A postcard showing the old Westminster Hospital in Broad Sanctuary, directly opposite Westminster Abbey. The hospital had occupied this site since 1834. The imposing castellated Gothic building seen here was substantially rebuilt in 1895, giving the institution an architectural presence more reminiscent of a medieval civic palace than a modern hospital. Westminster Hospital remained at Broad Sanctuary until 1938, when it moved to new premises near Horseferry Road. The old building was later damaged by fire in 1950 and subsequently disappeared during redevelopment of the area. Today, the hospital’s former site corresponds approximately to the open space immediately in front of the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, on the north side of Broad Sanctuary, facing Westminster Abbey.