Let’s Celebrate the Anniversary of the First Cottage Hospital!

October 2025

While we enjoy this season of Bonfire and Halloween let’s raise a glass to Dr. Napper and his team. Why? Who? Let’s step into the Victorian period when Cranleigh was an isolated village and spelled a different way…

“In the year of our grace 1859, in the small village of Cranley, in Surrey, a little seed was planted, which is we think, destined to bear fruit throughout the length and breadth of the land.” This observation printed in the ‘Good Words’ magazine in 1866 was an amazing prediction of a medical revolution that still influences modern healthcare.

Dr. Napper and Rev. Sapte were appalled by the rural poverty and filthy conditions they witnessed in house visits around Cranleigh. They took action. They cleaned out a small old residential building for deacons and invented the concept of the cottage hospital. The first patients hobbled in during November 1859. Medical treatment led by Dr. Napper (pictured above) and Nurse Smith, administration managed by Rev. Sapte.

This new mini hospital was generously supported by local people with gifts such as pheasants donated from farmers and regular subscriptions by wealthy neighbours. Dr. Napper became the self-elected spokesman for this new radical treatment with help from friends at the new British Medical Journal. He wrote in one of his pamphlets “The rustic labourer, feels more at ease in lodgings similar to their own, and is often prejudicially influenced by the bustle and excitement of a large hospital.“

In 2023 the Cranleigh Heritage Trust proposed the seed of an idea to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to rescue the neglected 15th century building and transform it into a space for wellbeing, learning and heritage. While the builders move in this year to rescue the ancient structure we are looking for heritage volunteers to help us behind the scenes. Contact the Trust or visit www.cranleighcottagehospital.org/volunteer-roles.

Support for the Cranleigh Hospital project, the 1170 charity and Cranleigh Arts can be accomplished. Not with game birds but by participating in Cranleigh 1000 Club www.cranleigh1000.club. The Club is offering a fantastic £1000 prize in December.

MyCranleigh website is now active and garnering terrific praise and interest. As a crucial part of our heritage project we have been recording oral histories and many of these are now uploaded.

My Cranleigh is your community archive – the place to explore and share memories of Cranleigh life, past and present. Discover our village through local stories – and add your own. Visit www.mycranleigh.org.uk

Further Support for the Project

Even as the refurbishment is in progress there will need to be a volunteer team behind the scenes. If you want to help research more about Doctor Napper, staff and hidden Victorian patients; or want to help in the new garden; or can assist with future guided tours; or good with a camera to help record building progress and volunteer workshops; or become involved with the new MyCranleigh website.
Get in touch email the team@cranleighheritagetrust.org.uk.

To register an expression of interest in future use of the facilities please write to us with the following information:

1. Brief description of what you offer and the benefits to clients and customers.
2. Say if and where you currently offer this service and why people would use the cottage to meet you.
3. Brief declaration of support for the project in general.
4. Return name and address and any website or social media links.

Originally published in The Cranleigh Magazine