Wanstead Hospital

Wanstead Hospital was a former NHS hospital situated on Hermon Hill in Snaresbrook, not far from Wanstead in north-east London.

History
The building was originally built as the Merchant Seamans' Orphan Asylum in 1861. In 1919 it became a convent, and the building was later taken over by Essex county council and converted to use as a hospital, opening in 1938. It remained as a general hospital until its closure in 1986, with almost all patient treatment being transferred to nearby Whipps Cross Hospital.

The majority of the listed building was gutted internally and converted into apartments. The hospital's old clock tower is a well-known local landmark and can be seen from some miles away.

The hospital's old chapel lay empty for some years but in 1995 it was purchased by what was then the Buckhurst Hill Reform Synagogue. The building was refurbished to a high standard and is now the Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue.

Interestingly, the exterior of the hospital was used for the opening credits of "Doctor in the House" produced by LWT in the 1970's.