Staff and History - Isolation hospital at Littledean (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Wednesday, May 04, 2011, 23:11 (4959 days ago) @ m p griffiths

Re the location of "The Wilderness", I only know of one and that's the aforementioned centre on Plump Hill overlooking Mitcheldean. Wrt the census this is clearly the Abenhall / Abinghall locations. Extensive searches of internet, minds & books find no reference whatsoever to Alvenhall, I'm sure this is just another variation of Abenhall, perhaps a transcription misread. Similarly I know of no Wilderness near Cinderford St Johns though await correction, maybe the rocky outcrops below the church area ?, but no hospital.

For more references to the two FoD Isolation Hospitals see this link written in 2004 by our friend Slowhands.
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ENG-GLOS-FOREST-DEAN/2004-11/1100936249

While researching these locations I was pleased to learn my first place of employment as a Rank Xerox apprentice in 1978, the old Wintle's Brewery, was built 110 years earlier from red sandstone from the Wilderness Quarry. Indeed, it seems the original Mitcheldean Manor House of the late 1600s was at Court Farm which was swallowed by Ranks warehousing re-development in the 70s.