Milton Hill House collection

Milton Hill House is located to the south of Steventon, some four miles south-west of Abingdon.  The building as it is today largely dates from the late 18th century.  Nowadays it is a country house hotel, one of the venues collection hotels.

During its lifetime, Milton Hill House has been extensively modernized to suit the requirements of new owners and new users, but most of the work followed the sale of the house in 1912 to Sir Mortimer Singer of the Singer Sewing Machine family. A detailed history of Milton Hill House and Manor may be found here (courtesy of the hotel management, formerly De Vere Venues, now the venues collection).

During World War 1, Sir Mortimore Singer turned the house into a military hospital - General Hospital No 3, Southern Command.  The soldiers received treatment for their wounds and were able to take full advantage of the peaceful rural setting whilst being treated.

Several of the photos in this album show convalescent soldiers wearing “Hospital Blues”.  Hospital Blues uniform was worn by those patients who could get out of bed. They were a flannel type material of Oxford blue hue with a single-breasted suit and trousers. Each had a white lining. The tie would have been red and the shirt white. Regimental caps were worn and medals were displayed on the left breast. Those with missing limbs would have had their arms and trouser legs of the missing limbs carefully folded up and pinned back. Those lucky enough to still have feet, wore boot(s), highly polished.

With the permission and cooperation of the current hotel management, I have been able to photograph some of the locations/rooms that appear in these photos as they look today.  I have added these photos to the relevant pages here for comparison.

Postcards

  • Milton Hill House c 1960RP postcard franked Didcot 1961 (Ref: PC_ST0030)
  • Milton Hill HouseUnused RP postcard - Pub: ? - Date: ? (Ref: PC_ST0023)
  • Milton Hill House c 1915RP postcard franked Steventon (from an inmate to his sister?) - c 1915? - Pub: ? (Ref: PC_ST0034)
  • Milton Hill House c 1915Hospital staff and patients (in “blues”) outside the hospital apparently with the owners. Photo (of PC original) (Ref: PC_ST0028x)
  • Milton Hill House c 1915Hospital staff and patients (in “blues”) outside the hospital. Unused postcard - Pub: ? - Date: ? (Ref: PC_ST0027)
  • Milton Hill House c 1915Hospital staff and patients (in “blues”) outside the hospital. Unused postcard - Pub: ? - Date: ? (Ref: PC_ST0029)
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalUnused RP postcard - Pub: ? - Date: ? (Ref: PC_ST0004) Location of this photograph, apparently an external glasshouse or orangery, no longer exists
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalUnused RP postcard - Pub: ? - Date: ? (Ref: PC_ST0011) The photo shows the library converted as a ward. The library as it looked more recently (2017) -> ……..and as it looks today (2022) ->
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalUnused RP postcard - Pub: ? - Date? (Ref: PC_ST0019) The photo shows a long open room or corridor converted as a ward. The space today (2022) has been divided into two rooms.
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalRepro PC - Original Date? (Ref: PC_ST0020) Currently (2022) this is a function room called “The Oaks"
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalUnused RP postcard - Date: ? (Ref: PC_ST0031)
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalUnused RP postcard - Original Date? (Ref: PC_ST0035) Location of this photograph, apparently a room with high partially vaulted ceiling, no longer exists
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalRP postcard - Original Date? (Ref: PC_ST0038) Location of this photograph is the main lobby/entrance hall. As it looks today (2022) ->
  • Milton Hill Sectional HospitalUnused RP postcard - Original Date? (Ref: PC_ST0036) The location of this photograph could be the end of the long room shown in PC_ST0019 .
  • Milton Hill Sectional Hospital?RP postcard - Pub: Qualis Photo Co, Fulham - Original Date? (Ref: PC_ST0032) Although titled "3rd Southern General Hospital, Oxford”, I believe this also shows Milton Hill Sectional Hospital, Southern Command. If so, the location of this photograph, described as “one of the huts", no longer exists.
  • Milton Hill Sectional Hospital?Although untitled, I believe this also shows Milton Hill Sectional Hospital, Southern Command RP postcard - Pub: ? - Date: ? (Ref: PC_ST0037)