Jessop Hospital, Sheffield

The Jessop Hospital for Women, located in Sheffield, was a historic medical institution that served the community for over a century before its closure in 2001. Established in 1878, the hospital was made possible by a generous donation from Thomas Jessop, a prosperous steelworks owner who aimed to replace the inadequate Sheffield Hospital for Women at Figtree Lane, which had only six beds. The new hospital, designed by architect John Dodsley Webster, was built in the Gothic Revival style and originally featured fifty-seven beds.

Over the years, the Jessop Hospital expanded significantly. In 1902, an Edwardian wing was added, enhancing the hospital's capacity and facilities. Further expansion occurred between 1927 and 1972 with the addition of a 45-bed annex at Norton Hall, known as the Firth Auxiliary Hospital.

The hospital gained international attention in 1998 due to a landmark case involving patient Diane Blood, who gave birth to a baby boy conceived through insemination with her late husband's sperm. The sperm had been collected while her husband was unconscious on life support, shortly before his death, and Diane pursued a prolonged legal battle to gain the right to use it, despite the absence of her husband's written consent.

Following its closure, the Jessop Hospital underwent significant changes. In 2007, the University of Sheffield demolished the majority of the hospital's 1970s wing as part of the Jessop West development. The Victorian Wing of the original hospital was preserved and repurposed, becoming the new home for the University's Department of Music in 2009.

However, the Edwardian wing faced a different fate. Despite its listed status and strong opposition from heritage organizations like the Victorian Society, the wing was approved for demolition in 2013. This decision was driven by the University of Sheffield's need for additional floor space at a lower cost for a new development. The resulting structure, the seven-story Jessop West building, now houses the University's departments of English, History, and Modern Languages, marking a new chapter in the site's history.