St Leonard’s Hospital & POW Camp
St. Leonard’s Hospital was built as a wartime hospital for American and Canadian military forces who flew their injured servicemen into Hurn Airport. A mix of wooden and brick buildings were built in 1942. A record layout plan from 1943 made available by the Ringwood Meeting House & History Centre (see photo) shows the original layout and details that the Hospital was built for 750 and accommodated 545 staff.
An amendment to the 1943 plan dated June 1945 maps a POW tented enclosure to the south of the main hospital buildings. The POWs are reported as working in the hospital. In 1950 with the advent on the new National Health Service, St Leonards became a hospital for the elderly with 350 beds.
Most of the WWII buildings were reportedly demolished sometime in the 1960s and all that remains are their concrete bases, though several are recorded as still standing along with the site water tower.
If you have any other information on St Leonards, including memories, photos from then or now and would like to share them, please upload them to this Portal.
Hi,just found out today that the water tower at stleonards hospital is soon to be demolished,sure isn’t this a prominent landmark but more importantly a monument to remember what effort this site played in the second world war,when the houses are built there won’t be any thing apart from a tree to remember these people by,surely they deserve something better than a small tree in comparison,when it dies and rots away that will be it,yet a tower is a ready made monument,do the Canadians know about this plan to wipe the whole site of the earth,even other local people I know don’t realise that it is to be demolished,I live nearby yet I haven’t heard much til now…although it’s supposed to have been discussed localy,the planning papers aren’t displayed now nor where they for long before….again I think the vital role this hospital played is surely worth displaying with pride….it’s a shame that we educate our younger generation to respect the fallen and the hard work that allows the freedom of this country yet allow the destruction of eye catching landmarks that prompt the young to ask what it was for and prompt them to take an interest…it’s not pretty but then does it have to be.it served a purpose and still could ,and be just as important if not more if it causes interest.
Hi Gregory
Thank you for your comment; I was not aware of the plans to demolish the St Leonards Hospital water tower. I am looking into what information I can access and will feedback with my findings as soon as possible.
I have done a little digging and have the following information regarding the planned development of the St Leonards Hospital site:
Sadly the St Leonards Hospital site is outside the National Park and just outside of the NFDC boundary. So there is very little we can do. The planning application for the site and the details can be read here:
http://planning.eastdorsetdc.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=NBSPUQGIK5200
This application was submitted to East Dorset District Council in September 2014.