This page has a number of historic images of interiors of wards at Dorset County Hospital:

• Male patients’ ward, 1886
• Female patients’ ward, c. 1914-18
• Male patients’ ward, 1927
• Children’s ward, 1927
• Female patients’ ward, 1927

All the images have been published with the kind permission of the respective copyright holders.

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Male patients’ ward, 1886

This is the earliest known image of a ward interior at Dorset County Hospital. It was taken by Thomas Grigg, photographer of Dorchester, in 1886, and is now held by Dorset County Museum. One of the more striking features of this photograph is the mix of adults and children on the same ward.

© Dorset County Museum

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Female patients’ ward, c. 1914-18

This picture, held by Dorset County Museum, is thought to be a female ward during the First World War. The room looks remarkably similar – in terms of windows and the fireplace – to the female ward in 1927.

© Dorset County Museum

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Male patients’ ward, 1927

Published in the hospital’s annual report for 1927, at Dorset History Centre (reference NG/HH/DO(C)/2/1/2, between pages 22 and 23).

© Dorset History Centre

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Children’s ward, 1927

Published in the hospital’s annual report for 1927, at Dorset History Centre (reference NG/HH/DO(C)/2/1/2, between pages 22 and 23).

© Dorset History Centre

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Female patients’ ward, 1927

Published in the hospital’s annual report for 1927, at Dorset History Centre (reference NG/HH/DO(C)/2/1/2, between pages 4 and 5).

© Dorset History Centre