corridors were originally punctuated by railings to segregate the men and women. Walking down these corridors, you only have to close your eyes to imagine the streams of desperate people trudging to their chores. ( no doubt in fear of an unforgiving Master ) The women possibly made matches, which were later sold in Burnley by the girls. Inmates of other workhouses were known to unpick ropes, which is where the expression "money from old rope" comes from. Attitudes were a lot different in Victorian England, but Burnley's workhouse may have been more pleasant than many of that time. There was no courtyard for instance, and many gardens, so the inmates would have been a lot more free. However, Burnley's workhouse would still have been a very unforgiving place. Inmates had to wear uniforms and unmarried mothers were forced to wear yellow as a badge of shame. Moving on to more recent times, the buildings up for demolition were used for A few In-Patient Wards Out-Patient Day Clinics Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Department Surgical Appliances Hospital Radio Hospital Hairdresser Social Workers Consultant / Staff Offices 
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© Chewy's Urban Exploration - 2008 |