St John of God Hospital, Scorton

The St John of God Hospital is a former hospital in Scorton, North Yorkshire, a village in England.
The Poor Clares built a convent in Scorton by 1845. They ran a girls' school, perhaps in the same building. In 1857, the order moved to Darlington, and the building was converted into a care home for the elderly. In 1880, the Order of St John of God took over the building, converting it into a hospital. In 1912, a new block with space for 200 patients was added, with the original block becoming known as "St Clare's Building". The chapel was reordered in the early 1930s, and a 17-bed surgical ward was established in 1950. Other facilities were gradually added, including a library, shop, and in 1955, a swimming pool. In 1970, the hospital for the first time established a ward for women. A rehabilitation unit was built in 1977.[1]
In 2001, the hospital closed its acute services, then left the site entirely in 2002.[2] It was again converted into a care home, but this closed in 2013, and in 2022 it was proposed to convert it into housing.[3]
The original building is constructed of brick with stone dressings, and a Welsh slate roof with stone copings and shaped kneelers. There are two storeys and attics, and an irregular L-shaped plan, with fronts of three bays. The doorway has a Tudor arch, and most of the windows are mullioned or mullioned and transomed. One of the gables contains a niche with a pointed arch and a statue. Ir was grade II listed in 1987.[4][5]
See also
References
- ^ The Province of the Venerable Bede 125 Year Review (PDF). Hospitaller Order of St John of God. 2005. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "Scorton hospital to close after 120 years serving area". Northern Echo. 22 March 2002. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Minting, Stuart (27 April 2022). "Plans to redevelop historic Scorton hospital site". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Historic England. "St Clare's Building at St John of God Hospital, Scorton (1131464)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ Grenville, Jane; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2023) [1966]. Yorkshire: The North Riding. The Buildings of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-25903-2.