Medieval Leytonstone – Langthorne Park and Hospital

It wasn’t till I entered Langthorne Park just off Leytonstone High Road that I realised I’d only ever been here once – and that was in my early Leytonstone years. The park occupies part of the site of the old Langthorne Hospital which started life as the West Ham Union Workhouse before becoming a geriatric hospital.

The land was originally owned by Langthorne Abbey in Stratford, established in the 12th Century by Cistercian monks. The name Langthorne apparently derives from the hedges of ‘long thorns’ that were grown around the abbey.

 

1 Comment

  1. John Spurge   •  

    Although it was called the West Ham Union Workhouse it was a real union of seven of the local parishes to share their duty to provide for the poor. The original parishes were East Ham , West Ham, Little Ilford, Low Leyton, Walthamstow, Wanstead, Woodford — St Mary.
    Cann Hall was added from (from 1894).

    It was transferred to West Ham Council in 1930 and used as a home for the aged, sick and infirm. It had about 1,800 beds so although it looks imposing, I guess it must have felt a little cramped. In 1948 it was transferred to the newly formed National Health Service.

    Mean while in 1900 the Guardians started building a new Infirmary in Leytonestone by Whipp’s Cross. We know what happened to that.

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