Heath Strange Garden

Image: © Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff Taken: 31 May 2007

Small public garden right up against the Royal Free Hospital. Nothing to do with the Heath, nor in any way strange, it is named for Dr Heath Strange who founded Hampstead General Hospital: the old sign is laid out on the ground here. From Dr Strange's 1907 obituary in the BMJ: "Dr Heath Strange was one of the oldest practitioners in Hampstead, having commenced practice there more than 40 years prior to his death. He received his medical training at St Thomas's Hospital and Aberdeen University. Contributed article in Pirrie's "Surgery" on Diseases of the Rectum and Anus - a subject of which he made a special study. The Dispensary in Long Acre, which afterwards developed into the London Medical Mission, was started by him and he was a member of its Council until his death. For many years he was on the staff of the Hampstead Provident Dispensary and whilst holding this office he felt the need of hospital accommodation for the treatment of many of his patients. He therefore took in hand the work of founding a small hospital, which at first consisted of one house, and was known as the Hampstead Home Hospital and Nursing Institute. This was in 1882." In 1902 it became the Hampstead General Hospital - the Royal Free moved to the site in 1970.

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