From the top deck of any bus going along Hampstead Road you can see, if you look carefully, the word ‘temperance’ spelt out in the window panes of a disused building. Look a little closer, past the dirt and neglect, and you’ll see the building is a bit special, with turreted towers, elegant iron balconies and an impressive footprint which curls round onto Cardington Street. I’d often wondered what exactly went on there – and so I decided to find out.
For over a century the building was a rather unusual hospital, one that refused to use alcohol in the treatment of patients. The London Temperance Hospital (later, in 1939, the National Temperance Hospital) opened in 1873 in Gower Street. It moved to Hampstead Road in 1885 (you can still see the foundation stone), where the use of alcohol was prohibited – except in the most extreme circumstances.
Alcohol? In hospital? Yes, in the 19th century booze was widely believed to have medicinal qualities. The sick — and, alarmingly, staff — were often given alcohol, usually to treat a host of complaints including weakness, delirium and respiratory diseases (with a terrifying blistering technique). The temperance movement encouraged abstinence, thinking alcohol responsible for many of society’s ills. They were also dubious about the restorative qualities of the booze, hoping to save money and improve staff efficiency by running a hospital based on their beliefs. According to one advert, the Temperance Hospital saved over £80,000 a year by staying sober.
In the early days, among other things, it had beds for cholera victims. When it shut, in 1990, it had a unit for the treatment of torture victims. In between it was a home to a host of different areas of medicine, from dentistry to casualty. This was an important part of the community, employing and treating many locals.
Since the hospital packed up though, the building has stood empty and has fallen into disrepair. Various ‘explorers’ have snuck inside to have a look around, and found a sad sight. The windows are cracked, smashed up by vandals. The basement is sodden, flooded by a gushing water main, and filled with noxious fumes. Only a few of the Victorian features remain and the paint is flaking off the walls in great chunks. There is little left inside, but the elegance of the building isn’t lost. Long, windowed walkways give onto balconies and panelled rooms. Light floods in, and the square round the back is a haven, tangled in green overgrowth.
But what next for this intriguing building? In 2006 the Medical Research Council bought the site for £28 million, hoping to move its headquarters there. However, it has since changed its mind, looking instead for a bigger building behind King’s Cross. Most recently it is thought that the government will buy the temperance hospital and develop it to re-house those residents displaced by HS2 when it ploughs through Somers Town on its way out of Euston.
Nothing is likely to happen for a long time; the future of HS2 even lies in some doubt. But, if the government do get their hands on the old hospital, I hope the building will be restored to some, if not all, of its former glory, both architecturally and in terms of its role in the community.
It’s a special building and an important part of local history – and that’s why it matters.
Words & Photos: Georgia Grimond
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