When the North Middlesex was our Local WWI Military Hospital

Looking for something on the web recently, I stumbled across a number of references to our local WWI military hospital. Given the topicality of anything WWI-related, I thought I'd share this nice crop of old photos that I've dug up from a variety of sources.

All images are of the Edmonton Military Hospital. Starting life as a workhouse, what is now the North Middlesex spent the WWI years as one of London's military hospitals before becoming a civilian hospital and eventually part of the NHS. 

Edmonton Military Hospital in 1928 after it had begin operating as a civilian hospital

At the main gates, one side of which still stands today.

Main facade

The first of 139 wounded men arrived at Lower Edmonton low level station on Friday evening, 14th May 1915. A large crowd waited there. Flowering plants were brought from Barrowfield nurseries, someone produced a Union Jack and "Welcome to our heros" was chalked up on the wall. (History of Enfield, vol.3, p.25.)

The following two photographs are by Cyril Marsh Neaves (1877-1934), official photographer of the Middlesex Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), 1914-1918.

Wounded soldiers arriving at the now buried Lower Edmonton Low Level Station

Wounded soldiers arriving at the now buried Lower Edmonton Low Level Station

Mary East Ward

Coleridge East Ward

Mary Ward again

Christmas 1917 in Edmonton Military Hospital

The Annexe

Unnamed ward at the hospital

Ward 1