THE opening of Malvern's second hospital was celebrated in some style by the Malvern Gazette a century ago.

In fact, the occasion was deemed so important the paper brought out a supplement on glossy paper to mark it.

The Isolation Hospital was put up at a cost of £10,000 by the district council, and was the first of its kind erected in the county.

"No ordinary credit is due to Mr Maybury, our talented town surveyor," said the paper, going on to explain that not only was his tender lower than the two competitors', but he completed the contract at about £500 less than his estimate.

The hospital, built beside Whippets Brook at Half Key, North Malvern, consisted of an administrative block, an observation ward, a typhoid ward, scarlet fever pavilion and diphtheria ward.

"The only drawback to the appearance of the place is the tall wooden fence with which it is surrounded... it resembles the wall of a penitentiary.... But in these matters the decision of the Local Government Board is inexorable. They insisted on an unclimbable fence," said the supplement.

Malvern's first hospital was Redwood House in Hospital Bank, off Newtown Road, opened in 1868 and now the subject of a battle over its future.