Restoration for hospital which 'inspired the NHS'

2 days ago

Adrian Harms,in Cranleighand

Cash Murphy,South East

News image — Dr Albert Napper's descendants pictured with Cranleigh Heritage Trust chairperson, Trevor Dale, second from right

Adrian Harms/BBC Left to right: Dr Albert Napper's great, great granddaughter Jane King, her daughter Stephanie King, Cranleigh Heritage Trust chairperson, Trevor Dale, and Jane's son Ben King. — Dr Albert Napper's descendants pictured with Cranleigh Heritage Trust chairperson, Trevor Dale, second from right

The roof has been removed from a 15th Century building in Surrey, which is believed to have inspired the NHS, as part of ongoing renovations made possible by National Lottery funding.

Cranleigh Cottage Hospital, which was built in 1446, became the first cottage hospital in England in 1859, according to the trust which runs it.

Cranleigh Heritage Trust chairman Trevor Dale said the £780,000 awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund last January was being put to good use.

"You can see around you here how it's being spent...the structure is being taken back to its origins," he told BBC Radio Surrey.

Cranleigh Leisure Trust A historic building with brown tiles, beams and leaded windows — According to the trust, England's first cottage hospital opened in 1859

Having taken off the entire roof, Dale observed that the "original timbers, which are over 500 years old, are still in pretty good condition".

Alongside "preserving this unique piece of English heritage", the National Lottery funding is being used to make the building usable for the community.

Dale said the trust was determined to do the job right.

"The way we're looking at it is, 'repair it once, repair it right'," he said.

According to the trust, England's first cottage hospital opened in 1859 and "revolutionised healthcare in pre-NHS England".

It was established by Dr Albert Napper, whose descendants have travelled to Cranleigh from New Zealand to see how the repairs are going.

Adrian Harms/BBC The roof of Cranleigh Cottage Hospital which is currently undergoing renovations. A number of beams are visible and scaffolding can be seen on the outside. — Dale says the original timbers, which are over 500 years old, are "still in pretty good condition"

Napper's great-great-granddaughter Jane King said he "wasn't that famous to us", but the family now understood his legacy.

King said she was "very proud" of Napper's achievements and was "looking forward to seeing photos" of the hospital once renovations were complete.

Ben King, Jane King's son who visited Cranleigh with her, said it was "overwhelming" to see the "impact he's [Napper] had in person".

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