East Fortune is a small village in South-East Scotland, known for the airfield constructed in 1915 to help protect Britain against invading German Zeppelins during the WWI. The airfield has been hosting the National Museum of Flight since 1975 with some interesting exhibits, including a completely restored Spitfire hanging above the entrance to one of the hangars and the Concorde. There’s also a huge carboot sale with meat auctions and other fun activities held there every Sunday.
In 1922 a hospital was founded on a nearby plot of land. Named The East Fortune Hospital it initially served as a tuberculosis sanatorium until the WWII when the unit was moved to the Bangour village about 40 miles to the west (closed in 2004 and now derelict). The hospital then served mostly RAF soldiers until it was re-opened to the public after the war.
Falling number of the tuberculosis cases in Scotland cause the hospital to be converted to a clinic for mentally handicapped in 1956. It served that purpose until 1997 when it was finally closed down for good with the patients transferred to a nearby unit in Haddington.
There are asbestos dust warnings all over the place so mask is highly recommended however it seems that most of has already been removed judging by the missing ceilings in some of the buildings.
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