Private house Below Standish Wood, which together with
Haresfield Beacon was acquired by the
National Trust in 1931, lies Standish Park, which has existed since the 16th century. Originally part of Standish Court, the Park covered , and was part of the estate of the
Baron's Sherborne of Gloucestershire. Developing the Park as a country retreat, Standish House was constructed on the property. In 1853,
James Dutton, 3rd Baron Sherborne leased it to Gloucester-based businessman
Richard Potter, son of
Radical MP
Richard Potter, then a director of timber merchants Price & Co., later the managing director of the
Great Western Railway. Potter lived at the house with his wife Lawrencina, daughter of a Liverpool-based merchant, and their nine daughters. Three were born in the property, including later sociologist, economist, socialist and social reformer
Martha Beatrice Webb, Lady Passfield. Potter developed the gardens along with managed
Victorian era principles, building extensive heated
greenhouses to allow the family to eat well. It eventually provided a ready supply of
grapes, plus a dedicated
mushroom house and
watercress beds. A drilled spring provided a steady year-round stream, which was landscaped to provide a pond by the construction of a brick wall dam. Beneath the dam there was an ice store, allowing year-round supplies of ice. On 24 June 1884, Mrs. Annie Poole King of Kensington House,
Brislington, Somerset leased Standish House on a contract term of 21 years from
Edward Dutton, 4th Baron Sherborne, at a rate of £150pa. The widow of a shipping magnate, she moved in with five children, plus a house staff of a coachman, cook, housekeeper, and gardener. A member of the
Berkeley Hunt, at the time the house had a stable block capable of housing 30+ horses. After the war living conditions were very poor which led to a rise in diseases such as tuberculosis. The Government and Local Authorities had a duty to try to improve people's health and so it was proposed that Standish should be opened as a Tuberculosis Institution.
Gloucestershire County Council bought Standish Park in its entirety from Lord Sherborne. Funds were raised for suitable equipment and refurbishing, the Red Cross contributing £10,000. Standish House Sanatorium was opened on 6 July 1922. It had a total of 140 beds divided into men's, women's and children's blocks. The wards were run to a strict timetable but there were also plenty of recreation activities including a jazz band, cinema, games, and concerts. Over the next 15 years, the accommodation was expanded and in 1939 a new men's block was opened. During the Second World War expansion slowed but, despite this, in 1947, "C" block, with 65 female beds, 19 children's beds and a modern Physiotherapy Department was opened. In 1948 the hospital became part of the National Health Service and a new X-Ray Department was opened. As tuberculosis became less common the range of conditions treated at the hospital grew. It specialized in
orthopaedics,
rheumatology and
respiratory care across the whole of Gloucestershire. In 1956 the League of Friends for Standish Hospital was formed which organized fundraising and additional amenities for patients and visitors. The hospital continued to develop its service including Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. In 1974 the NHS had a major reorganization. Standish came under the Gloucestershire
Area Health Authority. A new theatre was opened and the X-Ray Dept modernized. During the 1980s more management changes were made and services began to be transferred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Despite new facilities having been built, and protests made by local groups such as "Save Our Standish", in 1992 formal proposals were made to close the hospital. Gloucestershire Hospitals
NHS Trust considered reducing the number of beds at the hospital, as part of a series of cost-cutting proposals, in October 2003. Although the Minister for Health,
John Hutton, considered several options for the future of the hospital in March 2004, closure was ultimately confirmed and the last patients were ultimately moved to
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in December 2004.
Redevelopment In 2006 Standish Mutual Care Trust proposed turning the residual site into a centre for health and well-being, but were out-bid by a private healthcare concern. Then in 2010 Gloucestershire County Council proposed a mixed-use redevelopment of the site involving a health and social care centre. The proposed "health campus" would offer supported living options and access to care for the elderly and people with physical and learning disabilities. However, in 2017 PJ Livesey Group, a private developer, proposed redeveloping the site for residential use. ==References==