Hawkhurst Community Hospital History

Hawkhurst Community Hospital

The hospital was built in 1877 as a direct result of a most generous benefactor Mrs Margaret Adams. She and her husband Richard Dering Adams, a surgeon, came to live in Hawkhurst, sometime in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Mr Adams, the son of a farmer, was from East Farleigh and his wife belonged to a Hastings family. They lived in a substantial house, Springfield, on the north side of the High Street, which still exists. Mr Adams died aged 47 in 1866. They had no children. Mrs Adams continued to live in Springfield until her death in 1887. Although she seems to have spent part of her time in another house which she owned in St Leonard’s.

In 1874 she began the project which still benefits us all – the provision of a hospital for the village. Her first move was to buy The Bull Inn, which had become available on the retirement of the landlord. Mrs Adams’ intention was to convert this building into a hospital. She commissioned an architect, Mr Albert Smith, to advise how this should be done. He reported that it would be better to demolish the existing structure and to build a completely new hospital. Which he thought would cost around £550. Mrs Adams accepted this advice.

The Trust

A Trust had already been set up by Mrs Adams to carry out the project and to administer the hospital when established. The majority of the trustees appointed by her, now thought a more central site should be sought. Mrs Adams did not approve.

She wrote: – “I should be sorry to prevent the hospital being placed in a more eligible site, if it should be procured, but at the same time my decided preference is for it to remain on the present site, which is so elevated and healthy, with pure air and extensive prospect so conducive to the restoration of health and strength.”

Most of the trustees did not agree and continued to look round for alternative sites. However, Mrs Adams’ opinion eventually prevailed.

The Bull Inn was pulled down and the hospital was built where it had once stood. A matron was engaged, and the Hospital opened its doors in the summer of 1877. An endowment fund was set up to which a number of people contributed. By far the largest contribution coming from Mrs Adams who had already paid for the site and the building.

The Hospital continued in its original form as set up by Mrs Adams until it became a NHS hospital in 1948. Since then, it has on several occasions been altered and enlarged. With substantial financial help from the Hospital’s League of Friends.

Reproduced by kind permission of Mr Alan Vaughan, past Chairman and Vice-President of the League of Friends.