Hollymoor Hospital c1915

Built in 1900 by Martin & Martin as an asylum, Hollmoor Hospital, due to its green dome capped water tower, has been something of a landmark in South Birmingham – the water tower being thankfully retained, along with some of the original buildings, to form a health centre. Opened in 1905 the hospital originally served as a ‘annexe’ to Rubery Hill Asylum a mile or so away but evolved over the years to become a psychiatric hospital and, much later, a general hospital before final closure in 1994. The hospital was also to serve as the Birmingham War Hospital Hollymoor (as in the above postcard) during World War I (again used by the military between 1942 and 1948 for soldiers suffering from ‘psychoneurosis’).

Demolition came shortly after closure in 1996 however, some of the original structures were preserved and are in use today but a large area of the site was turned over the the omnipresent housing association developers.

As an aside for those interested, during its construction the hospital had its own railway line spurred from the Halesowen Railway’s line at Rubery to deliver the contractor’s materials: no trace of this remains today.