A programme of modernisation began in 1983 when the Main Kitchen was upgraded. An Occupational Therapy Extension was added the sdame year as were four Bungalow Wards and a Community Block. Finally a Dayroom Extension 1984 was added in 1984.
The hospital building has now been converted into appartments and detached executive style houses have been built in the grounds during 1998 to 2001
For an account of The Manor Hospital, see B. A. Wall, A World of its Own, 1977, pp. 70—73.
Area of Site: 12.09 acres
Patient Care, Development Dates
Original house bought
1949
First extensions 1950
Main Kitchen upgraded
1983
O.T. Extension 1983
4 Bungalow Wards 1983
Community Block 1983
Dayroom Extension
1984"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO KB/BJ 20.12.88
This little hospital is at Great Sutton standing seven miles from Chester beside the main road to Birkenhead. It traces its origin to Liverpool where, as long ago as 1866, a Home was set up by a Trust to care for women of small intellect and weak mcwal fibre. Under the laws of 1913 and 1927 such people were to be housed apart from other handicapped people and they were to be classified as “mentally deficient” in various degrees.
In 1946 the Trust decided to remove their Home from war-scarred Liverpool and transfer it to the present pleasant premises which they proceeded to buy. However the task of converting the premises proved daunting and as soon as the National Health Service had taken over the then County Mental Hospital one of the first acts of the new Committee of Management in 1948 was to meet representatives of the Trust and arrange to take over the responsibilities, inviting two members of the Trust to join the Committee to advance the new plans.
Our Upholsterer claims that he was “first in” of our hospital people when he went up the drive to an empty house with a plumber to measure-up for floor-coverings, curtains and furnishings and see to the waterpipes. (He claims to have been “first in” at Moston too, eleven years later!).
He recalls how “The Girls” arrived in 1949 bringing iron bedsteads with brass knobs and other Victorian “pieces” with them, which needed to be replaced quite soon. “The Girls” were fully adult physically, of course, and to him they were just “Naughty”. They would run down the drive and away out the gate and anywhere they saw a man some of them would chase him . . . (“Moral detectives” that kind!). He does also recall how they all dutifully attended church services.
The house itself was a family. mansion built on what is thought to have been the site of an ancient manor in this village The first stage of its build ing in late-Victorian times was in the form of an Italian villa. One room having a dais in an alcove with stained-glass windows on either side was evidently a chapel. When the house was extended some years later instead of ~ontinuing the same white-fronted style the design was in more striking fashion. It was black-and-white “mock Tudor” and this is what catches the eye now if one glances across the front lawns while passing.
The most noticeable alteration a p art from the early removal of the big trees from the drive has been the taking-away of the huge conservatory on the sunny side of the mansion. The glass-house was no doubt magnificent for its original purpose but was never comfortable as a Day Room or suitable for an O.T. Centre. It was, however, used as such until it could be replaced in thc 1960’s by a compact flat-roofed loungc. This lounge abuts rather incongruously from what was once the blank back wall of the Victorian conservatory but it serves its function well, since the present patients can sit there in comfort and look out on the trees and lawns.
In the early days laundry-work was regarded as an excellent occupation and so in due course a laundry was opened at the back. However, as ideas changed and the average age of the patients increased the laundry was later removed — anything needing to be washed being sent to the central laundry at West Cheshire. There were other less noticeable alterations made in course of time, and these increased accommodation from thirty to sixty. At first all the beds were upstairs but when more infirm patients came, those had downstairs dormitories. The chapel-room was used for sewing as well as Services at the start; later as a Day-room but now that too has become a dormitory.
There were two successive resident Matrons and both were keen on occupations. Within the first year a radio was purchased and Physical Training and Morris Dancing arranged. Thc Girls were given domestic work to do ~and needlework. They were also encouraged to do gardening and held a competition for the best bulbs or best window-box. Sports in conjunction with other similar “Homes” were instituted. At one time, when there was no regular cook the house depended quite a lot on some of the girls’ work in the kitchen while others made rugs or did dressmaking. Films were being shown by a clergyman friend.
After that a non-resident Matron was appointed. It was she who held the post when my wife and I arrived on the scene in the mid-1950’s. There were some obstreperous patients about then and the sickly smell of paraldehyde was sometimes in the air, before the later, better drugs. The accent was on custodial care, but this Matron had the reputation of a hard worker and an earnest one. Whatever she thought best for “The Girls” she wanted! She did not hesitate to make demands on her staff or request the help of Deva colleagues. She encouraged relatives to visit and welcomed support from the local population in Ellesmere Port whether they were Guides or Soroptomists or Pastors or private individuals with something to offer.
At the time we arrived our gymnasts were involved there with sports ,tumbling and exercises and my Department did the films but there was criticism that One afternoon a week of handwork, etc. was not enough. My wife was appointed to develope this O.T. field.
She recalls the various crafts she taught and how she persuaded certain patients to sew who had never held a needle before. She remembers how important housework training was considered then and so a good deal was done! She remembers Christmas too, when staff and patients cornbined to put on a memorable Concert. But later she transferred to Deva.
We were told some of the patients were epileptic so we expected some fits and that all the patients could be roughly divided into “high grade” and “low grade”. One must understand they were all different from the main body of psychiatric patients. Their trouble was not that they bad normal minds which had become disturbed or subject to nervous breakdown but that their minds had never fully developed. They appeared as mature women, many middle-aged, yet all were in some degree simple- minded.
The “high grade” were of near-normal intelligence. They could perhaps read and maybe qualify for some working tasks in the kitchen or in the laundry and sewing room which were there for some years. Some achieved rehabilitation. One that we knew took on domestic duties at Deva, lived in the Staff Home and eventually married. However, these “high grades”, though they might be more intelligent, were not necessarily easier to handle. They could suddenly flare up and become “naughty”. They were bright but brittle. Those called “low grade” were of extreme simplicity. Some had Mongoloid features. Yet, in spite of occassional attention-seeking tantrums, they could be affectionate and loveable.
To mature people grounds like The Manor’s are lovely. One sometimes wonders how much simple people are able to appreciate such natural beauty. I’m told they notice flowers but what of the scenery? I know myself how they react to babies and animals — on the screen at any rate. Whenever a small child appeared there would be a chorus of “Oo”s and “Ah”s, and, as I was packing up the film gear, there was one little lady who invariably asked me “to bring Lassie next time”! I just couldn’t convince her that there were only three films of her favourite Alsatian and I’d already shown them all!
The 1959 Mental Health Act covered this field as well as the rest of the psychiatric scene. Opprobrious names were to be dropped and henceforth the acceptable designation for this type of person was to be “Mentally .Sub.normal’. New trends, similar to those arising in out other two hospitals, wcrc cmcrging. Thus. when thc Matron retired towards the end of the 1960’s. it was a man who was chosen to take charge of “The Girls”.
This Nursing Officer has introduced a more extensive, varied and robust régime than before even though the average age of the patients may be higher than formerly. He believes in spreading responsibility more democratically among his staff and encourages still further involvement with the local populace. He thinks occupation the greatest antidote to ill-behaviour and tries to ensure he has the services of a full-time trained O.T. who will not be drawn away elsewhere. His aim is to make his patients as independent and self-reliant as possible.
When they go out, which they often do. he likes them to become
mixed-in with the rest of the world in the shops and streets, sports clubs
and theatres. Swimming and ten-pin bowling are just two of their pursuits
with others and he presses his folk on towards rehabilitation when
openings occur. He speaks with pride of some who formerly were not
expected to go into the garden alone and would have been scared to do
so but will now be seen strolling there unconcerned and even walking along
the main road to the nearest shop."
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