The ‘Royal Hospital Haslar’ has a long and distinguished history of providing medical care for service personnel in peacetime and in war. Originally built for sick and wounded sailors and marines, the hospital served the Royal Navy for over 250 years. In 1966 the remit of the hospital was expanded to include all three armed services, and civilian patients also had access to its facilities from the 1950s.

Haslar hospital was one of three hospitals built in the 18th century to provide care for sailors of the fleet, and it was the last of these to remain in service. Building commenced at Haslar farm in 1745, following submissions to King George II by the Admiralty. The hospital took 16 years to build and was completed in 1762. It received its first patients in 1754.

Due to over-expenditure, the fourth side of the building’s grand quadrangle design was never completed. When it was built, Haslar was England’s biggest hospital and was regarded as Europe’s largest red-brick building.


By the time of the Peninsular and Crimean Wars, Haslar hospital had earned a reputation among military authorities for providing the highest standards of medical care, and was described by Queen Victoria as the noblest of institutions. In the 1940s, the UK’s first Blood Bank was set up at Haslar hospital to treat wounded soldiers from the Second World War.

Haslar was the last MoD-owned acute hospital in the UK. In 2001, the provision of acute healthcare was transferred from the Defence Secondary Care Agency to the NHS Trust. The hospital was finally closed in July 2009. The change of control from military to NHS, and later the complete closure of the hospital, have been the subject of considerable local controversy.

Today the Royal Haslar site extends to approximately 62 acres of land and comprises approximately 75,000 square meters of buildings. Eighteen buildings on the site are either Grade II or II* listed. For extensive further historical information please see www.haslarheritagegroup.co.uk, who are working in partnership with OurEnterprise to ensure that the heritage and history of the site is made fully accessible.