Mid Wales Hospital, Talgarth

I have obtained an original copy of the opening ceremony, this last week I visited the hospital to photograph the same scenes depicted in the brochure, this video showcases my results

www.midwaleshospital.co.uk


A Brief History of the Mid Wales Hospital

After the passing of the Lunacy Act, 1890, the Commissioners in Lunacy, later to become known as the Commissioners of the Board of Control, after long negotiations with the Councils for Brecon and Radnor and local landowners, chose the Chancefield site in preference to one nearer to Three Cocks, although the latter was closer to the railway line. They were probably influenced by the ample supplies of local stone and water dressed stone for doorways and windows was obtained from outside the area.

The hospital, or Brecon and Radnor Asylum as it was first called, was officially opened on 22nd February 1903. This consisted of the main building (12 wards 6 male and 6 female), Isolation Ward and Farm Ward; and cost £128,710.12.8d. The two female wards East 7 and 8 were added some years later.

Built originally to house 352 patients, the main building was erected to the familiar butterfly plan of the era. The estate consisted of some 261 acres.

In addition to the farm, the service departments included tailor, baker, shoe- maker and printing shops and later a photography dark room when a photograph of each patient was taken and affixed to their respective case notes. (This practise continued until after World War II). The market gardens consisted of about 8 acres and an additional asset was a steam powered lorry, one of the first ever to be used in the area. This was used mainly to haul coal and other goods from the local railway station.

The water supply was drawn from the Pwll-y- wrach waterfall and fed by gravity into the hospital reservoir. There was always an ample supply, in fact the overflow was fed into Talgarth (or Hay R.D.C reservoir), a little farther down the hill. About 1970/1, for various reasons, it was decided to obtain water from the water authoritys main supply.

The first patients to be admitted were mostly Brecon and Radnor people and vagrants accommodated in asylums in neighbouring towns such as Abergavenny and Hereford. Others came from Shrewsbury, Swansea and other similar institutions or workhouses.

I am told that the first patients arrived from Abergavenny by coach and four. No doubt others were conveyed by rail.