Female Bathroom Block

Built-in 1902

The brick building was built in 1902 as a female bathroom. A similar structure served male patients. It comprised two dressing rooms (30 feet by 20 feet) and a bathroom (15 feet by 30 feet) with two baths and 10 showers. The walls were lined to a height of 6 ft with opalite tiling.

In 1935, the building was converted to a workroom for fancy needlework and allied occupations for the female patients. By 1955, the building was converted into a convalescent and final rehabilitation ward for women. This small 12-bed ward was open and had no nursing staff. Patients looked after their own domestic affairs and cooked their own meals. This ward allowed comparative freedom for voluntary and self-reliant patients and was designed to prepare patients for their return home. 

In 2020, it was used for archive storage.

In 2024, the wooden extension was demolished due to significant wood rot.

​

Chronology:

1902: constructed as a female bathhouse 

1935: converted to sewing rooms

1955: converted to a convalescent ward for women

1960: lean-to addition to the western end

1994: converted to a sewing/mending facility