Following on from Stan's earlier posting regarding Sunderland War Hospital. The workhouse building that was converted to be used as Sunderland War Hospital, later the Pensions War Hospital and then Geriatric Wards in later years (ie the Chester Road block), seems to have been built between the 1862 and 1883 (it was not on the OS Map of 1861, but is on Routhwaites Plan of the Borough of Sunderland 1883) It's design of two enclosed courtyards clearly suggests that it was for both male and female inmates. Does anyone know why this building was constructed rather than enlarging the original main workhouse building, and which class of inmates were housed here? I have seen somewhere references that in later years it was a "Seamens Block", "Womens Block" and in a 1917 Echo article about the war hospital it was described as part of the Infirmary. I'd be interested to hear however about it's original intended use. Also, does anyone know of any maps other than the OS Maps which depict the workhouse site between 1855 and 1948? Many thanks Rob

The War Hospital which was later developed into the Physiotherapy and Geriatric Wards, was opened in 1917 and consisted of huts. If you go to http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ there is a photograph taken in 1930 from the west which shows the huts in the right foreground of the hospital, in the angle bounded by Kayll Road and Chester Road. The site also gives details of what extensions took place to the site. In 1868, the Union Schools for 200 children were added. The buildings were extended with the addition of lunatic wards for 66 inmates, at a cost of £3,000. These were extended in 1872 at the cost of a further £500. Stan Mapstone