Today we only know Chester to have one major hospital - the Countess of Chester - but years ago the city had a number of them.

Most well known was Chester City Hospital, where many Chronicle readers will have been born at its former location in Hoole.

In 1948 it was converted into an acute and maternity hospital and 20 years later in the late 1960s, four new ward blocks were built when the hospital’s service increased considerably.

Elsewhere in the city there was the Chester Royal Infirmary, which had been founded in 1755 and was funded entirely by public subscriptions in its early years.

While the City Hospital specialised in chronic illnesses, chest, maternity, paediatric and general medical cases, the infirmary focused on surgery and outpatients.

New additions

In 1963 a large outpatient and casualty department was opened at the infirmary to accompany the completion of Chester’s inner ring road in 1967.

However, after the creation of the West Cheshire Hospital Management Committee, a decision was taken to focus all the hospital services at a purpose-built site on Liverpool Road next to the county mental hospital facilities - and this was named the West Cheshire Hospital.

Years later, in 1984, after a considerable expansion, it was officially renamed the Countess of Chester Hospital and opened by Princess Diana on May 30 that year.

After the opening of the Countess, the City Hospital ceased to be an acute hospital and was converted into an geriatric hospital, closing its doors for good when the final phase at the Countess was completed in 1994.

All the buildings on site were demolished.

With thanks to Chester History & Heritage Centre