Medical dates:

Medical character:

In 1902 the Charlwood Hospital moved to Horley.  Its new premises had originally been built as a private residence in 1899 by a Mr John Batcock, but after two years had become a temperance hotel.

The Charlwood Hospital was renamed the Horley and District Cottage Hospital and the 2-storey building was officially opened on 3rd May 1903 by Lily, Duchess of Marlborough.

In February 1907 a telephone system was installed in the Hospital.

It had been suggested in December 1908 that a larger operating theatre be provided, but this did not happen until 1912, when the Hospital Committee agreed to the proprosal, as well as other alterations to the tune of £500, as a memorial to King Edward VII, who had died in May 1910.

The new wing opened on 17th July 1912, with a dedication service performed by the Bishop of Kingston.

In 1912 the cost for a private room was 3 guineas (£3.15) a week, while the fee for a night nurse was 2 gns (£2.10).

In 1919 an adjacent piece of land was bought for £69 12s 6d (£69.63).  The land had a frontage of 20 feet (6 metres) and was purchased mainly to prevent a house being built in close proximity to the Hospital.

In 1920, and again in 1926, suggestions were being made that the Hospital should be rebuilt away from the Brighton Road.  In 1929 the Commitee also considered the possibility of opening a maternity ward, but nothing came of either of these plans.

However, in 1936, some 5 acres of land bordering Lee Street and a part of Court Lodge Farm were purchased with the intention of building a new hospital.  It would contain male and female wards with 10 beds each, a children's ward with 6 beds and 6 rooms for private patients.  The cost was estimated to be about £20,000, but donations proved insufficient for the rebuilding to go ahead.

In 1938 a piece of land in Lumley Road was bought so that the east end of the existing Hospital could be enlarged.  This new wing would have an entrance in Lumley Road and would contain a surgery, a waiting room, 2 offices for the ward secretaries, a bathroom and WC, a boiler house, a larder, a linen room, a storeroom and a mortuary.  The land in Lee Street was sold to finance the new project.

In 1939, at the outbreak of WW2, part of the Hospital was commandeered by Surrey County Council as a First Aid Post, while the Ministry of Health claimed 6 beds for the use of the Emergency Medical Scheme (both were cancelled later in the year).  The two private wards were closed for the duration of the war.

In September 1940 the new wing with 16 beds was opened by the President of the Hospital, Mr. Norris, and the dedication service was led by the Chaplain, the Revd Laker.

In 1948 the Hospital joined the NHS under the control of the Redhill and Netherne Group Hospital Management Committee, part of the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.  The nursing staff of the Hospital consisted of a Sister-in Charge, 3 Ward Sisters and 6 State Enrolled Nurses.  Other staff included a physiotherapist, a ward orderly, a general porter, 3 maids (house, ward and dining room), a cook and an assistant cook, and 2 full-time and 1 part-time kitchen maids.

In 1968, following torrential rain, the local rivers  burst their banks, causing serious flooding in the area.  The Hospital was isolated, and many homes were without electricity or telephones over the weekend of 14th and 15th September.  The incident became known as the Great Flood of 1968.

In 1968 the responsibilities of the house committee, which had been established in 1948, were transferred to the Redhill and Netherne Group Hospital Management Committee based at Redhill General Hospital.  

In 1972 a Day Room was added to the Hospital following the donation of £400 from a grateful relative of a patient who had been treated there.  The Day Room was officially opened on 1st January 1973 by the Chairman of the Round Table, who had also helped to raise funds for the Hospital.  The ceremony also marked the centenary of the Hospital, which had first opened in Charlwood.

In 1974, following a major reorganisation of the NHS, the Hospital came under the control of the East Surrey District Health Authority, part of the South West Thames Regional Health Authority.

An EscaLIFT (a stair-climber designed for residential homes), the gift of a Reigate gentleman, was installed from the ground to the first floor in 1974. For the previous 70 years, patients who were unable to walk had had to be carried upstairs.

In 1980 the local Community Health Council, which had taken over responsibility for the Hospital, decided that it was no longer suitable for surgery, but could continue to be used for medical cases and for patients needing physiotherapy.

The Hospital closed on 20th June 1983.  The remaining patients were transferred to Redhill General Hospital.


Present status (November 2011)

The Hospital building has been demolished and its site now contains Lumley Court.