News
Haslar Open House - Heritage Days 2023
13th September 2023Haslar Heritage Group once more shared their passion, knowledge and enthusiasm for Royal Haslar, with a weekend of Guided Tours around the grounds in September, as part of the Heritage Open Days program.
These annual tours around Royal Haslar have built up quite a following with local residents, historians and members of the forces. This year 600 visitors attended across the weekend of 8th, 9th and 10th September, two tours per day, and were enthralled by their guides as they toured the grounds, taking in the fully restored St Luke’s Church.
This year also saw resident charity, Shore Leave, open the memorial garden to visitors across the weekend and offer light refreshments under the shade of trees.
The Haslar Heritage Group has been conducting tours since 2011 and to date have received over 8,800 visitors.
Mark Trasler, a resident of Royal Haslar and Haslar Heritage Group’s chairman, first came to the former hospital in 1971 as a junior sailor to start his medical branch training – a Royal Navy career that was to last for the next 40 years.
“Haslar holds a special place in many people’s lives,” Mark says. “Nearly all long-standing Gosport families, both naval and civilian, will have had connections with the place, with either family members or themselves being patients here. When we conduct tours for the general public, we always ask how many people have been staff here, and how many patients. Although the numbers are beginning to reduce now, the response has usually been about 30% and 70% respectively – and all have interesting stories.”
Royal Haslar’s reach is global. “It is not uncommon for overseas visitors to come especially to see the former hospital,” Mark continues, “as a widespread abiding affection for the place remains. I and my colleagues at the Group remain very keen to get Haslar’s new residents knowledgeable about the heritage of their new home.”
To discover more about the unique history of Royal Haslar, and to register for forthcoming tours, visit haslarheritagegroup.co.uk, or contact Mark Trasler by email: mail@traslers.co.uk
These annual tours around Royal Haslar have built up quite a following with local residents, historians and members of the forces. This year 600 visitors attended across the weekend of 8th, 9th and 10th September, two tours per day, and were enthralled by their guides as they toured the grounds, taking in the fully restored St Luke’s Church.
This year also saw resident charity, Shore Leave, open the memorial garden to visitors across the weekend and offer light refreshments under the shade of trees.
The Haslar Heritage Group has been conducting tours since 2011 and to date have received over 8,800 visitors.
Mark Trasler, a resident of Royal Haslar and Haslar Heritage Group’s chairman, first came to the former hospital in 1971 as a junior sailor to start his medical branch training – a Royal Navy career that was to last for the next 40 years.
“Haslar holds a special place in many people’s lives,” Mark says. “Nearly all long-standing Gosport families, both naval and civilian, will have had connections with the place, with either family members or themselves being patients here. When we conduct tours for the general public, we always ask how many people have been staff here, and how many patients. Although the numbers are beginning to reduce now, the response has usually been about 30% and 70% respectively – and all have interesting stories.”
Royal Haslar’s reach is global. “It is not uncommon for overseas visitors to come especially to see the former hospital,” Mark continues, “as a widespread abiding affection for the place remains. I and my colleagues at the Group remain very keen to get Haslar’s new residents knowledgeable about the heritage of their new home.”
To discover more about the unique history of Royal Haslar, and to register for forthcoming tours, visit haslarheritagegroup.co.uk, or contact Mark Trasler by email: mail@traslers.co.uk