Building    To 1981

St Benedict's Hospital

Categories: Medicine

Hill House, built in 1802, was the manor house on this site. It was bought by St Joseph's Teaching Brotherhood and they built a Roman Catholic school, St Joseph's Roman Catholic College, in 1887. This moved to Beulah Hill in 1895 and in 1897 the site was taken over by the Wandsworth Board of Guardians to provide extra workhouse accommodation.The College building was enlarged and renamed the Tooting Home for the Aged and Infirm. Hill House became the Nurses' Home. 1903 more patient accommodation was added.

WW1 the Home became the Church Lane Military Hospital (also known as the Tooting Military Hospital) and it was used as a neurological hospital for shell-shocked and neurasthenic ex-servicemen until 1923. It was then empty until 1931 when the LCC reopened it as St Benedict's Hospital for long-stay patients. 1948 it joined the NHS. More patient accommodation was built in 1951.It closed in 1981 and housing now (2016) occupies the site.

All this information from the always excellent Lost Hospitals of London. This 1895 map shows the site with Hill House and the RC College in place.

Our picture source, History of St Benedicts, has other good photos as does Workhouses.

Footnote: Daniel Defoe is said to have lived in Hill House but the authoritative History of Tooting-Graveney: Surrey, 1897, by W. E. Morden is certain that Defoe could never have lived in a house on this site since Hill House was built, 1802, "in the comer of a field under cultivation", after Defoe's death, 1731.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
St Benedict's Hospital

Commemorated ati

St Benedict's Hospital - piers

Site of Tooting Military Hospital during World War 1; St Benedict's Hospital ...

Read More

St Benedict's Hospital - turret + portico

This reminds us of that scene at the end of Planet of the Apes.

Read More

Other Subjects

W. G. Grace

W. G. Grace

Cricketer and medical practitioner. Born William Gilbert Grace at Clematis House, Downend, Mangotsfield, near Bristol. He started playing first-class cricket for Gloucestershire in 1864. Took his m...

Person, Medicine, Sport / Games, Canada, USA

4 memorials
J. F. Rumball

J. F. Rumball

Corps Officer in the St John Ambulance Brigade, Metropolitan Corps, 1887-1889.

Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Medical Society of London

Medical Society of London

Founded by Dr Lettsom. Originally based in the City, the Medical Society moved to its present house, Lettsom House, 11 Chandos Street, in 1873.

Group, Community / Clubs, Medicine

2 memorials
William Harvey

William Harvey

Born at Folkestone, Kent. Discovered and proved the circulation of the blood.

Person, Medicine

2 memorials
Dr. Ernest Jones

Dr. Ernest Jones

Born south Wales. Pioneer psychoanalyst, follower of Sigmund Freud.

Person, Medicine, Wales

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Royal Canadian Air Force Overseas WW2 HQ

Royal Canadian Air Force Overseas WW2 HQ

This Headquarters provided central support to some 85,000 Canadian personnel who served in 48 RCAF Squadrons and with numerous RAF units. In all, 14,455 Canadian airmen made the supreme sacrifice w...

Group, Canada

2 memorials