Royal Sea Bathing Hospital

The organisation was founded in 1791 to treat poor suffers from scrofula in London. The original hospital was built between 1793 and 1796. The treatment was based on fresh air and bathing so from the start it was provided with verandas. Bathing was done from a bathing machine in the sea. At first the hospital was only opened during the summer months but in 1858 an indoor pool was added to allow bathing year round. When possible beds were on the verandah and patients slept there. Only in inclement weather were the beds brought indoors. The hospital was enlarged around 1880 following the donation of by Sir Erasmus Wilson who was a director of the hospital and President of the Royal College of…

The original building was of yellow brick with stone dressings. The original block remains, but heavily altered, and is the basis of the eastern arm of the quadrangle. In 1816 the southern wing was added and in 1820 the northern two-storey wing. Around 1853 the buildings were raised to two stories and a monumental Greek portico added to the front of the original building. At the end of these wings were the wards for children. The Knowles extensions of 1880 completed the square forming an internal quadrangle. The entrance portico was now internal, so was moved to the south wing to form the current main entrance.