Construction started c. 1750 Phone +44 20 3513 3200 Designated as world heritage site 25 June 1983 | Reference no. 1193875 Architectural style Georgian architecture | |
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Type Residential, but converted for use as a hospital Location Kew Foot Road, Richmond, London, England Official name Original Block of Richmond Royal Hospital Address Kew Foot Rd, Richmond TW9 2TE, UK Similar Pools on the Park, Museum of Richmond, Springfield University Hospital, Old Deer Park, Asgill House | ||
Richmond Royal Hospital, on Kew Foot Road in Richmond, London, is a mental health facility operated by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, which has its headquarters at Springfield Hospital in Tooting. The hospital's original block is Grade II listed.
History
The original hospital block is a mid-18th century brown brick house with a Roman Ionic porch. It was the home of the poet James Thomson (1700–1748), who lived there from 1736 until his death. The site is marked by a blue plaque. Thomson wrote his most famous works there including the masque Alfred, which includes the poem "Rule, Britannia" (1740), "The Castle of Indolence" (1748) and "The Seasons" (1738). His poem "Rule, Britannia" was set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740 and became a patriotic song. There is a memorial to him in Richmond Park.
After Thomson's death the house was bought by a friend, George Ross, who enlarged it and gave it the name Rossdale Cottage. Over the years the name was altered slightly to Rosedale Cottage. In 1786 it was sold to the widow of Admiral Edward Boscawen. After she died in 1805 it was bought by Charles Talbot, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, who changed the name to Shrewsbury House.
In February 1868 it was opened as a hospital, by the Earl and Countess Russell.
Additions were made to the building in 1896; the architects were Smith and Brewer. The rehabilitation unit on Evelyn Road, behind the main building, was built in 1980: the architects were Hutchison, Locke and Monk.