Springfield University Hospital (including SHARE Community Horticulture Project) *

Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list. The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.

Springfield University Hospital was built as the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum on the 40-hectare Springfield Park Estate, which was purchased from Henry Perkins, a wealthy brewer who had purchased the freehold from the 2nd Earl of Spencer. Building began c.1838 and the asylum opened on 14 June 1841, its design probably led by William Moseley, County Surveyor for Middlesex, with Edward Lapidge one of the architectural team. Regarded as the most modern county asylum when it opened, the building consisted of a long spinal corridor with wards for patients of different medical conditions radiating off it at right angles. Enclosed airing courts for exercise were situated adjacent to the particular class of ward. Farmland and kitchen gardens surrounded the buildings, using existing farm buildings of the former estate. Landscaping such as laying out the drive, cultivating the farm and garden were completed after the asylum opened to 350 patients. It was enlarged a number of times over the decades to cater for more patients, which led to more airing courts being provided. The outer estate was also enlarged and new buildings added, such as an Annexe for Idiot Children, the Elizabeth Newton Wing, in 1897.

The asylum transferred to the MCC in c.1888 and was initially known as Wandsworth Asylum, before becoming Springfield Asylum in c.1918. In WWI a detached block was used as a war hospital, treating soldiers suffering from neurasthenia or loss of mental balance (see Hansard 12 April 1920). In 1939 the asylum was reported as having 2,000 patients, 83 acres of farmland and 14 acres of garden. In 1948 it became part of the NHS by which time the hospital estate was almost entirely surrounded by urban development. From 1994 it was part of the Pathfinder Mental Health Services NHS Trust, which in 1999 changed its name to the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, and the hospital was renamed Springfield University Hospital. The Trust continues to have its Headquarters at Springfield, and provides a range of local mental health care services as well as leading specialist services. Housing has now been built on the south-west boundary and some buildings, such as the kitchen garden north-east of the main building, White Lodge and Elizabeth Newton Wing are now separated from the main hospital and its grounds. The remaining farmland became a 9-hole golf course, Central London Golf Centre (now closed, the land currently under development as a new public park). 

The immediate grounds of the hospital included formal landscaped areas, such as a lawn with central fountain fronting the main building, but the particular landscape interest is the airing courts, six of which remain around the ward wings. Largely grassed, they were planted with a variety of trees; the three to the north-west were for male patients, and the three to the south-east for female patients, these latter retaining some of their earlier layout such as paths, octagonal privies set into the walls, which had ha-ha style ditches that served to provide a secure environment, while allowing patients to have views over the landscape. Later C20th additions included a pavilion in one court on the site of an earlier covered seat, and in another a central pergola. The airing courts anticipated recommendations on patient treatment in asylums. The pond and fountain in the formal garden in front of the main building was erected by the Hospital Works Department in 1993 with funds donated by Springfield Hospital League of Friends and the Endowment Committee of the Wandsworth Health Authority in memory of Sue Sellar, Chairman of the League of Friends, and to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Hospital. 

In one of the former male airing courts, which once had vegetable plots maintained by the patients, a new 2.5 acre garden has been created by the SHARE Community Horticulture Project. The disused airing court became the Gillian Webb Memorial Garden, and is a horticultural training project for adults with disabilities. In addition to vegetables the garden has herbaceous and shrub borders, a herb garden, pond and willow arbour with a mosaic floor.

Most of the old hospital buildings are no longer in use for mental health services. In 2010 South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust submitted plans to redevelop the hospital site including new mental health facilities to the north of the site, as well as housing and creation of a 'Springfield Village'; money generated by the new housing was to be directed into the new units. Wandsworth Council initially rejected the application, although it was allowed on appeal; a modified application was made in 2014, which was granted outline planning permission. The development site is identified in Wandsworth's Local Plan - Site Specific Allocations Document (adopted March 2016). In 2019 the original hospital building was acquired by developer City & Country and converted into a luxury residential scheme known as 'The 1840, St George's Gardens', also providing 8 acres of private gardens. As part of the development the central landscaping including the pond and fountain in front of the main building has been removed altogether. 

In 2020 the Trust secured government approval to start work on a £150m development to include eight new in-patient wards, modernisation of the hospital's community services, as well as a new 32-acre public park. Work has commenced on the park, which is due to open in three phases between spring 2023 and summer 2025.