Ghost Town: Aldershot's Abandoned Military Hospital

You won't find many better examples of Britain's rich military history than the famous Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot Garrison.

The once state-of-the-art Hampshire hospital, which served Aldershot's various Army camps, was opened on 18 July 1879, and named after Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, a cousin of Queen Victoria.

Arguably the town's best-known landmark, it became the first base hospital to receive casualties directly from the Western Front during the First World War, and has been described as the birthplace of plastic surgery in the British Empire.

It is also reported to have pioneered the supply of portable operating theatres and supplies for frontline duties.

Civilians were later admitted to the hospital after the end of the Second World War, which saw a decline in Britain's military commitments. 

But the building's long history as an active hospital came to an end in 1996 due to the high cost of running the old building, the emergence of more modern facilities in the local area and the discovery of asbestos in the walls.

And that's when nature began to take its course, with time causing paint to peel from the walls, and the slow but creeping spread of rust, damp and mould.

Cobwebs began to cover the darker corners of the hospital, which became infested with spiders and littered with dead flies, whilst one floor became thick with guano due to a pigeon infestation.

It's now set to be converted into 134 units of housing, around 47 of which will be affordable.

Just click below to take one final tour of the famous hospital before it changes forever...

Want to see for yourself? This Halloween Forces Network will be running a live stream from the abandoned hospital to try to catch a glimpse of the Grey Lady...

With thanks to Sophie Garrett for photography.

More - Aldershot's Abandoned Military Hospital: From Past To Present