There has been a hospital in Guinea Street, Redcliffe since 1832, but it was not until 26 years later that the General was to open on the site. The new hospital cost £28,000, with much of the funding coming from local workers, who gave a penny a week towards building and running costs. Two new wings were added in the 20 years before the First World War to provide medical and maternity wards and a dental department.
The original buildings date from 1853-5 and were designed by W. B. Gingell. Built in Pennant and Bath stone the ground floor has a coursed dressed stone with a rusticated finish. Openings onto Lower Guinea Street are small with arched heads interspersed by heavy arched entrances. This elevation returns on Commercial Road thus enclosing the courtyard with a walkway above to the south of the building. The upper levels of the Bristol General Hospital are in coursed rubble with Bath stone surrounds and quoins. Windows are generally round- arched in the Italianate style. The octagonal tower forms the south west corner of the building and acts as a landmark.
During WWII the Hospital suffered bomb damage which damaged the mansard roof structure over this part of the buildings. The roof and top floor including that of the octagonal tower was subsequently removed and the building re-roofed with a flat roof. The 1916-1919 metal balconies were also removed due to bomb damage.
Time Line
- 1830 Bristol General Hospital opens on Guinea Street
- 1853 Construction begins on the new hospital facility on the current site
- 1873 New Outpatients Department opened
- 1895 Staff Accommodation wing added to provide addition residential accommodation for staff
- 1912 Gate Lodge (now the Medical Physics Department) and ‘South’ wing completed
- 1915 The Chapel is completed
- 1921 Department of Cardiac Disease established
The Bristol General Hospital will close in 2012 when the planned South Bristol Community Hospital opens and the care of the elderly and rehabilitation services currently provided at the General transfer to the new hospital.