Penley Community Hospital

The site was a United States Army hospital during the Second World War.[1] The current hospital was founded in 1946, as part of an initiative to care for Polish ex-servicemen who fought alongside the Allies in the Second World War, as well as their families, who settled in the area.[2] As a result of this influx, the population of Penley increased threefold. Residents at the hospital and camp included the Polish military commander, Wacław Przeździecki. At its peak, in the early 1950s, the hospital housed more than 2,000 patients and staff. By 2002 just 6 patients remained and the hospital closed.[3]

The original hospital building (which had space for 30 wards but was now only using one) was subsequently demolished and a small, modern facility was opened in 2004, with 8 individual rooms for the surviving Polish residents.[4]