{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox hospital | name = Bangour Village Hospital | org_group = NHS Lothian | image = Old hospital buildings at Bangour (geograph 3832230).jpg | caption=Old buildings at Bangour Village Hospital | location = Dechmont | region = West Lothian | state = Scotland | country = United Kingdom | healthcare = NHS | type = Psychiatric | founded = 1906 | closed = 2004 | pushpin_map=Scotland West Lothian | pushpin_map_caption=Shown in West Lothian | coordinates={{Coord|55|55|25|N|3|33|00|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}} }} '''Bangour Village Hospital''' was a psychiatric hospital located west of Dechmont in West Lothian, Scotland. During the First World War it formed part of the much larger '''Edinburgh War Hospital'''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bangour Village Hospital Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland|url=https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/livingston/bangour/index.html|access-date=2020-12-30|website=www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk}}</ref>
==History== The hospital was modelled on the village system of patient care, the best example of which is the Alt-Scherbitz hospital at Schkeuditz in Germany which was developed in the 1870s.<ref name="Listed Building">{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB6588|desc=Bangour Village Hospital, Former Administration Block and Wards 1 & 2|cat=B|access-date=27 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="Sc14">{{cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/scottish-fact-of-the-day-bangour-village-hospital-1-3622742|title=Scottish fact of the day: Bangour Village Hospital|date=2 December 2014|work=The Scotsman|accessdate=10 March 2018}}</ref> It was designed by Hippolyte Blanc and officially opened as the Edinburgh District Asylum in October 1906.<ref name=hh>{{cite web|url=https://historic-hospitals.com/2015/09/04/bangour-village-hospital/|title=Bangour Village Hospital|date=4 September 2015|publisher=Historic Hospitals|accessdate=23 January 2019}}</ref> At the centre of the site was an Edwardian Baroque hall.<ref name=hh/><ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB51903|desc=Bangour Village Hospital, Former Recreation Hall|cat=A|access-date=27 March 2019|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> The site also incorporated a power station, workshops, a bakery, stores, a kitchen and a laundry.<ref name=hh/>
The hospital was requisitioned by the War Office during the First World War but reverted to psychiatric work between the wars.<ref name="Listed Building"/> A Romanesque style church, designed by Harold Ogle Tarbolton, was built between 1924 and 1930.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB51902|desc=Bangour Village Hospital, Former Memorial Church|cat=A|access-date=27 March 2019|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>
During the Second World War the hospital was occupied by the War Office again and the patients were evacuated to Hartwoodhill Hospital<ref name=mp2su>{{cite web|last1=Gallacher|first1=Mark|title=From mental patient to service user: deinstitutionalisation and the emergence of the Mental Health Service User Movement in Scotland, 1971–2006.|url=http://theses.gla.ac.uk/8078/1/2017GallagherPhD.pdf|website=theses.gla.ac.uk/|publisher=Glasgow University|accessdate=26 July 2017}}</ref>{{rp|33}}
Temporary marquees and prefabricated huts were erected to cope with the demand for wartime bed space: the temporary facility became noted for its burns and plastic surgery unit which was established in 1940.<ref name="Sc14"/> After the war the temporary facility was developed as Bangour General Hospital.<ref name="Sc14"/>
After general medical services transferred to the newly-opened St John's Hospital in nearby Livingston, Bangour General Hospital closed in 1991.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lhsa.lib.ed.ac.uk/collections/LHB40/lhb40_tlfa.htm |title=LHB40 Bangour General Hospital |publisher=Lothian Health Services Archive |accessdate=11 December 2018}}</ref> The Village Hospital also started to wind down after the opening of St Johns with the last remaining ward closing in 2004.<ref name=hh/> The closed hospital was used as a filming location for the 2005 film ''The Jacket'', starring Keira Knightley and Adrien Brody.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366627/ |title=The Jacket |work=Internet Movie Database |accessdate=2008-04-01| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080406024946/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366627/| archivedate= 6 April 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref>
During September 2009, the hospital grounds were used as the site for "Exercise Green Gate", a counter-terrorist exercise run by the Scottish Government to test de-contamination procedures in the event of a nuclear, chemical or biological incident. This involved 250 volunteer "casualties" and 400 emergency staff.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/latestnews/Village-hosts-training-exercise-for.5655177.jp |title=Village hosts training exercise for treating radiation casualties |accessdate=2010-04-01 |last= |first= |date= 17 September 2009 |work=Edinburgh Evening News |publisher=}}</ref>
{{Gallery |title=Bangour Village Hospital |image_size=160 | height=170 |noborder=yes |align=center |File:Church, Bangor Village Hospital.jpg |The Category A listed hospital church (completed 1930) |File:Bangour Village Hospital (10125434403).jpg |Former Village Hospital Shop |File:Derelict hospital block, former Bangour Village Hospital - geograph.org.uk - 3832281.jpg |Derelict former hospital block |File:Villas at Bangour - geograph.org.uk - 1735286.jpg |Derelict former villas at Bangour |File:The Boilerhouse, former Bangour Village Hospital - geograph.org.uk - 3832292.jpg |Derelict former boilerhouse |File:Welcome to Bangour Village Hospital - geograph.org.uk - 1735271.jpg |Former welcome sign }}
===Bangour Village=== On 1 October 2015, planning permission for a residential and mixed use redevelopment of the former hospital site was sought under the new settlement name 'Bangour Village'. The application noted some of the listed buildings would require full demolition in a subsequent application, including villas 7,8,9 and 21, with other buildings potentially proposed for partial demolition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/909233|title=Bangour Village Hospital: Villa 10 |publisher=Buildings At Risk|accessdate=23 January 2019}}</ref> In early 2020, it was confirmed that five of the listed buildings on site were in very poor condition and were planned to be demolished, while the remaining ten buildings were due to be redeveloped for housing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bangour Hospital: Listed buildings set to be demolished to make way for development |url=https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/bangour-hospital-listed-buildings-set-17579909 |website=Edinburgh Live |access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref> The first permission in principle for the development was given in March 2021 which allowed Allanwater Developments (Bangour) Ltd (then owners) to demolish 4 Category C listed buildings and partially demolish the B listed nurses' home.<ref name="w975">{{cite web | title=Bangour Village Hospital development approved in principle | website=West Lothian Council | url=https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/68604/Bangour-Village-Hospital-development-approved-in-principle | access-date=2025-11-19}}</ref> The plans also included provision for a district heating system, a new village shop and a new primary school (incorporating the Category A listed recreation hall).<ref name="w975"/> While some demolition took place, construction was delayed.<ref name="c881">{{cite web | last=Swarbrick | first=Susan | title=Bangour Village Hospital: what next for this abandoned psychiatric site? | website=The Herald | date=2024-03-19 | url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/national/scotland-today/15915745.bangour-village-hospital-next-psychiatric-site/ | access-date=2025-11-19}}</ref>
In April 2024, RoundShield (an investment company) and the Ambassador Group (estate agents) announced that they had secured funding of £21 million for a large-scale residential development on the site. This would initially include 51 "energy-efficient" new homes and the first 23 refurbished flats within the existing listed buildings, with 998 homes planned in total.<ref name="a633">{{cite web | last=Scotland | first=Project | title=Renovation work to start on historic Bangour Village buildings | website=Project Scotland | date=2024-02-21 | url=https://projectscot.com/2024/02/renovation-work-to-start-on-historic-bangour-village-buildings/ | access-date=2025-11-19}}</ref> The two companies also announced the sale of part of the site to Barratt Homes for further residential development.<ref>{{cite news |title=RoundShield and Ambassador Group secure £21m for Bangour Village Estate development |url=https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/articles/roundshield-and-ambassador-group-secure-ps21m-for-bangour-village-estate-development |access-date=22 April 2024 |work=Scottish Construction Now |date=15 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The subsequent plans saw a proposal for 395 houses and 82 flats as well as the conversion of listed buildings in the form of another 63 flats.<ref name="c613">{{cite web | title=Bangour Village homes decision delayed | website=Scottish Housing News | date=2024-10-29 | url=https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/bangour-village-homes-decision-delayed | access-date=2025-11-19}}</ref> The planning process decision was delayed in October 2024.<ref name="c613"/> However, in November 2024, the final plans for the Bangour Village estate were approved by West Lothian Council, with 976 of the planned homes approved.<ref name="v367">{{cite web | title=Final housing plans for Bangour approved | website=West Lothian Council | url=https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/83857/Final-housing-plans-for-Bangour-approved | access-date=2025-11-19}}</ref>
In January 2025, Barratt Redrow commenced construction of the new properties, with the first new homes becoming available in September 2025.<ref name="l304">{{cite web | last=Thomson | first=Ross | title=New homes confirmed for former Bangour Hospital site near Livingston | website=Daily Record | date=2025-09-24 | url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/new-homes-confirmed-former-bangour-35956888 | access-date=2025-11-19}}</ref><ref name="i420">{{cite web | last=Scotland | first=Project | title=Regeneration of former West Lothian hospital site gathers pace | website=Project Scotland | date=2025-01-06 | url=https://projectscot.com/2025/01/regeneration-of-former-west-lothian-hospital-site-gathers-pace/ | access-date=2025-11-19}}</ref>
==Railway branch line== When the hospital was built, road access was poor, and considerable volumes of coal and general stores were required for the running of the facility. A private railway line was built, branching from the former Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway line at Uphall, and terminating at Bangour railway station. It was authorised by the Edinburgh and District Lunacy Board Act of 30 July 1900, and it was opened to passengers on 19 June 1905.<ref>{{Butt-Stations}}, p. 26</ref>
During the First World War the road network was improved, and the railway became unnecessary; it was closed on 1 August 1921, although passenger services probably ceased on 4 May 1921.<ref name = paterson>John Thomas revised J S Paterson, ''A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 6, Scotland, the Lowlands and the Borders'', David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1984, {{ISBN|0 946537 12 7}}</ref><ref name = stansfield>Gordon Stansfield, ''Lost Railways of the Lothians'', Stenlake Publishing, Catrine, 2003, {{ISBN|1 84033 2700}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.livingstoni.co.uk/bangour.htm Pictures of Bangour Village Hospital] * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/flickrphotos/sets/187877/ Bangour Village Hospital, by Dazzababes: a photoset on Flickr] * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/10558467@N03/sets/72157601791966055/ Bangour Village Hospital Villas 3, 4, and 5, by mybabyangel85: a photoset on Flickr] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubAgeEs5wIo Bangour Village Hospital – Before and After: A video on YouTube] * [http://www.turbozutek.f2s.com/index.php?cat=22 Bangour Village Hospital – Urban Exploration Photography] * [http://www.lhsa.lib.ed.ac.uk/collections/LHB44/lhb44_index.htm Lothian Health Services Archive]
{{Psychiatric hospitals in Scotland}}
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Category:Hospital buildings completed in 1906 Category:Hospitals in West Lothian Category:Former psychiatric hospitals in Scotland Category:Hippolyte Blanc buildings Category:Category A listed buildings in West Lothian Category:Defunct hospitals in Scotland Category:1906 establishments in Scotland Category:Hospitals disestablished in 2004 Category:2004 disestablishments in Scotland