| Royal Sea Bathing Hospital | |
|---|---|
 Main façade of the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital in Margate, Kent, UK | |
  Location in the United Kingdom | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 51°23′05″N 1°21′59″E / 051.384780°N 0001.366349°E |
| Opened | 1791 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Revd. John Pridden |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Royal Sea Bathing Hospital |
| Designated | 22 February 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1088987 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Chapel of Royal Sea Bathing Hospital |
| Designated | 23 October 1990 |
| Reference no. | 1241852 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Royal Sea Bathing Hospital Mortuary |
| Designated | 9 December 1998 |
| Reference no. | 1033363 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Statue of Erasmus Wilson to South of Royal Sea Bathing Hospital |
| Designated | 23 October 1990 |
| Reference no. | 1260303 |
The Royal Sea Bathing Hospital in Margate, Kent was founded in 1791 by Dr John Coakley Lettsom, a Quaker physician and philanthropist, for the treatment of scrofula.[1]
The hospital was one of the earliest—if not the earliest—specialist orthopaedic hospital in the UK, and pioneered the use of open-air treatment for patients with non-pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients received a variety of treatments, with a central focus on providing patients with the supposed clinical benefits of sunshine, fresh air and sea bathing.[2]