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Sharing our memories of Heald Green
Last Updated 7th April 2026
St. Ann's Hospice
Now Moya Cole Hospice
By Helen Morgan
Published on Facebook 2022
Last Updated 16/03/2026
From Hospital to Hospice. World class care on our doorstep when or if needed.
1. In the Beginning
Was St Ann's Hospital named after the road it's on, or was it there before that? That was the quest to find out, like the chicken and egg scenario.
Fig. 1.1 Location of St. Ann's, Tithe Map 1831
© Ordnance Survey
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In 1839, plot number 308 was an arable field of 8 acres, owned by Samuel Worthington and occupied by John Simpson Junior. The field was called Further Hardy Field and alongside it ran a dirt track called Hardy Field Lane. It was in this field that St Ann’s Hospital would be built.
At this time the name of St Ann’s Road did not exist, although it is marked on the Tithe Map of Heald Green from 1841 .
Fig. 1.2 Tithe Map, 1841
Researched by Frank Mitchell, drawn by Teretta Mitchell in 1976
© St. James Church, Gatley
Click On Link To View Full Map
St Ann’s was built as a private hospital for the education and treatment for up to 40 epileptic children. It was the only one in the country and yet why there, in the middle of nowhere, down a dirt track? The influence of the large asylum next door must have had some bearing on the siting of such ground-breaking, innovative style of care. On an ordnance survey map of 1872, that was published in 1882 there was no hospital, but Cheadle Royal hospital can be seen, named then as Manchester Royal Lunatic Asylum (private).
Fig. 1.3 Manchester Royal Lunatic Asylum, 1872
© Ordnance Survey
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2. St. Ann's Hospital
On the census of 1871 there is no record of the building. On 30th November 1876, John and Samuel Worthington, and George Simpson sold Further Hardy Field and Nearer Hardy Field (now part of the Gleneagles Estate) to George William Mould.
Dr Mould was a superintendent at the asylum for 40 years and was a pioneer for promoting the vision of “care in the community”. This meant that patients were placed into the larger houses in the village like Beech House and Brookside, along with staff to care for them on site. Buying this land was a very shrewd move by Dr Mould. The next day, December 1st 1876, William Henry Milne was added as another owner, on the understanding that once it was sold on, Dr Mould would pay Mr Milne £1200.
The hospital was built after that and is on the 1881 census treating seven epileptic children, three boys and four girls. The youngest girl was 10 and the oldest boy was 20. They came from Lancashire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.
Perhaps the connection through Dr Mould led to it being sited there? The attending physician was James H Poulton aged 34, whose profession was recorded as Physical Training Master. The Lady Principal was his wife, Jane. Clementine Wallace, his sister in law, was the Lady housekeeper. They were assisted by five servants.
On 6th October 1887 William Henry Milne of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire and George William Mould, of Stockport Etchells in the County of Chester, surgeon, sold the land to the Manchester Royal Infirmary Dispensary and Lunatic Hospital or Asylum (thereinafter styled ” the Infirmary”), for £6400 of which £1200 was returned to Mr Milne.
The land totalled 11 acres 3 roods and 36 perches and included St Ann's Hospital and any other buildings or parts thereof on the land.
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Fig. 2.1A Deeds from 1887
Courtesy of L Threadgold
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The “highway” is a rather grand name for a dirt track!! On the 1891 census the name St Ann’s Road is recorded for the first time, although not the hospital. Having been absorbed into the asylum, the records of patients may have all been amalgamated into one?
The Ordnance Survey map of 1897, that was published in 1899, clearly shows St Ann's Hospital. This name would remain until 1971 when it became the hospice.
Fig. 2.1B St. Ann's Hospital, 1897
© Ordnance Survey
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St Ann’s Road would continue to be nothing more than a country lane for many more years to come.
Fig. 2.1C Cheadle Royal Lodge off St Ann's Road North
From a postcard sent in the 1920s
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“Finney Lane was a country lane with very few houses. St Ann's Road had a barrier across to stop access except at certain times, as all the fields were owned by the hospital.”
- May Watkins, Linkline magazine for St Catherine’s Church
“There were many footpaths through fields, some lanes and several unmade roads but the prettiest lane was, what is now, St Ann's Road North and was known as 'Lover's Lane'. It was narrow and winding with trees on either side, practically meeting overhead, and led down to a point opposite Schools Hill, known as 'Milk Can Corner'.”
- Anne Rushton, Linkline magazine for St Catherine’s Church
“I used to walk to Cheadle Etchells School along St Anns Road that was really just a dirt track full of potholes and water.”
- Ray Hodgkinson, in conversation 2023
“When I was 5 in 1950, I started school at Etchells and I walked there and back every day. St Ann’s Road was a narrow cinder path and then cobble sets, that were very slippy in winter, or full of water, so I wore big boots.”
- Walter Slack, in conversation 2023
Fig. 2.1D St Ann's Road 1951
© Andrew Lee
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Even by 1965 not all the road had been adopted
Fig. 2.1E St Ann's Road North 1965
© Catriona O’Brien
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The 1901 census gave no clues, so I had a look at the 1911 census. St Ann's hospital, now classed as part of the Asylum, was listed under their records. That showed that there were 28 rooms with 57 females. I am assuming therefore that that was two ladies per room and one Matron, Miss Muriel Mary Farr.
The census revealed that as a whole the asylum had 521 people across many buildings on site and off site, like Beech House and Brookside within Heald Green village. Of that number 338 were patients classed as lunatics.
The old St Ann's hospital building still remains, within the hospice there today, and is still used. It cannot really be seen from the main road, so I was very lucky to have been given a guided tour in July 2022 by Dr Paul Jarvis, their Director of Business Development.
Fig. 2.2A The Hospital, 1971
© Teretta & Frank Mitchell
Courtesy of St. James Church Archive
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Fig. 2.2B The Hospital, July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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This is the original front of the hospital, with a middle bit that was extended and added on much later. It was set up like a mirror image with the left and right hand sides identical.
Fig. 2.3 Left hand side with a newer section
added on, July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 2.4 Right hand side as it was originally,
July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Both sides have the most beautiful plaster friezes and original stained glass.
Fig. 2.5 Plaster frieze and stained glass, July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Around the side there was more of the original hospital and brickwork.
Fig. 2.6 Around the side, July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 2.7 Around the side, July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 2.8 Beautiful large bay windows, July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 2.9 The original building has doors leading out into narrow areas, July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 2.10 Even the airbricks are ornate and just look at that brickwork! July 2022
© Helen Morgan
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3. St. Ann's Hospice
Moving on to 1969, a very significant year. This was when a group of local women, with wealthy husbands, got together to create the Starkey Committee. Headed by Dr Moya Cole, a consultant at the Christie Hospital. It was her that approached the Bishop of Manchester to say that a hospice was needed for the people of Manchester. Another innovative idea, as there were only 2 in the country, both in London. These were St Joseph’s and St Christopher’s. So began fundraising for the next 2 years until St Ann’s Hospital was bought off Cheadle Royal in 1971 and renamed St Ann’s Hospice. At that time, it was being used for elderly patients.
The people of Heald Green really took to the idea of raising funds and looking back to the Heald Green Herald newspaper of June 1970, there were some cracking ideas that made money for this to become a reality. Our residents realised just how lucky they were to have been chosen and raised money through raffles, social evenings with food like potato pies, Tupperware parties, green shield stamps and challenging walks. The churches came together to also raise funds to buy a bed. The idea I liked the best was something called a vanishing coffee party! 1 person invited 7 friends for coffee and they paid at least a shilling to be there. Each guest would then go away and invite 6 friends for coffee, who in turn would then invite 5. So it went on until there was no one left. If everyone only paid a shilling, they would raise £585 this way, a lot of money in 1970.
St Ann’s Hospice was opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, in June 1971. She wore pastel pink with beige accessories and met with dignataries and invited guests as well as staff.
Fig. 3.1 Queen Mother's opening visit, June 1971
© St. Ann's Archive
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Fig. 3.3 Queen Mother's opening visit, June 1971
© Teretta & Frank Mitchell
Courtesy of St. James Church Archive
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Fig. 3.2 Queen Mother receiving flowers. The little girl was 9 year old Anne O'Connor who lived on Oakdale Drive
© St. Ann's Archive
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Over the years the hospice was extended and areas reworked to make the best of the building for both their patients and staff. Princess Diana visited on 10th October 1985.
Fig. 3.4 Princess Diana's visit, October 1985
© Teretta & Frank Mitchell
Courtesy of St. James Church Archive
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Diana just had a way with her didn’t she? Sat on a bed, no airs and graces, but totally putting the patients at ease, whilst listening to them intently.
Fig. 3.5 Princess Diana's visit,
October 1985
© Teretta & Frank Mitchell
Courtesy of St. James Church Archive
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Last year in December 2021, their 50th anniversary was celebrated with a visit from Princess Anne. Of course, we were still under COVID 19 regulations, hence the masks.
Fig. 3.6 The Princess Royal visiting St Ann's Hospice, December 2021
© St. Ann's Archive
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The BBC North-West Tonight programme also came to Heald Green in 2021, and visited the hospice. Owain Wyn Evans, their weatherman, chatted to staff and patients in the garden, live on the telly.
4. More Recent Developments
The idea that a new hospice was needed came to the fore about 10 years ago. The regulator, the Care Quality Commission, goes in regularly to check on the quality of the care given. It is them that have the ability to close down a building should it not be up to scratch.
The Heald Green site always gets a good rating. On the other hand, their sister hospice in Little Hulton, a building purpose built, always gets outstanding. It was plainly obvious that it was the old, antiquated building that was letting Heald Green down.
In July 2022, I spoke to Dr Paul Jarvis at the Hospice.
“We are now the largest hospice in the country in terms of beds on our inpatient units, 45 in total, with 27 at our Heald Green site and 18 at our Little Hulton site. This may not sound a lot, but most hospices have less than 20, some less than 10. A lot of our care takes place out in the community or in our outpatient’s unit called our Being You Centre. At present we only have one consultant room, a small treatment room, and 1-2 counselling rooms. About 10 years ago, the Trustees of the hospice, who are volunteers themselves, decided that in order to keep St Ann’s in Heald Green a new building would be needed. For that purpose, architects were brought in to talk to staff and they tried to come up with ways to extend or rearrange the original building. Over the years it has seen many additional add ons to try and cope with our needs. The architects even tried to utilise the carparking space we have now, by considering an underground one. However, nothing came near to what we actually needed.
We knew therefore that we would have to buy some land. Fortunately, the Cheadle Royal Hospital Charitable Trust, who own the field next door, were willing to sell to us. The land is surrounded by a number of protected assets, and we knew getting planning permission would be challenging. Fortunately, the council agreed that, for a community asset such as
ours, it could be developed. All the money made from the sale of land by the Trust, will go back to fund their mental health charity work.”
“Before getting permission to buy the land, we then spent another year testing the ground with site investigations and drawing up high-level designs before going forward with a formal negotiation to buy it. We then moved on to getting detailed plans drawn up and invited all the local residents into the hospice to present to them our vision of the future.
Thankfully no negative comments were received from them. The council’s heritage officer and the chairman of the local Gardens Trust needed some persuading and were shown around the site and talked through the plans by our design team.
All the trees on St Ann’s Road, bordering our new site will remain. The whole area is to be tidied up and enhanced with further shrubs and new trees. The only tree going is one to make way for the carpark entrance. We do feel that we will breathe new life into this sad looking field.”
Fig. 4.1 St. Ann's Road North looking towards the hospice, October 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 4.2 Looking into the development field, October 2022
© Helen Morgan
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“The new hospice will be built in three parcels of land. Firstly, a one storey building will house the inpatient services and will have a clinical area. Alongside this will be a two-storey building housing a café and all outpatients for our day services on the ground floor. Above will be the offices for the likes of Human Resources, finance, and fundraising. On the final parcel of land will be the carpark. Each bedroom will have its own garden, a space to relax and to share with visitors. Our capacity to help in this community will increase fourfold, as we will be able to accommodate four consultants and counselling rooms rather than just one at present. The new building, although made of brick, has been designed to be more than just your average bricks and mortar. Designs and curves have been built into the plans.
We hope that some of the older features from the Victorian building will move with us too.”
Fig. 4.2 Architects' aerial drawing showing the new hospice, car park and new housing estate on
the old site, October 2022
© St. Ann's Archive
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Fig. 4.3 Anne-Marie sat with the plans for the new St. Anns Hospice buildings, as designed by PRP Architects October 2022
© St. Ann's Archive
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“By the end of 2022, we hope to put the spade in the ground and get working on the new build. There are just a few contracts to sort. We have a corporate fundraiser here, who specifically goes out to businesses in the area, asking them to raise money for us. We are also looking into the likes of builder’s merchants to get building materials perhaps at cost
and therefore keep the costs down. The new building will cost in the region of £15 million. £5 million of which will come from the sale of our present land to a developer. There is outline planning permission for 40 new homes to be built, although this is more likely to be somewhere nearer 30. We are currently in a bidding process from which a preferred developer will be chosen. Developers are looking to emulate the style of the Cheadle Royal building. This is effectively house building
on a brownfield site.
Our latest fundraising task is to ask the residents of Heald Green, Stockport and the surrounding areas as far away as Trafford and Salford, to help us raise £2 million. For this purpose, we did a mailshot to what we call our cold supporters. That is those not on our database or that we have no knowledge of any previous support. We really hope the people of Greater Manchester and Cheshire will help us fund the gap and help raise the remaining amount. This will then enable us to complete the project and open the hospice as soon as we can. Should we not get that amount, then we may need to reconsider the size and ambition of the project.
We obviously realise that at this time of pressure on family budgets, this is not the ideal time to ask for money, so we therefore don’t expect to get it immediately. Hopefully over time our generous supporters will continue with their midnight walks, marathon runs, supporting our charity shops both with donations and buying items and all the other fun
initiatives that they come up with.
We too are hoping to come up with some new ways for our supporters to help us fundraise. From black tie formal balls to comedy nights, to perhaps hiring an arena with a top-class singer or even a buy a brick appeal.
A few weeks ago, we were at Manchester Cathedral, with the actor Lee Boardman, to launch this £2 million appeal. It was the first time he had spoken from personal experience of what the hospice meant to him and his family. It was a very powerful monologue and there was not a dry eye there.
Last year was our 50th anniversary and Princess Anne helped us celebrate. With this new build, we hope to be around for the next few milestones to come.”
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Fig. 4.3 Chief Executive Rachel McMillan being interviewed by Granada Reports for St Ann’s launched of their BIT (Build It Together) Campaign, June 2022
© St. Ann's Archive
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Fig. 4.5 Appeal for funds, June 2022
© St. Ann's Archive
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Fig. 4.4 Appeal for funds, June 2022
© St. Ann's Archive
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At the time of originally writing this, in October 2022, residents young and old had taken up the challenge to fundraise. There were lots of ways to donate. Further details can be found and donations made at www.sah.org.uk/newhospice.
Very soon work would begin on the new state of the art facility, in the 4.2 acre field next door to where the hospice is now. A rather sad part of Further Hardy Field would be transformed over the next 18 months or so, before work would then begin on demolishing the old hospice on 2.6 acres.
Fig. 4.6 Entrance, October 2022
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 4.7 Exit, October 2022
© Helen Morgan
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A new chapter will begin…..
The Cheshire Tithe maps of 1839 showing Further Hardy Field superimposed onto what is there today. The new build will be in the part of that field, south of where the hospice is now.
Fig. 4.8 Tithe map Further Hardy Field
© Cheshire Tithe Maps
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5. The new building work
Time passed until finally the spade in the ground event took place on October 31st 2023. Lots of photos of the development can be found on the Moya Cole Hospice Flickr page. Land clearance began in February 2024.
These are my photos from March 2024. Going forward I have tried to re photograph the same areas.
Figs. 5.1 to 5.4 New development 3rd March 2024
© Helen Morgan
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The following two photos are from an evening in June 2024.
Figs. 5.5 & 5.6 New development June 2024
© Helen Morgan
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By July 2024, the white boards were up around the perimeter to make the site more secure.
Figs. 5.7 to 5.9 New development July 2024
© Helen Morgan
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Building work had begun by October 2024.
Figs. 5.10 to 5.12 New development October 2024
© Helen Morgan
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By August 2025 things were taking shape.
Figs. 5.13 to 5.15 New development August 2025
© Helen Morgan
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​In October 2025, I met with Rob Kind who is Head of Facilities at the hospice and he very kindly gave me a guided tour. By now the business decision had been taken to change the name of St Ann’s Hospice to the Moya Cole Hospice, in honour of the very lady who worked tirelessly in the late 1960s to get a hospice in our village. The new signs were already up around the old hospice.
Fig. 5.16 Moya Cole name 13.10.2025
© Helen Morgan
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Firstly, we went around the old hospice, to show me just why a new building had been necessary.
6. The Rob Kind Interview
“The building has started to deteriorate quite badly, even since 2021. Here you can see the old parquet flooring that has been repaired by sticking new flooring on top and it’s starting to lift. We have issues where the rainwater gets behind the walls and rots the wood underneath. Here you can see water ingress on the walls and ceilings. The windows are now very old and not energy efficient. Things have broken and have not been easy to replace, due to the age of the fixtures and fittings.
Take the toilet here for example. The seat broke and when the workmen came to replace it, they found that it was almost bound to the toilet itself and so the whole thing would have to be replaced. Then the flooring would have to be replaced too, making the toilet seat being broken work out at a cost of £4,000! Instead, we have just kept it locked as there is another one.
There are 20 toilets here but 44 in the new build. We came in one day recently to find the glass smashed in the foyer entrance. It wasn’t done deliberately but it’s just the stress the old building is under. Outside brickwork is spalling on the corners especially and the drains give cause for concern too.
There’s lots of artwork in the building. We have accumulated it over the years all with different styles and techniques. Fabric and oil paintings are hard to clean and we must adhere to strict infection controls. Therefore, we are going to put them into storage. Once we have moved, we hope people who donated them will get in touch. They have all been documented and numbered.
The materials in the new build are all about everything working together to save energy. We are also in a conservation area, so all materials used needed to blend in with our environment. There’s no gas, and new solar panels will generate around 8-10% of the electricity we require.
We hope to purchase the rest from the national grid using renewable sources. We hope to preserve some of the stained glass, from the windows of the old hospice, in clear resin to make garden features, allowing the light to shine through them. The beautiful stained glass from the old haven is going to the new one.
Figs. 6.2 The New Haven 13.10.2025
© Helen Morgan
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Fig. 6.1 Old haven glass 13.10.2025
© Helen Morgan
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Unfortunately, the plaster friezes cannot be saved. They were repainted in 2021/22 but will just crumble away if we try to remove them.
Figs. 6.3 Plaster Friezes 13.10.2025
© Helen Morgan
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It’s unlikely that the large black pines, between the two sites, will be removed. There are tree preservation orders to consider too. There will be a new planting scheme of flowers on the new site.
One road will lead to the new hospice, accessed from St Ann’s Road North. Its name will be Hardy Field Lane, a nod to the history of the site. Two massive oak trees remain at the entrance to the car park, which is situated behind the hospice.
The building is modular in design, connected by walkway gardens on the inside and a big sanctuary garden in the middle. Three meeting rooms upstairs can be made into 1 large space. There is a big café and open kitchen with banquette seating, like a bistro, that will be opened up to the public at a later date.
More importantly, patients will each have their own space and room for visitors too.
Figs. 6.4 New build towards nurses home and where cafe will be 13.10.2025
© Helen Morgan
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We get the keys on January 19th and will then spend approximately three months getting the inside ready for patients.
Once the old hospice is shut, the entrance and exits there now will closed. Off the new road a bell mouth entrance has been constructed for access to a new housing estate. That is a functional piece of road to allow access for vehicles by having curved curbs, like a bell.
The planning for this new estate is at the second stage of planning. The old Cheadle Royal nurses’ home behind us, is to be demolished in the next couple of months too.”
In November 2025 demolition of the nurses' home had began.
The photos below, taken in February 2026, show how much progress was made.
Figs. 6.5 to 6.7 New development February 2026
© Helen Morgan
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The next thing then will be the closure of the old and the opening of the new hospice. This will be followed by whatever happens to the nurses’ home and St Ann’s sites ...
Acknowledgements
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​With grateful thanks to Peter Stanton Davies for the maps, Les Clough for the Censuses, Martin Davey for the Tithe map details, along with allowing me access to Frank and Teretta Mitchell’s extensive archives from the St. James Church archive, Paul Jarvis and Rob Kind for their time.
Related Links​​
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Ordnance Survey Maps
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St. James Church Archive
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Christie Hospital
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BBC North-West Tonight
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Care Quality Commission
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Little Hulton
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Manchester Cathedral
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Granada TV History Timeline
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New Hospice Appeal
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Bibliography
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From the deeds of the land. Courtesy of L Threadgold
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Williams, K & Williams, JT (1998), Long Lane Cheadle Remembered, pp.60
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From the deeds of the land. Courtesy of L Threadgold
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From the deeds of the land. Courtesy of L Threadgold
Timeline
Can You Help Us Improve The Museum?
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Do you have any related personal memories, photos or documents that you can share with us on this topic?
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Are any of our facts incorrect?
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