Greetings ... and welcome to The Shrine - the original resource for that most mysterious of places -

The Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital
Taplow, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

(1914) 1940 - 2006


Photo courtesy of Lee Hillon

February 2009 UPDATE: Forum ...

Do make sure you visit our FORUM. We're still getting a lot of email enquiries which would perhaps be better answered if people would post their questions or thoughts in the forum for all to see and potentially assist with. The forum is clearly the central way of the future for The Shrine, so don't be shy. This website can only get better if you contribute to it.

And while I'm here, thanks to Marchi Eduardo for adding to our plethora of corrected information regarding the Duchess of Connaught.

And reiterating some still brilliant news for you:

STOP PRESS¶
CRCMH-inspired book released on 3rd April 2008 ...

"... a character and a world that lives on long after the pages have been read."

Yes indeed, lucky readers - here's a new work you might want to check out from the British novelist and critic Adam Mars-Jones. The long-awaited Pilcrow follows the internal and external struggles of John Cromer, a boy growing up disabled and gay in the 1950s - and rumour has it that a fair portion of the book is set in the CRCMH.

If you'd care to investigate the intrigue surrounding what looks set to become one of the decade's most compelling novels then why not join us at The Shrine in ordering your copy of Pilcrow HERE.

More soon - including our rundown on which homes in the new Cliveden Village Estate you might not want to live in (cue spooky noises).

INTRODUCTION

Established in March 2002, The Shrine hit cyberspace at a time when there wasn't a single (useful) online mention of the CRCMH (as it shall subsequently be referred to within - just to make life easier). There are now two other 'proper' websites based around the hospital - one that details and promotes the current redevelopment proposals, and another being an effort to stop these construction plans altogether. Offically, The Shrine sits on neither side of this proverbial fence and, as such, still remains the sole CRCRH internet realm that isn't politically motivated. It's a vast and useful resource - indeed, you'll find more relating to the hospital within than on the rest of the web put together - but it's here purely for your enjoyment. So, what's the deal?

If you were hoping to make an appointment at the hospital, you've come to the wrong place. Actually, there is no right place to go. The CRCMH closed its doors to the public in the darkest depths of 1985. Or so it was believed ...

Prior to being wiped from the face of the Earth forever in early 2006, the derelict buildings and grounds had become a unique source of adventure and intrigue for more Maidenhead citizens of all ages than would freely admit. Over the past two decades, the CRCMH firmly established itself as the town's equivalent of the Guatemalan city of Tikal, or Cambodia's Angkor temples. Although centuries younger, the CRCMH's eerie setting as a vast abandoned complex in a remote overgrown forest was more awe inspiring than any officially recognised historical sites in the region.

The central purpose of this website is to give the CRCMH the attention it deserves as one of Maidenhead's foremost mystical and historic locations. There's far more for the CRCMH researcher here than on the rest of the web put together. These pages will take you on a journey through some interesting and sometimes intriguing facets of the CRCMH. You will discover visuals of the site, tales of exploration, insights into life as a patient, recovered artefacts, historical information, obscure trivia, and a whole lot more. And yes, there's even some ghost stories.

Now that the end has finally arrived, the last hospital brick removed from the hallowed grounds of Cliveden's woods, a further excuse for the existence of this site is to preserve as many memories, images and tales about the CRCMH as we can, so that the people of Maidenhead and beyond can forever reminisce. For that reason, you are absolutely encouraged to contribute as much as you can to this project. We thoroughly welcome your input - be that in the form of photographs, your experiences of the place (both before and after its closure), or indeed whatever you so desire to immortalise for all to see.

Depending upon the duration of your online CRCMH relationship, you may or may not be aware that you are now viewing The Shrine at its brand new and easy to remember cyberspace home - crcmh.com - and we ask that you bear in mind that this website is very much in the process of being revamped. As a result, you may well discover that certain links might be broken or that things just aren't working properly. Please try not to get irate or email us about any such concerns - we're all too aware of these matters and are at present slowly working through all the things that need tweaking, so that everything will be up and running again soon. Therefore, do be patient (and not a patient) - because before you know it, you'll be surfing The Shrine in all of its glory once more. Yay!

So, thank you for visiting - we trust that you'll enjoy your stay...

Damon & Owen
CRCMH Website Owners
& strange Bohemian types (allegedly)
September 2006

Stuff we get asked all the time

Keep up to date with the future
proposals for the CRCMH site

Why not kick off your visit with
a Virtual Tour of the CRCMH!

And when you're done here,
join in or create a new discussion.

NOTE: This is his is strictly a non-profit site created and maintained by CRCMH enthusiasts in the name of historical and mystological preservation. The vast majority of content here is legitimately our own original work and we hereby give full permission for it to be utilised for any reasonable purpose so long as credit is acknowledged - primarily because we desire to present a useful and informative archive for the educational benefit of everyone (not something that you're allowed to "look at but don't touch" like so many other sad uses of the internet). Please contact us if you have any questions regarding such matters.

However, due to the severe lack of freely available information - both written and visual - on the subject of the CRCMH, we have naturally been forced to utilise material from elsewhere in order to build a fully comprehensive archive. Wherever possible, sources have been acknowledged or linked to. There has been no deliberate intention to defraud copyright holders within these pages and we would be grateful if you would address any such concerns to us immediately. Thank you.

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