BROMPTON THEN AND NOW: MELVILLE COURT & MANOR STREET
By Ben Levick

The modern housing development of Melville Court, with its distinctive high-rise tower, is the last of a long line of 'Melville' establishments on the site. In 1827 Melville Hospital was built on the site for Royal Marines and Seamen. In 1905 the new Royal Naval Hospital opened on the Great Lines in Gillingham, and Melville Hospital became Melville Royal Marine Barracks. The Marines left in about 1960 and the barracks was sold off for redevelopment into its present form.
Manor Street is the central north-south street in Brompton, and like Westcourt Street, is so named because Brompton is built on the demense lands of Westcourt Manor. Despite its name, the manor house was never in Manor Street, although in the 1920s a new building on the corner of Manor Street and Garden Street was named 'Manor House' (this was never an actual Manor House in the true sense, but for a while it was the Brompton Labour Exchange!)

Melville Hospital c. 1890

Melville Hospital for Seamen and Marines, Brompton. Photograph of the hospital colonnade and blocks looking north-east from foot of Brompton Hill, showing in the middle distance a line of staff, civilians, marines and policeman, and behind them, the hospital buildings comprising, right to left, ward and store (right-hand block), officers’ rooms (centre) and wards (left-hand block). It was built as a hospital in 1827, and was used until its replacement by the Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham (Now Medway Maritime Hospital) in 1905 when it was handed over to the Royal Marines as Melville Barracks. Melville Barracks closed around 1960 and was pulled down to be replaced by Melville Court Flats.

The elegant 19th century Hospital seen in the old photo is long gone, replaced by 1960s flats.