Royal Herbert Hospital
Coordinates: 51°28′15″N 0°03′03″E / 51.4708°N 0.0507°E Initially the Herbert Hospital, renamed in 1900, the Royal Herbert Hospital was built as a restorative facility for British veterans of the Crimean War, and remained a military hospital until 1977. It was situated in southeast London, on the south side of Woolwich Common, on the western slopes of Shooter's Hill, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Today the former hospital buildings form a residential development known as the Royal Herbert Pavilions.
The hospital was built on the authority of Sidney Herbert, responsible for sending Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, leader of War Office reforms after this campaign, and passionate about health care and reducing military mortality rates from diseases and ill-treated war wounds. Designed by chief architect Sir Douglas Galton (of the Royal Engineers), the hospital is notable for the design inputs of Nightingale (Galton's aunt and his cousin by marriage). It opened on 1 November 1865.
It utilised a new approach to open planning, and was based on the revolutionary 'pavilion' design whereby each ward was connected to a central corridor to maximise daylight and fresh air intake. Nightingale explained:
Enclosed in 19 acres of landscaped gardens, and sitting adjacent to Woolwich Common and the ancient Oxleas Woods, the hospital quickly became a design figurehead for dozens more hospitals, both public and military. The revolutionary construction methods included the use of cavity wall construction, fireproof floors, and a system for heating incoming fresh air. Proving an appropriate response to Nightingale's reflection that:
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