Dating back to 1894, the Victoria Hospital is one of the most iconic institutions in Blackpool. It is named after Queen Victoria and has featured prominently in a BBC documentary series about medics and ambulances in the region. Admire the impressive architecture and layout of the buildings making up this historic hospital complex.
When you visit Victoria Hospital, notice the gabled roofs and redbrick façades of the various buildings making up the site. Outside the front entrance stands a tall and elegant clock tower on a brick pedestal. Admire the golden hands and dials of the clock face on the black upper section of the tower, which is crowned by a light-green dome.
Enjoy hot drinks and snacks from the on-site café. If you’re an employee of the National Health Service, drop off your kids in the Happy Days Childcare at Victoria, where they can participate in all types of fun games.
After being constructed at the end of the 19th century, the initial complex was enlarged a few years later with the consent of Queen Victoria, whose name the hospital took. Note that the hospital’s current incarnation was completed in the 1930s.
As well as serving as a teaching hospital, the complex also provides for myriad sections of care, from maternity and cardiac units to intensive care and accident and emergency wards.
The hospital has been known to offer guided tours on certain heritage days in Blackpool. Listen to the tragic tale of how nurse Jane Clough was fatally stabbed by her ex-boyfriend and ambulance worker in the hospital parking lot in 2010.
The Victoria Hospital is located a little inland from the shore in the center of the city. Take a bus to one of the stops within the hospital compound, which stands at the northern end of Stanley Park. If you drive, drop off your vehicle in the parking lot outside the front.
While in the area, make sure to see nearby sights such as the Blackpool Park Golf Club, Herons’ Reach Golf Resort, Blackpool Zoo and Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve.
