Older readers will recall the Anglesea Road as the towns main hospital with maternity cover on other sites including the Ipswich Maternity Home in Lower Brook Street, here David Kindred looks at the history of the hospital.

Ipswich Star: Rick Driver was a pupil at Tower Ramparts School, Ipswich, which was demolished in 1979 and a shopping centre built on the site. These pupils were learning engineering skills at the school in May 1974 by building a hovercraft and a stock car.Rick Driver was a pupil at Tower Ramparts School, Ipswich, which was demolished in 1979 and a shopping centre built on the site. These pupils were learning engineering skills at the school in May 1974 by building a hovercraft and a stock car. (Image: Archant)

Anglesea Road Hospital opened in August 1836 with £2,500 raised by the public.

What became Anglesea Road, had been just mainly a sandy track connecting Norwich Road with Henley Road.

A third storey was added in 1869 and a children’s wing was built in 1875 as a memorial to John Cobbold, the MP for Ipswich.

Over the years the Anglesea Road Hospital expanded covering much of the site between Henley Road and Warrington Road.

The rambling site was a problem with difficult access for accident emergency arrivals in Ivry Street and very limited parking for staff, outpatients and visitors.

Over several years wards and services were moved to the Heath Road Wing of the Ipswich and East Suffolk Hospital.

Ipswich Star: Rick Driver was a pupil at Tower Ramparts School, Ipswich, which was demolished in 1979 and a shopping centre built on the site. These pupils were learning engineering skills at the school in May 1974 by building a hovercraft and a stock car.Rick Driver was a pupil at Tower Ramparts School, Ipswich, which was demolished in 1979 and a shopping centre built on the site. These pupils were learning engineering skills at the school in May 1974 by building a hovercraft and a stock car. (Image: Archant)

By 1988 all services had moved to Heath Road and most of the Anglesea Road site demolished and the original building, with its four columns around the front door, was converted to a home for the elderly, Anglesea Heights, which opened in 1991.

Do you recognise anyone in our photos, see our gallery.

Write to Kindred Spirits at Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP1 4LN or e-mail David with your memories of the hospital.