Whitecroft Hospital was a mental health facility near to Gatcombe on the Isle of Wight, England. The clock tower is a Grade II listed building.[1]

Whitecroft Hospital
Whitecroft Hospital
Whitecroft Hospital is located in Isle of Wight
Whitecroft Hospital
Shown on the Isle of Wight
Geography
LocationGatcombe, Isle of Wight, England
Coordinates50°40′20″N 1°18′08″W / 50.6723°N 1.3023°W / 50.6723; -1.3023
Organisation
Care systemNational Health Service
TypePsychiatric
History
Opened3 July 1896
Closed1992

History

edit

The hospital, which was designed by Benjamin Jacobs using a compact arrow layout, opened as the Isle of Wight County Asylum in July 1896.[2] It became the Isle of Wight Mental Hospital in the 1920s and joined the National Health Service as Whitecroft Hospital in 1948.[3] After the introduction of Care in the Community in the early 1980s, the hospital went into a period of decline and closed in 1992.[2] The site was subsequently redeveloped for residential use as "Gatcombe Manor".[4][5]

Reported Hauntings

edit

Whitecroft Hospital, like many other locations on the Isle of Wight,[6] is said to be haunted by a number ghosts. This includes former doctors and nurses who are said to wander around the property as if the hospital is still open for business.[7] The former hospital is considered one of the most haunted hospitals in the country.[8]

References

edit
  1. ^ Historic England. "Clock tower at Whitecroft Hospital (1034485)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Whitecroft Hospital". County Asylums. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Whitecroft Hospital". National Archives. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Whitecroft Hospital War Memorial". Isle of Wight Memorials. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Gatcombe Manor". Mildren Construction. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  6. ^ "The Most Haunted Island in the World? | Red Funnel". www.redfunnel.co.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Whitecroft Hospital: The Haunted Victorian Asylum You Can Call Home". Curious Archive. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  8. ^ "The UK's Most Haunted Hospitals & Asylums". Haunted Rooms®. Retrieved 19 January 2022.