The Closure of the Mineral Water Hospital
After two hundred and seventy-seven years of treating patients, the Royal Mineral Hospital finally closed its doors and the few in-patients still in the hospital were transferred to a new unit at Combe Park. Just before closure in 2019 the museum commissioned a 360° photographic tour of the hospital. The building appears eerily empty with no evidence of staff or patients, probably for the first time since it opened in 1742. Since closure the building has lain empty, awaiting redevelopment as a hotel.
Work is in preparation to populate the 2019 building interior with videoed interviews of staff, patients, supporters and interested members of the public. We have already completed over 40 short 3-minute films, including comments by The Mayor of Bath, The Chair of the RUH Trust, The Chair of B&NES Council, doctors, nurses, therapists, support staff, researchers, experts from the fields of architecture, heritage, the history of the Spa waters, members of the public and patients, past and present from a wide variety of departments.
Explore our 3D virtual tour of the hospital as it was in 2019 when still operating as the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases.
We are looking for more volunteers to include camera operators, editors, researchers, archivists, writers and actors as well as more people who are willing to be interviewed as we continue with development of The Min Model project. If you would like to get involved, please email us to let us know how you can contribute.