Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

About a month ago I met a bloke in his 60s who told me he'd attended Beechholme (nr. Banstead, Surrey) as a child after he was taken away from his violent father by the local authorities in Shepherd's Bush. I'd never heard tell of the place (it was demolished in the 1970s) - but he lent me a booklet about it and I was staggered to learn how similar to CH Horsham it was.

I'm guessing its general layout may have inspired certain aspects of CH; personally I'd never thought beyond Aston Webb & Ingress Bell's architecture - but who actually thought up the layout of the place?

I understand that Beechholme was a fine example of the 'village' system, started in the mid-nineteenth century as the antidote to monolithic establishments like prisons and workhouses where all the inmates lived in one huge building - so I guess CH is an example of the Village System too.

Is all of this common knowledge and am I showcasing my huge ignorance here?

Photos of Beecholme:

Gateway:



Aerial View:



The Avenue:

its very similar and you are not showing ignorance i had never heard of this place either or its possible links in design to ch!

I live less than 5 miles away from Banstead and I have never heard of it!

Wow, it looks like Hertford too. The gate was almost identical and we had an avenue of lime trees of similar dimensions. I think Horsham is much larger.

Googling 'Beechholme' gave me this. It appears it was a country school for children from Kensington and Chelsea.

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html ... eaSD.shtml

Like Plum, I live very close to Banstead but had never heard of Beechholme.

Here's the official banstead history site with some good links and photo's

http://www.bansteadhistory.com/

Spoonbill wrote: but he lent me a booklet about it and I was staggered to learn how similar to CH Horsham it was.

I'm guessing its general layout may have inspired certain aspects of CH; personally I'd never thought beyond Aston Webb & Ingress Bell's architecture - but who actually thought up the layout of the place?

The CH avenue is slightly curved at each end, Big school is the head, the old swimming pool is the tail - a bit like a bird in flight? Now look at a map of Oscar Neimeyer's Brasilia; the same layout on a larger scale

This looks very interesting.
Looking at Google maps, and comparing the railway line with the picture found here:-
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/ ... eaSD.shtml
then it looks like the school has been built-over by houses, but some of the house names may have been retained in close names.
Here's the google map that looks like it's the right place:-
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en ... 8&t=h&om=1

There has been a lot of development there in the past few years Julian.

It's basically between the A.217 and the Epsom/College road.

Matt will know it. If you drive north towards Sutton on the A.217 from Burgh Heath on the dual-carriageway, turn LEFT at the main Banstead lights, then take the first right, this will take you down to where Beechholme was.

I just find it surprising that having lived so close to Banstead for many years and even doing a spell of work in Banstead, I'd never heard of its existance.

Was this possibly one of the old tragic work-houses that were hidden away, along with Netherne Hospital at Coulsdon which until recently developed was the biggest mental hospital south of London !

Like the word 'Cancer' in the 50's - NEVER MENTIONED !

If you look at my link it certainly comes under workhouses, although from your link JR the children look to be having quite a good time.

It only closed in 1974 too

Imagine if it had survived for a few more years - it would have been a luxury development like Earlswood!

Great Plum wrote:Imagine if it had survived for a few more years - it would have been a luxury development like Earlswood!

..... and as expensive.

God, that WAS a grim place in the 60's

I bet it was!I've heard some stories...

Two of the late Queen Mother's cousins were incacerated in there. A product of Royal in-breeding.

I think they are both buried in Redstone cemetary.

There is (was?) a tunnel from Earlswood station to the hospital which the royal family could use to visit their relatives in secrecy I believe...

I heard that story too, Matt. I was born and spent the first few years of my life in Earlswood. And I can assure you, J.R., that it remained grim well into the 80's