Published: 19/12/2023 By Amanda Hunt
Did You Know?Having rented and sold many properties in this old converted hospital; I often wondered about it's history, with its spectacular high ceilings and grand staircases. So I decided to do a little digging and was not disappointed.
The building was originally constructed to accommodate the Merchant Seamans' Orphan Asylum and was opened by Prince Albert in 1861. A stunning chapel was added in 1863. The orphans moved to Bearwood House in Wokingham and the orphan asylum became a convent in 1921. The building was taken over by Essex County Council and converted to use as a hospital in 1938. It joined the NHS in 1948 but, after services were transferred to the nearby Whipps Cross Hospital, it closed in 1986.
The majority of the building was gutted internally and converted into apartments - many of which we have both rented and sold at Churchill Estates! The hospital's old chapel lay empty until 1995 it was purchased by what was then the Buckhurst Hill Reform Synagogue. The building was refurbished to a high standard and is now the Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue.
Make sure you visit the beautiful building if you go to Wanstead... You will not be disappointed.
Another fun fact: The exterior of the hospital was used for the opening credits of the Doctor in The House comedy series produced by London Weekend Television from 1969.
