The Apple House was probably built in the 1830s. The original purpose of the building was for the storage of apples harvested from the Warneford’s orchards. It was fitted out with wooden shelving for the purpose.
Gerda Wilson, a speech and language therapist working at the Warneford from 1966 to 1998 (sponsored by Dr Seymour Spencer, one of the hospital’s consultants) campaigned for the Apple House to become a “homely” base for treating people who stammered. The upper floor of the building is named in Wilson’s honour. The Oxford Stammer Programme began using the repurposed building for speech therapy courses in 1973. Children with speech impediments have been treated there since 1990 and the Apple House is still used for speech therapy today.
Behind the Apple House you can see Allen Ward, an acute adult ward for women, that has been named after Dr Thomas Allen, medical superintendent of the Warneford from 1853 to 1872.
Image: Early 20C photograph of the Apple House + the internal shelving photographed in the 1970s (see Insall Assocs booklet p.28 – not in file of photos but NHS ownership indicated)
