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Ashford site Date St. Peter’s site
 

666

Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter (Chertsey Abbey) established reputedly by Erithwald Earldoman of Surrey 1

 

9th c.

Abbey destroyed by the Danes 1

 

Early 12th c.

Abbey rebuilt and flourished known for its production of encaustic tiles Chertsey 1 (see Chertsey Museum)

 

1319

BOTLEYS PARK MANSION occupied by John de Bottele (or Butteley) known as Botlese in the early 16th c. St. Peter’s Hospital now stands on N.E. corner of Botleys Park estate.

Ownership of the estate went through a long line of people including Sir Roger Cholmeley, Knight and Chief Baron of the Exchequer who sold it to King Henry VIII. The Duchess of Somerset (widow of the Protector of King Edward VI) had a lease on it. A Mrs. Pleasance sold it to Sir Joseph Mawbey. Sir Joseph Mawbey married Elizabeth Pratt , heiress of Richard Pratt 5

 

1538

Abbey once again destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries 1

 

1760

BOTLEYS PARK ESTATE bought by Joseph Mawbey who married Elizabeth Pratt in 1760 – he pulled down Botleys Mansion and rebuilt a new Mansion to the design of Kent Couse, architect, who was involved in the design for Richmond Bridge, and possibly the Tower of St. Margarets, Westminster. Couse also re-designed the front door of No. 10 Downing Street. 5

 

1817

BOTLEYS PARK passed to Sir Joseph Mawbey’s two granddaughters one of whom married John Ivett Briscoe of Foxhills. The Briscoe’s continued to live at Foxhills and in 1822 they sold Botleys to David Hall, Feltmaker. Eventually Botleys passed to the Gosling family who were bankers. Three generations of the Gosling family lived at Botleys until 1927. 5

 

1818-1825

SILVERLANDS – The building of Silverlands – it is not certain when Silverlands was first constructed but it is deduced that the building took place between these dates and the first owner was Vice-Admiral the Rt. Hon Sir Frederick Hotham.

Silverlands was used as a home by the Hotham family until approximately 1887

Board of Guardians of Staines Poor Law Union established the Staines Union Workhouse on land adjoining Town Land at Ashford (in Stanwell parish) Workhouse laundry was opposite the above site which laundry remained in use until the mid-1970s.

Workhouse Infirmary established on left of the driveway at the main entrance (later used as the School of Nursing) which was demolished in 1995.

1840

 
 

1887-1905

SILVERLANDS passed to Sir Frederick Alers Hankey MP MA JP

 

1905-1907

SILVERLANDS passed to Philip Waterlow.

 

1908-1919

SILVERLANDS passed to Rt. Hon. Sir John Tomlinson Brunner Bt.MP 2

 

1908

St. Nicholas & St. Martin’s Orthopaedic Hospital Pyrford for crippled girls 3 and 1 Subsequently renamed Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Hospital (see 1939-45 below)

Staines Union Isolation Hospital opened at Long Lane end of the site: later known as Holloway Unit.

1912

 

Staines Boys Home built in grounds of hospital. Later used as Nurses Home 8

1913

 

May 1914 Staines Cottage Hospital opened in Kingston Road 9

1914

 
 

1929

BOTLEYS PARK ESTATE purchased by Surrey County Council from the Gosling family. For the purpose of care, treatment and remedial training of backward children and adults. A new wing was added to the mansion and the villas were built in the grounds to house the patients. 4

Workhouses became the responsibility of Local Authorities. S.U.W. taken over by Middlesex County Council and renamed Staines Institute

1930

 

2 Sept 1939: Staines Emergency Hospital formed from the old Staines Institute plus 10 new huts built for expected military casualties from France. Staffed with doctors and nurses from the West Middx. Hospital 6

1939

A medical centre including twenty-one Villas was established for the care and treatment of mental patients known as Botleys Park Colony for Mental Defectives 1 Botleys Park site: 24th June 1939

May 1940: First Dunkirk casualties.

Aug 1940: First air raids and hospital bombed (last bombing 17 May 1944) 13

1939-1945

BOTLEYS PARK site was used as a hospital for the treatment of Dunkirk casualties. During this time consultants and nurses were seconded from St Thomas’s and St. George’s Hospitals London. Consultants and nurses were recalled to their London hospitals after the war. During the hostilities the Orthopaedic Dept. of St. Thomas’s London was bombed and work was transferred to the Pyrford site and Rowley Bristow.

4th October 1941 Female Nurses training School opened

Dec. 1941 – Hospital known as Staines County Hospital 13

D Block and main kitchen completed.

1941

 

June 1945 Hospital renamed Ashford County Hospital 13

1945

 

By 1947 the Hospital was serving Staines, Ashford and Stanwell

1947

General Nursing Council gave authority for the formation of the St. Peter’s Training School for Nurses. This was opened in March of that year with three Student Nurses at Silverlands.

In this year St. Peter’s became a general hospital serving Chertsey, Bagshot, Walton-on-Thames and Woking and the name was officially changed to St. Peter’s. This name was taken from the mother church of St. Peter’s Chertsey.

Hospital renamed Ashford (General) Hospital 8

1948

National Health Service established in July.

 

1952

May 1952 League of Friends inaugurated.

MacWilliam House (nurses’ home) opened 6

1956

 
 

1962

Accident Centre established (prototype for rest of the country)

Old Workhouse demolished 6

1963

 
 

1965

Radio Wey begins broadcasting.

Post Graduate Education Centre.

1967 – 26 September -The New Operating Theatres opened by HRH Duchess of Kent.

Accident and Emergency and Outpatients Departments opened.

1966

 

Ashford Hospital Hostesses established (known as Shrimps – because of their pink uniforms) 10, 11 – later became Ashford League of Friends

1966

 

New Physiotherapy Unit opened in July. 6

1967

 

Maternity Unit opened (31 May) 8 with 92 beds and 18 intensive care cots

1968

 
 

1970

Maternity Unit opened. First arrivals were twin boys to whom silver mugs were presented. 1991 – 21st birthday of Unit celebrated at which twins and parents were present

Autumn - £1.75 million development began

1972

 

Clinical Block opened

1974

 

By the 1980s Ashford was a District general Hospital with 770 beds 7. The old Staines Isolation Hospital became psycho-geriatric Unit (Holloway Unit) with patients transferred from Holloway Sanatorium 7

1980

 
 

1981

New Departmental Block opened by Sir Geoffrey Pattie MP for Chertsey

Staines Cottage Hospital demolished

1986

 
 

1988

Abraham Cowley Unit opened

 

1989

April 1989 – New Friends Café opened

1990s Hospital Chapel and Sports & Social Club demolished for re-building of Hospital. Proceeds of land sold to Tesco used to build new Ward Blocks, A & E Dept., kitchens, education centre and Management Offices

1990

Early 1990’s Rowley Bristow Trauma and Orthopaedic Clinic moved to St. Peter’s Hospital from Pyrford

 

1990

1st January 1990 Silverlands Nursing School amalgamated with other Schools of Nursing in Surrey and Hampshire to become Francis Harrison College of Nursing and Midwifery.

 

1991

Blanche Heriot Unit for Genito and Urinary Medicine opened (named after the curfew bell)

 

1991

21st birthday of Maternity Unit

1st April 1992 the new Ashford Hospital became NHS Trust headed by a Management Board

1992

1st April 1992 St. Peter’s Hospital became NHS Trust headed by a Management Board. 1

 

1992

Duchess of Kent Wing

New ward block

New A& E dept. opened. Old Infirmary demolished (Jan) to accommodate new Hospital roadway

1994

 

New Ashford Hospital operational (Sept.)

1995

 

St. Peter’s and Ashford hospitals merge to become one NHS Trust (1st April)

1998

Prince Edward Wing

Accident Centre

Rowley Bristow Centre

Intensive Care Unit

New mosaics made at Ashford Hospital entrance

2001

 

Quadrangle garden opened with restored 1902 window.

New Medical Director appointed (April).

New nursery craned into position (July).

Refurbishment of accommodation blocks (July).

Trust awarded one star in performance ratings (July).

Day Surgery extensions starts (August).

Operations Director appointed (September).

Franchise Plan published (October).

2002

CCTV control centre opens (June).

Work on PALS facility starts (September).

CHI Investigation Team visit (October).

Philippines Government Minister for tourism visits the Trust (November).

Gary Lineker OBE opens the new Clinical Haematology Unit and refurbished Pathology Laboratories (November).

New Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) opens (December).

Agenda for Change road shows (April)

Glenn Douglas is new Chief Executive (April)

Trust receives two star rating (July)

1st Annual Diversity Celebration Week (October)

2003

New wayfinding signs installed (January)

CHI publish Maternity Services investigation report (March)

Stephanie Marks Diabetes Appeal launched (June)

Minister of State for Health opens Sandgates and Playscheme (July)

Gallaher Suite opens in NICU (August)

Public Consultation - "Shaping the Future" (March)

Clinical Skills Lab opens (March)

Awarded NHS HR Director of Year (September)

2nd Annual Diversity Celebration Week (October)

Reconfiguration briefings take place (November)

2004

New pacemaker pioneered (April)

Visit by Sir Peter Morris (June)

Early Births Fund appeal launch (July)

Neurophysiology opened (July)

Minerva IT Training Centre opened (July)

10,000th patient visits Angiography Suite (September)

£12m transformation plans submitted (January)

Essence of Care Conference (February)

Living Space launched (June)

Trust awarded 3 star status (July)

New look for Wordsworth Ward (August)

Official opening for Wordsworth Ward (November)

2005

Oxygen tanks installed (March)

New playscheme opened (March)

Armed Police guard A&E following incident (March)

Discharge Unit re-launched (June)

HRH Countess of Wessex opens expanded NICU (July)

Ashford Walk-in Centre opens (1st February)

From 8th March – National No Smoking Day – St Peter’s and Ashford Hospital Trust becomes “ Smoke Free” in line with Government’s plan for all public organisations to be completely smoke-free by end of 2006

2006

Medical High Dependency Unit (MHDU) opens 1st February.

Agenda for Change – Reconfiguration of Services – 1st February 2006

Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) opens in August.

West Wing at Ashford is closed.

Trust environmental sustainability project begins.

Merger talks begin with Frimley Park Hospital in July

2007

Agenda for Change – Reconfiguration of Services – 1st February 2006

Upgrade to Oral and Maxillofacial surgical and consultant rooms.

New mortuary development plans announced.

Eye Clinic opened in January.

Frimley merger discussions shelved but support for more network growth and shared services.

NHS 60th Anniversary celebrated.

2008

Chief Executive Glenn Douglas leaves Trust. Paul Bentley announced in acting role.

Acute stroke and brain injury unit opened (April).

First thrombolysis procedure at Stroke unit.

Any Questions? comes to visit in May.

St Peter's multi-faith centre opened.

Aileen McLeish becomes the new Trust chairman.

100th cystectomy (bladder removal) performed.

Fielding Ward re-opens following refurbishment to be used for Orthopaedic rehabilitation.

Ashford multi-faith centre opened.

Chaucer, Wordsworth, and Dickens Wards opened following refurbishment (November).

2009

Andrew Liles joins as new Chief Executive (January).

Extreme weather conditions affects routine services in February.

State-of-the-art ventilators donated to the ICU (March).

Foundation Trust public consultation announced for June to August.

CQC registration in April.

2010

New cardiac lab opens (January)

Campus 20-year plan submitted in January (with approval in March).

24 / 7 stroke service begins (February)

Stephanie Marks Diabetes Centre opens in May.

Hospitals granted Foundation Trust status on the 1st December.

One year MRSA free at the Trust (August).

Plans submitted to acquire Epsom Hospital (November).

2011

New garden and seating area opened in April.

First keyhole aneurysm repair by vascular team (August).

New Special Care Unit opened for mothers and babies (August).

First gastric bypass operation performed (September).

.

6000th public member of the Foundation Trust announced in April.

50 years of Ashford Hospital League of Friends.

Trust preferred bidder for Epsom Hospital (June) - plans were later halted in October.

Charity shop opens at Ashford (August).

New admissions and discharge lounge opened (December).

2012

Wren (Weight Reduction, Endocrine and Nutrition) unit opens (February).

Acute Oncology Service launched in March.

Joint Community Hub to support patient discharge opened in April.

Plans to build Midwifery Led Unit (April).

Queen's Award for Volunteers (June).

60 years of St Peter's Hospital League of Friends celebrated in July.

First phase of outpatient refurbishment completed in January. The official opening for the £2.8m transformation is held in September.

Jasmine Suite refurbished and opened in July.

Tennyson Unit opened in November.

2013

Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) opened in January.

Butterfly Scheme launched in February to aid dementia care.

Makeover of Joan Booker ward in June.

Cancer Support and Information Room opened in July.

Opening of ground floor entrance to improve accessibility (July).

First turf cut for midwifery led unit in September.

Cardiac unit officially opened in October.

10 year programme begins in November to upgrade imaging facilities.

Ambulatory Emergency Care unit opened in November.

Memorial window restored in chapel (February).

Royal Surrey merger talks begin (May).

New chemotherapy service launched in September.

100th anniversary of the start of World War 1 remembered across the Trust.

2014

Hybrid theatre opened (February).

Midwifery Led Unit opens in May - now called the Abbey Birth Centre. The 100th birth is announced in August.

Departure of Chief Executive Andrew Liles (August). He is replaced by Suzanne Rankin in September.

Co-located cardiac unit opens (November).

A&E records busiest days in its history (December).

60th anniversary of the end of World War 2.

First cancer support day (February).

New MRI Scanner opened (November).

2015

50 years of Radio Wey in March.

Celebrating 75 years of St Peter's Hospital.

Merger plans with Royal Surrey delayed following Competition and Markets Authority decision for further investigation (February).

"Good" rating received by Care Quality Commission (March).

Memory loss cafe opens (May).

CMA gives final clearance to proposed hospital merger (September).

Memory Tree sculpture unveiled (December).

Older Persons Short Stay Unit opened (December).

Decision to not pursue merger (November).

2016

Owl room refurbishment (April).

New dementia bays opened (July).

Children's cancer unit redecorated (August).

Trust announced as provider for Integrated Musculoskeletal Services (August).

VTE Exemplar Centre Status awarded (September).

Weybridge hospital fire (July).

2017

New Multi-Faith Centre opened (March).

Redevelopment plans for St Peter's campus announced (March).

New NICU room opened (May).

Repainted isolation room on Ash Ward (May).

New unit in Intensive Care opened (May).

Endoscopy and Neurophysiology departments updated (September).

New virtual fracture clinic (September).

Visit by Secretary of State for Health (September).

Change in Sexual Health service provider (October).

2000th baby born in Abbey Birth Centre (October).

Transfer of ADHD services (December).

Spring to Green project launches (February).

Red2Green project launches (March).

Electronic Referral Service (e-RS) starts (April).

Trust strategy launch (May).

Closure of Wordsworth Ward (May).

Trust wins Working Smarter award (June).

70 Years of the NHS Celebrated (July).

CQC Report (October).

2018

New Urology virtual clinics launched (February).

Opening of Daffodil Room (March).

Planning permission approved for land redevelopment (March).

Opening of playroom and sensory room (May).

Exercise Buzzard to prepare for major incidents in NW Surrey (July).

Refurbished NICU parents' accommodation opened (September).

Urgent Treatment Centre goes live (November).

Sale of West Site and beginning of car park build (November).

Launch of NHS Long Term Plan (January).

Outpatient Transformation Programme launch (January).

Preparing for EU Exit (March).

Sale of surplus land at Ashford (March).

Medical Records moves to Ashford (July).

New nursery opens at Ashford (December).

ASPH Pantomime (December).

2019

ePR selection programme begins (February).

Relaunch of Footsteps Pathway in NICU (March).

Sale of surplus land at St Peter's (April).

20th anniversary of Cardiac Catheter Laboratory Service (April).

Launch of NICU transport incubator service (May).

First Community Day at St Peter's (July).

Changes to Physiotherapy services (August).

3000th baby born in Abbey Birth Centre (August).

Children's Ward refurbishment (October).

Weekly Lullaby Hour in NICU begins (October).

Changing Places toilet opens (October).

Trust transformation programme begins with new multi-deck car park (October).

NICU receive Bliss Baby Charter plaque (November).

Mural created in nursery garden (December).

COVID-19 affects hospital staff and services (March).

Virtual consultations introduced (March).

Transformational changes due to COVID-19 measures (May).

ePR joint project with the Royal Surrey begins - "Surrey Safe Care" (June).

2020

Partnership with BMI Runnymede and Nuffield Health Working (April).

Visit by the Countess of Wessex (May).

Stephanie Marks Diabetes Centre reaches 10th anniversary (May).

COVID-19 clinical trials begin (May).

Wentworth Ward opens for end of life care (August).

New Outpatients Car Park completed (August).

Visit by the Chief Midwifery Officer for England (November).

Project Wingman aircrew support staff (January).

Pride in Nursing and Midwifery Day held virtually (May).

New staff wellbeing facilities at both sites (June).

Suzanne Rankin to leave the Trust (September)

2021

ASPH COVID Vaccination Hub opens (January to April).

Changes to vascular services (March).

Day of Reflection (March).

Day Nursery refurbishment (April).

Construction of new Urgent and Emergency Care Unit (May to August).

Clinical Assessment Unit moves to UECU (August).

Urgent Treatment Centre moves to UECU (August).

Virtual Reality (VR) training suite (September).

Suzanne Rankin leaves the Trust (January).

Julie Smith appointed as Chief Executive (February) and joins (May).

ASPH Theatre Charter launched (April).

Pride in Nursing and Midwifery Day (May).

Opening of Wobble Room (October).

ASPH wins Healthcare Caterer of the Year (October).

First Harms Free Care Conference (November).

2022

21st Anniversary of Birth Reflections Service (January).

Work on Courtyard Garden begins (February).

EduKitchen opens (March).

The Eternal Garden opens (April).

Surrey Safe Care goes live (May).

Visiting restrictions lifted (June).

Daffodil Suite refurbished (July).

Outdoor space for IT team opens (October).

e-Bike charging station installed (November).

Healing Arts music programme relaunched (November).

Junior doctors strikes (March, April, June 2023).

Ashford wellbeing hub opens (April 2023).

NHS 75th Anniversary (July 2023).

2023

Eternal Garden wins award (January 2023).

Bowel cancer screening colonoscopy service opens (February 2023).

Bereavement Café opens (March 2023).

CQC Maternity report published (March 2023).

HRH The Duchess of Gloucester opens the staff garden (May 2023).

 

 

Reference sources

1. St. Peter’s Hospital Chertsey Past and Present

2. History of Silverlands by R.A.Manwaring

3. Rowley Bristow File

4. Chertsey Museum

5. Article by Cicely Stevens in Herald and News February 20 1992 (see arch.3)

6. “Ashford Hospital 1947-1967” Anon. (arch. I)

7. “Ashford Hospital – a short history” 1985 Anon. (arch. 2)

8. “Ashford Hospital by Vernon Goslin in “Stanwell, my village” by Beryl Wilkins 1993 (arch.1)

9. “Staines in old picture postcards” by Barry Dix 1993 (arch.1.)

10. “Ashford Hospital hostesses Oct. 1966-1988” by Phyllis Elven 1994 (arch.1)

11. “History of Ashford Hospital League of Friends” 2004 (arch.1)

12. “Ashford Hospital – some facts and figures” 1998 (arch.1)

13. “Staines Emergency Hospital Steward’s Reports Sept. 1939 – June 1945”

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