Tuesday 4 February 2014

Union Offices of Shaw Heath Workhouse



A workhouse was designed by Henry Bowman and built at Shaw Heath to accommodate up to 690 inmates. The workhouse later became Shaw Heath Hospital, then from 1954 was known as St Thomas' Hospital. The hospital finally closed in 2004 and the site acquired by Stockport College as part of their campus expansion. This building photographed here was built in 1905 as a new office and board-room block and was erected at the west of the workhouse site at the corner of Flint Street.


Information is scarce as to its exact function prior to closing in 2004. What is known is that it was used by Edge Hill University as a Faculty of Health comprising several functions including teaching. It was also used by Stockport Community Alcohol Team as a drop in centre and needle exchange. Additionally it was a drop in centre for victims of domestic violence.

Photographs of the derelict interior can be found on the Derelict Places website.

A contribution to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.

7 comments:

  1. It does have a good look to the building... one hopes some good use can be found for it.

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  2. Interesting post. That first photo is gorgeous!

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  3. Fascinating- wonder who owns it now and what will befall it?

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  4. i didn't expect it to be so big judging by the first photo! beautiful!

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  5. It should all be listed buildings, then hopefully it could be saved.

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  6. St Thomas' hospital also used to look after more geriatric patients and the front part of the building upstairs was the sexual Health clinic which was separated for females and males, one of the doctors who worked there was also based in the old Heaton Norris health centre, my nana used to work on the tills in the hospital restaurant and I would go to visit her on my lunch when I was at college.

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