Bangour Village Hospital

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Bangour Village Hospital

Postby + 1 » Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:48 pm

Bangour Village Hospital based just outside Dechmont in West Lothian was officially opened in 1906 as a psychiatric hospital. While still being run as a hospital during the wars it was allocated the site of "Edinburgh War Hospital" and "The Scottish Emergency Medical Hospital". The hospital closed in 2000 after the opening of St Johns in neighbouring Livingston.

Bangour Village Hospital still stands proud over 100 years since it's construction. Located outside of Dechmont, West Lothian it's 960 acre site was home to thousands of patients over the years. In 1902 the Edinburgh Lunancy Board purchased the 960 acre Bangour site, and by 1906 Bangour Village was offically opened by the Right Honourable Earl of Roseberry. Many additions and modifications were made to Bangour Hospital over the years but most interesting was the Wee Bangour Express constructed in 1905. Although only serving till after the first world war, Bangour's own railway did a fine job carrying construction goods and laterly transporting wounded soldiers from the war. Not to be confused with the Village hospital, Bangour General was constructed in 1939 just to the North West of the village in order to cope with wounded soldiers from the second world war. Originally built as prefabricated huts Bangour General was only meant to last 10 years, but it excelled and outlived it's expectancy and eventually closed (and now demolished) in 1990 with the construction of St John's Hospital in neighbouring Livingston. Meanwhile, back in the village things were going from strength to strength. Bangour was at the forefront of psychiatric medicine and became a teaching ground for doctors and nurses. So much so that a nurses accomodation was constructed so that the nurses could live and and breathe their work. Sadly in the 1980s, with the advent of new technology and scientific findings, the need for an entire village dedicated to psychiatric medicine became less and less. By the 1990s only a few villas (or wards) were still active. Bangour Village Hospital finally closed it's doors 100 years after it was originally concieved, with Villa 32 the last villa to close in 2000.


Since the hospital closed in 2000 it has been used for test de-contamination procedures in the event of a terrorist attack, Riot police drills and for filming some of "the jacket".

Persimmon Homes have bought the site to devdelop this and turn it back into a village, but are not planning on doing anything at the moment due to the economic downturn.

A view of the entire site -

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl


Some useful links -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangour_Village_Hospital

Now time to see some pics -

In we go

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Some of the main buildings

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The Village shop with a very intresting name... ::):

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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby + 1 » Sat Mar 13, 2010 9:04 pm

Close up of some of the buildings

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Windows

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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby + 1 » Sat Mar 13, 2010 9:14 pm

Inside some of the villas

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Don't think I will be washing my hands here -

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A spooky looking pram just deserted in a hallway -

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Is this the naughty chair -

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The above 4 were taken in a Villa which had been used for the unmarried woman of the day.... I did think I heard crying when I was in there.
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby + 1 » Sat Mar 13, 2010 9:42 pm

Bits and Bobs

Electricity box

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No rats though

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Not quite sure

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Some broken pipes

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Bannister post

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Bus for Broxburn,, If anyone wanted to escape they would have to wait ages,, the buses are shit!

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I did wonder if this is the top of the pram

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[i]Tap with inbuilt mirror, already there strange enough![/i]

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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby Lucky Poet » Sun Mar 14, 2010 12:49 pm

Seeing as I've lived half an hour's walk from here for much of the past twenty years I feel a bit daft that this was my first visit since 1991, when much of the place was still a working hospital. Needless to say it's all gone a bit downhill since then. I gather there's a book on the subject, which I'll have to get a peek at. It's always nice to have full and accurate information about these things, eh?

Anyhow, in no particular order:

Lurking building:
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Lovely day for it, so it was:
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More architectural type stuff:
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Deterioration:
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Glass grilles!:
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby Lucky Poet » Sun Mar 14, 2010 12:59 pm

Other stuff. I took far too many photos, clearly...

Found face!:
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Being some gas pipey thing:
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Peekaboo:
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Truly awful decor:
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Stuff:
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby Lucky Poet » Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:15 pm

Last leg. No, honest. According to Historic Scotland, >Clicky<, the original buildings were designed by the delightfully named Hippolyte Blanc.

The church came later, built 1924-30 to a design by H O Tarbolton, and really is quite something. RCAHMS has a bit about it: >Click<

The whole thing:
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More:
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Nice detailing:
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What a lovely thought:
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Arf:
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Would love to get inside the place, as the RCAHMS photos look tremendous. But there you go.
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby Vinegar Tom » Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:31 pm

Found face!:
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POB ?
Glasgow ya bas!
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby johnboy » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:14 pm

On a totally different matter I was born there......... ::):
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby dazza » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:28 am

johnboy wrote:On a totally different matter I was born there......... ::):


You might have been born at Bangour, but it wasn't Bangour Village Hospital (as it was a psychiatric hospital). The maternity wing was at Bangour General Hospital further up the road. It was demolished in 1991.
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby carefree » Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:20 pm

Hi i have heard alot about this hospial and its suppose to be haunted has anyone had any experience in this ? I want to go through and have alook what do u folk think ? thanks carefree
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby DickyHart » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:21 pm

carefree wrote:Hi i have heard alot about this hospial and its suppose to be haunted has anyone had any experience in this ? I want to go through and have alook what do u folk think ? thanks carefree


The place has 24hour security, and they treat ghosthunters as a bit of a joke. The cahnces of you getting permission to do a ghosthunt in there are virtually nil. I know ive tried. The security guys dont mind you waking through the grounds though.
Is this gonna be a standup fight, sir, or another bughunt?
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby carefree » Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:20 pm

we went through today but it was during the day it looks creepy 8O
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby Lucky Poet » Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:35 pm

It is a pretty spooky place, it must be said, but abandoned places tend to have that air. If you're into creepy shenanigans then Villa 9 is allegedly the place to be, for some reason.
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Re: Bangour Village Hospital

Postby Finder » Tue Apr 26, 2011 8:03 pm

I live 100 yards from the Mortuary Road leading to the Hospital, we have had a load of bother with kids (ghost hunters) coming up in cars at all hours searching for ghosts :roll: as i'm writing the Police have just appeared checking that no ghost busters are around.

PS if you follow the Brox burn up by the Hospital you will come accross the old Watermans cottage and waterhouse ( its like an old swiming pool worth a look
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