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Dyke Road

Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children

Photo by Tony Mould

Dedication plaque

Photo by Tony Mould

Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children

Reproduced with permission from the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder, 1990

Please note that this text is an extract from a reference work written in 1990. As a result, some of the content may not reflect recent research, changes and events.

b) ROYAL ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL for SICK CHILDREN : The Brighton Hospital for Sick Children was founded at 178 Western Road on 3 August 1868 by Dr R.P.B.Taafe. It expanded into an adjacent building in 1870, but in the same year the hospital moved to the disused ChurchHillSchool in Dyke Road where it was reopened with twenty beds on 14 July 1871 by the Bishop of Chichester. The present hospital building was erected on the site in 1880-1, a three-storey red-brick building which was opened on 21 July 1881 by Princess Alexandra. Decorated with terracotta mouldings, it was designed in Queen Anne style by Thomas Lainson at a cost of £10,500. The girls' ward was named the Taafe Ward in honour of the founder.
The Royal Alexandra has now been enlarged to 114 beds. A two-storey out-patient and isolation ward opened in 1904; the east wing was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York on 30 May 1928; and the Gillespie Wing was opened on 4 December 1945 by Princess Elizabeth, who also attended a concert at the Dome in aid of hospital funds. The Cawthorne Ward was converted in 1966 from the 1896 nurses' home. Since 1954 the patron has been the present Princess Alexandra. {24,98,115}

Any numerical cross-references in the text above refer to resources in the Sources and Bibliography section of the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder.

This page was added on 28/02/2007.

Comments about this page

I am mortified to find that this exquisite building is under danger of demolition to be replaced by another block of flats.What an absolute tragedy. Please object by January 25th!

By Alex (02/01/2008)

It is a disgrace that this lovely building should be demolished. Is the council aware of their responsibility to maintain historical buildings? I spent many months there as a child.

By Maureen Foster (03/06/2008)

There is still time to object to the demolition of this beautiful building. The replacement development is 151 Wimpey flats! Say no online to the council, the deadline 7th October 2008:http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=b1151084&action=showDetail&application_number=BH2008%2F02095

By L Newman (21/09/2008)

I'm disgusted that the RoyalAlexandraHospital for sick children is closing down and turning into flats.... I was in and out of that hospital from a baby till I was 14 years old, met so many friends there, the nurses and doctors were lovely. I'm just disappointed that such a great hospital has to be shut down.

By Shelly Paine (29/09/2008)

In 1967 I was treated as a child in this great hospital and seen by the great Dr Mann. He diagnosed my illness.

By Richard Wallace (25/09/2011)

Hi, I spent most of my childhood from the time I was born in 1951 to when I was 16 at the Alexandra Hospital. I hated going in and I hated coming out cos I loved it there. I called it my second home because I spent about two weeks a month althrough my childhood. I had very bad exzema all through my childhood. My late mother used to take me to go and see Dr Colin Jones- he was a lovely man and I can still see his face.

By Stephen Raynsford (15/04/2012)

I spent a lot of my childhood in and out of the Alex, my consultant was Dr Nash and I truly loved the man, he was so kind. I still remember the nurses and as I was a long term patient they used to bring me in presents when they went on holiday, one of them even got me a signed photo of John Lennon from a concert she attended. I loved the uniform and hats and always said I would go back and be a nurse, but sadly never did. I would love to find some old photos and history on the hospital. It was a lovely place and I only have very fond memories of it. I still recall the nurses' prize-giving when the sisters received their wonderful belt buckles. We were all wheeled out in our beds into the garden and the doctors threw sweets and sugar cubes from the wards upstairs to us in our beds down in the garden. Wonderful memories.

By Tina Ellis (04/05/2012)