At first glance, the delicately crafted pieces of hospital equipment could be mistaken for a toy hospital set. They are in fact something far more unusual: a set of miniature replicas of the equipment supplied to local war hospitals by the Weybridge and Walton Voluntary Hospitals Depot at Vigo House. Made at one-eighth scale, they reproduce in remarkable detail the furniture and medical apparatus that the hospitals could order during the years 1914–1918.

The set includes a folding screen with stretched canvas panels, wheeled trolleys with functioning castors, tables and cabinets, bedside furniture, and a range of mobility aids such as crutches. There is also a rack containing eighteen different supports, limb cradles, and prosthetic forms, made in both bare and painted wood, reflecting their full-sized counterparts. One of the trolleys carries a painted red cross, perhaps referencing the Red Cross organisation, which played a central role in running local hospitals. Ethel Locke King, whose estate included Vigo House, served as vice president of the Red Cross North Surrey branch.

Vigo House: A Wartime Hub

Vigo House, located on Church Street in Weybridge, functioned as a central depot and supply warehouse for local auxiliary hospitals during the First World War. Built in 1702 for Admiral Sir John Hopson, it later passed through several owners before becoming part of the Locke King estate by the early 20th century. During the war, it was repurposed to support the medical effort, alongside other estate properties such as Brooklands, which became an auxiliary hospital. Vigo House served as a hub for the manufacture, storage, preparation, repair, and distribution of essential supplies.

Archive Records Reveal Extensive Volunteer Efforts

Archive records in Elmbridge Museum’s collection provide a detailed picture of the work carried out at Vigo House. Separate rooms were dedicated to processing bandages, surgical dressings, clothing, linens, and even garden produce. Supplies were distributed not only to nearby hospitals but also sent further afield, including overseas to France, demonstrating the wider reach of this local operation. Names of all the volunteers are recorded meticulously in the daily attendance records.

The Legacy of Vigo House

After the war, facilities connected to Vigo House continued in use for medical care, including physiotherapy services linked to Brooklands Auxiliary Hospital. However, the building itself declined, and by the 1920s it was considered dilapidated. It was eventually demolished to make way for the entrance to Weybridge Cottage Hospital, built on land donated by the Locke King family for the benefit of the community.

These miniature objects together with the Vigo House records offer a rare insight into the organisation and infrastructure that underpinned wartime healthcare. They reflect the complex supply networks and voluntary effort that sustained hospitals both locally and abroad, and are evidence of the resourcefulness and dedication of those who worked behind the scenes to support the wounded.

Source: Elmbridge Museum — news

Illustrative photo. Painshill Park in Elmbridge, Surrey by Alan Hunt. CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ Resized to 960px by Wikimedia. Source https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Painshill_Park_-_ge…