Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Fever Hospital : The Cellars

Bidston Diphtheria Rooms of the Dead.

Unfortunately i wasn't too sure what to call this topic,
as the description i was given was The holding rooms
for the dead children that died of Diphtheria and
such like diseases, they were used to keep them separate
from ordinary dead body's.

Back in the 20's - 30's when disease was a common place,
when a person, but mainly children died of Diphtheria they
wouldn't go straight to the morgue they would be held in these
rooms where they would be for a word processed then cremated.

The Horse and Cart as a Hurst would bring the dead up the
back path to the Morgue for sorting, back then there was
a huge church and crematorium in Old Flay brick cemetery.

They would come around the side, and through cuttings in the
rock to deliver the dead.

So the pictures below show what is one of the other buildings
which we assumed would also be used for the same sorting
but can not be sure. But the one where it happened for sure
has been rubbed out, its actually on the hill, maybe the
entrance was behind the main gates now welded shut.

First let me show you what it looks like now,
the building that could have been a holding place too.



And some pictures from just inside, basically
holding the camera low and clicking with the flash on.



And



There believed to only be rooms, and not Tunnels as some
have thought. Maybe a trip inside will help.

Now where is it?

At Old Flay brick Cemetery in Bidston,
You need to come around the side of the Nann's to get in.



Number 5 Shows you the way through the fence.



Once your at the top of the hill where the picture is
taken from follow Arrow 3 and stay to the wall and
you will see the hole. It looks like its visited regularly.

Where i have marked 1 & 2 is where i was told the "Real"
holding rooms were for the children with Diphtheria,
as the "Fever" Hospital for Mersey side was just over the way.

But the "Real" one seems to be either covered over or Rubbed out,
but all the ground around the base of the hill we were standing
on seems a good 6ft higher than days gone by, like the spoil
from the new housing estate has been used to cover / bury
over things from the past.

There could how ever be an entrance to the left of the main gate
but we couldn't get to it as we were running out of time.



Number 2 shows where that entrance may be??
In the rock faces, facing towards the path behind the gate.
Purley speculation as we dont know what's happended to the
building. Number 1 shows where you used to be able to have
a drink from a lions head, but its been broken and gone.

arrows are confusing me!!!

whats arrows 3 and 4 for on the first picture???

There was a hostpital called St James hostpital i think it was for skin disorders the Play Ground on tollymache road is the site wonder if theres any basements or sub basements in there and wonder if theres any link to this...

Yeh soundlads posted what i meant too with 3 & 4
that's the direction of the hospital.

They the houses near tollymache road mark ?? (3 + 4) ???

Looking at this, turn to your left.
The front of the estate goes on to Tollymache Road
But these ones are towards the back of the estate.

got in behind the fence yesterday but didnt really find much apart from broken head stones ,but gonna go back sat and lok around the whole area again

The only way to get on the top is though the black railing,
but when i was last past there they were closed up,
as the kids use a car jack to open them.

The head stones you can get to them from flay bricks main
entrance on tollimache road, and just go in and turn right
at the old crematorium and eventually you will get to the
bottom of the cemetery.

But your cant get out so you have to go all the way back.
I think you know what i mean, but its really interesting
in the day time.

https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showgallery/Number/174568

we actually got through a fence inside the cem,there are enough jemmied holes ,im a big lad so some of them were a bit of a squeeze,lol,but thats what i take the wife for ,where i cant go she can... do you think that this was the main purpose of the road/path or may be it was the possible bricked entrance further down the path.and are they all linked to the infectious disease hospital.there seems to be confusion where the hosp actually used to be ,some records mention flaybrick road and some mention tollemache rd so my natural reasoning is the corner of both, which would tie in with all that we think was up there and the locations in proximity to the cem ..

ST James Hospital was a STD hospital I used to go to Tolly school and never saw anybody go in or out of the place.I bet nobody will come on, who did go there with a rash

ok ok now i am lost, can onwe of u whizzkids do and ariel shot of this and show where the hell we are on abou as i have not got a clue, i vaugly remember the cem that you guys posted pics of just off tolly road especially the building but as for this i know there was a place on the left of tolly from where u crossed from mercer heading toward town

[youtube]jLiR8aQPxeE[/youtube]

Being a slim chappy i managed to squeeze into the old
fever hospital area we visited last year.

But to my surprise, the whole area has been cleared,
and backfilled and covered.

an oldish fella in work told me about tunnels that lead from st james hospital to st james church. they were used by the diseased to go to church to pray.

Id love to see the st James church's basement.. cause the church is in such a strange location..

Hmmm I wonder if the tunnels still exist, as they would be pretty long??