EPW001410 ENGLAND (1920). Purfleet Barracks, Purfleet, 1920

Long Reach Hospital, built in 1901 by the Metropolitan Asylum Board as a temporary, 300 bed, smallpox hospital; first patients 1902, repaired and made permanent in 1910. It was initially intended to last for two years, supplementing the smallpox hospital ships Atlas, Endymion and Castalia moored at Long Reach during an outbreak at the start of the Twentieth Century. The hospital was rebuilt again in 1928, during an outbreak of variola minor, the milder version of smallpox. Last patient admitted in 1973, hospital demolished in 1974. Initially patients were brought to the adjacent landing stage by Ambulance Ships ('Red Cross', 'White Cross', 'Geneva Cross', 'Albert Victor' and 'Maltese Cross') from 3 London Receiving Stations at South Wharf, Rotherhithe (see image EPW015774), Poplar and Fulham, these being phased out in favour of road transport during the early 1930s. See http://dartfordhospitalhistories.org.uk/long-reach/long-reach-introduction/ and for a photograph of the three original hospital ships - https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/L0006809EB.jpg/full/full/0/default.jpg

The clock gatehouse main entrance to the barracks: this is still standing along with magazine number 5 and the Proof House where gunpowder received from the mill at Waltham Abbey was tested.

Landing stage for ambulance ships bringing patients with highly infectious diseases from London.

RFC / RAF Joyce Green

Long Reach Tavern

Narrow gauge military railway.

Purfleet Camp, used for training troops during World War 1

Gunpowder magazine no 5, now Purfleet heritage museum, only one left.

Old sun tug