Prestwich Hospital
(Lancashire Lunatic Asylum)


Clifton Lodge Entrance

The land chosen for the Hospital is in an area first known as Prestwich Wood in 1652. The land was owned by Thomas Compton until his death in 1776, when Nathaniel Milne bought the land, which then came into the possession of his son, Oswald in 1847.

The Hospital was opened in 1851 to accomodate 500 patients, and originally built to face West with the main entrance on Clifton Road. In 1863 it was extended to accommodate afurther 560 patients and in 1884 the Annex was built.


Females Block, The Annexe.

The Annex was built to house 1,100 patients and was served by bus due to it's distance from the main Hospital Site. By 1903 the site could handle 3,135 patients from Salford,Manchester and South Lancashire, of which 50 per cent recovered and 6.57 per cent died.


Bury New Road Entrance

Originally the back entrance of the Hospital, the clock tower was actually a water tower. In addition the Hospital had it's own electricity and gas supplies, it's own farm and fire station.

For nearly 150 years The Hospital was the largest employer in Prestwich, but more recently treatments methods have changed and the hospital has scaled down substantially. Now most of the site has been redeveloped as A super Market Restaraunt and Hotel, and some Housing is also planned. The Annex has also changed substantially over the years.


Composite map showing the main buildings and the Supermarket (coloured) deveopment.

Aerial photo of the Main site
Aerial photo of the Annex



The Hospital football team at their finest hour (i.e. before the game)

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