Rheumatology 2004;43:385–386
doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keg008
Heberden Historical Series/Series Editor: M. I. V. Jayson
The Devonshire Royal Hospital Buxton
E. P. Copp
In July 2000 the Devonshire Royal Hospital (Fig. 1) closed its
doors to patients for the last time and so brought to an end an
era of care of the infirm extending over many centuries.
Early history
The Romans first discovered and used the mineral springs at
Buxton, but after their departure these were neglected and were
not revived until the reign of Elizabeth 1. Mary Queen of Scots
stayed in the Old Hall Hotel on at least four occasions for
relief of her rheumatism in the thermal baths and recorded her
satisfaction by scratching on a window with her diamond the
following couplet: ‘Buxtona, Quau calidae celebrabere nomine
lymphae, Forte mihi postac non aduenda, vale’.
The welfare and treatment of the sick poor, with increasing
emphasis on medical supervision, was conducted under the
auspices of the Buxton Bath Charity. A report of the Charity
dated September 13th 1785 provided that:
1. No inhabitant of Buxton or any place within 7 miles distance
from Buxton was permitted to partake of the Charity.
2. No person should be relieved during the months of
November to April.
3. During the remaining 6 months not more than 16 objects
(sic) at one time should be relieved by the Charity.
4. No patient was permitted to be admitted more than once
during the season nor relieved by the Charity for a longer
period than 5 weeks.
5. No patient was relieved with a greater sum than 6 shillings
per week.
The building
In 1798 the Duke of Devonshire built a range of magnificent
stables, in the form of an irregular octagon, with stalls for
110 horses and an inner circular exercising ground 164 feet
in diameter. Within this area is a circle of columns forming a
colonnade 13 feet wide around the inner space.
In 1858, with increasing need for the provision of shelter
for those journeying to Buxton for treatment, the Duke of
Devonshire allowed the building to be converted to a hospital
and its doors were opened for the reception of patients in 1859.
The remaining buildings, the hot baths in George Street,
together with the grounds were conveyed to the trustees by the
Duke of Devonshire in 1878, and in 1881 the great dome was
added to provide cover and to enclose the whole of the central
area. This was made possible by a grant of £24 000 from the
Cotton Famine Relief Fund in recognition of services rendered
to distressed cotton operatives from northern mill towns during
the American Civil War.
The dome has an internal diameter of 154 feet and was the
largest unsupported structure of its kind in the world until the
construction of the Sportsdrome in Houston, Texas.
Extensions were made and additional buildings acquired in
the years 1899, 1921, 1931 and 1946 and in 1934 King George V
gave his permission for the hospital to be known as the
Devonshire Royal Hospital.
In 1916 new baths were acquired within the hospital building,
which consisted initially of immersion baths for a single patient.
In 1958 these were replaced by a deep pool and this together with
spray massage and the whirlpool baths continued to be supplied
with spring water at a constant temperature of 28 C. A continuous
FIG. 1. The Devonshire Royal Hospital Buxton.
Alderley, Disley, Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
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Rheumatology Vol. 43 No. 3 ß British Society for Rheumatology 2004; all rights reserved
386
E. P. Copp
supply of spring water was available in the dome for many years;
nowadays devotees are frequently to be seen at St Ann’s Well
filling their plastic bottles. Alternatively, they may purchase it
already bottled by an internationally known company.
National Health Service
With the advent of the NHS in 1948 the scope of treatment
widened and medical supervision improved further. At this time
the hospital had 250 beds with an additional 50 beds for amenity
patients in the Annexe, housed in the eastern half of the crescent,
and the resident medical staff comprised one registrar and one
house officer.
Close ties were established with teaching hospitals, consultants’ posts in rheumatology, rehabilitation and orthopaedics were
created jointly with the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Withington
Hospital and Stockport Infirmary, and the Rheumatism Research
Unit at Manchester University sent their long-stay patients to the
hospital.
In the latter decades of the twentieth century the hospital
became a designated regional rehabilitation centre, the operating theatre was built with a laminar airflow system to facilitate
joint replacement surgery and a 12-bed unit for rehabilitation
after severe head injury was opened.
Simultaneously, the number of beds in the hospital was
gradually reduced, outlying buildings were sold to reduce costs
and eventually it was decided to close the hospital in line with
the concept that all medical services should be near to the
population they serve.
The hospital, now a grade 2 listed building, has been acquired
by the University of Derby and will be devoted to the study of
hotel management and catering.