Fairmile Hospital – Tour of the former hospital site
This visit to the site of the former Fairmile Hospital is organised by Reading Branch as part of the special events to celebrate the 50th birthday of Berkshire Family History Society. It is open to members and non-members alike.Â
The Fair Mile Hospital was until relatively recently Berkshire’s county lunatic asylum. Before 1948, it was known by a succession of different names. If the term ‘lunatic asylum’ sends shivers of dread down your spine, be ready to adjust your perceptions. Consider the alternatives. And try to understand that the Victorian asylum system was a well-founded effort to tackle mental illness head-on through compassion, diligent care and research. No mental institution was ever entirely sweetness and harmony, but these places made possible valuable advances in mental health care.
Ian Wheeler’s guided tour will take us around the site with a site plan to help visualise the site as it once was.
Bookings close three days before the event. The meet point will be communicated by email shortly before the visit.Â
Image: Fairmile Hospital – rear view, Gerry Lewis, CC BY-SA 2.0 web (cropped)
Location Image: Fairmile Hospital front, by Bill Nicholls, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
To book, scroll down.Â
Date
- Tue 16 Sep 2025
Time
- 14:00 - 16:00
Tickets
- £5.00
Location
- Reading Road, Cholsey, Oxfordshire OX10 9HH
Organiser
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Reading Branch - Berkshire FHS
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Email
reading@berksfhs.org.uk
Speaker
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Ian WheelerIan Wheeler was not only a Cholsey kid, but actually lived at Fair Mile Hospital for the first three months of his life. This distinction, plus long-term family associations with the hospital, led to the publication of his book Fair Mile Hospital: a Victorian Asylum in 2015.
Now busily retired, Ian’s ‘portfolio’ career has included sales, purchasing, computer systems, train driving, health & safety, quality assurance and editing for a major academic publisher. In quieter moments, Ian is a performing folk musician and enjoys model railways, morris dancing and good beer – although not necessarily in that order.