Brian McBurnie & Richard Auckland (History of Barnwood House)

Brian and Richard did a double act to give the club a detailed history of the Barnwood House Hospital, from its start in 1860.

Barnwood House Hospital was opened as a private significant mental institution, covering a very large tract of land.  It was formed to take over from the Horton Road hospital, the first caring unit in the area, when George Onephous Paul bought Barnwood House in 1858 and formed a caring mental hospital opening in 1860.

The hospital served the community right through until 1967; the building and lands were sold in 1969 and the hospital organisation moved to Manor House in Barnwood.

During this time the buildings were extended and modernised.  The hospital had 185 patients (63 men and 82 women), some of which were notable (Ivor Gurney was a patient in 1865).  Brian and Richard showed us many old pictures of the buildings and patients, who were all dressed in smart suits and dresses!  The age range of the patients was between 18 and 58.

Barnwood House Hospital had many other attributes as well.  It had its own stage and theatre, a skittle alley, a cricket pitch in the 1930’s (league games were played there) and the best dance floor in the South West.  It was a feature of the rehabilitation that games were played between the staff and the patients.  During its lifetime, various satellite properties were examined, one being Woodchester Mansion, but this venture failed due to the difficulty in getting staff to such a remote location.

The building was fully demolished in 2000, to allow for housing development, however the massive service tunnels which ran under the Barnwood road remain to this day.

Speaker Brian, who was brought up nearby, recalled playing in them.  However, there were some concerns for the housing that ran over them and some subsidence had been recorded (and witnessed by Peter Harris apparently!)

Brian and Richard gave us a fascinating insight to a bygone age and of the practice of caring for the mentally challenged.

Due to his knowledge of the area and the speakers, the Vote of Thanks was given by John Cresswell - Phil Witcomb was unavoidably delayed at work and missed the meeting).

Richard Colley