Discovering Stonehouse

Both Haslar and Stonehouse were built around large quadrangles. At Stonehouse, the quadrangle was surrounded by detached ward blocks planned to prevent the spread of infection around the hospital. The map below shows the layout of the hospital in 1908.

The Military Hospital (now Devonport School for Boys) was built on the opposite side of Stonehouse Creek in 1791.

You can read more about military and naval hospitals on the Defence of Britain website.

The 'current' use of various buildings is taken from The History of the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth by Surgeon-Captain P.D. Gordon Pugh OBE, MB, BCh, FRCS, Royal Navy. Reprinted from the Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service, vol. 58, pp. 78-94; 207-226 (1972).

< The drawing room of the Surgeon Rear-Admiral's house on north side of the Square

< These three houses were for pre-registration Surgeon Lieutenants. These were formerly the quarters of assistant dispensers and cooks. Located to the west of the garages

< The upper floors of the same houses.

Garages, formerly stables, behind the block on the west side of the Square >

Four residences on the west side of the Square providing accommodation for the Consultant in Medicine, Nursing Sisters, the Consultant in Anaesthetics and the Principal Matron. >

Medical Officers' Mess (south side of the Square). Formerly the Surgeons' Mess (left-hand side) and the residence of the Fleet Surgeon (right-hand side) >

< Bronze bell in the centre of the Square. It was removed from the clock in the turret of Trafalgar Block

< The group waits to start the walking tour of the hospital grounds

< Site (gateposts) of old Inner Main Gate on the east side of the Square

North Gates, providing access to the Landing Jetty >

The Landing Jetty. It was here that sick and injured sailors were landed, being rowed ashore from ships in Plymouth Sound. The creek was filled in during the early 1970's>

Octagonal posting box (c.1853). Post was collected from here by naval personnel and taken to the nearest post office for posting >

< Main (south) Gates from the Victorian era. They gave access to Clarence Place but have been moved to the site of the Inner Main Gate

< The sundial in the centre of the quadrangle. The Stonehouse Leat ran underneath it.

< Ward block 'H' on the south side of quadrangle

Laundry (left) and new housing (right) in the north-east corner of the hospital grounds >

Zymotic block in the north-east corner of hospital grounds. Built in 1900 for infectious cases only, it was subsequently occupied by a department of plastic surgery and also used as storerooms >

The group outside the Church of the Good Shepherd at the east end of hospital grounds >