Fulbourn Hospital
Fulbourn Hospital is a mental health hospital near Cambridge, located between the village of Fulbourn and Cherry Hinton, about 5 miles southeast of Cambridge city centre. It is run by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. The Ida Darwin Hospital site sits behind Fulbourn and is part of the same trust; both share facilities and staff.
History and development
The hospital opened in 1858 as the County Pauper Lunatic Asylum for Cambridgeshire, the Isle of Ely and Cambridge. The foundation stone was laid in 1856 by the Earl of Hardwicke. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it served various local needs and, during the 1960s, became known for its pioneering therapeutic community approach under Dr David Clark. In 1976 Cambridge University established an Academic Department of Psychiatry at the hospital, turning it into a national training and teaching centre.
Today’s model of care
In 2013 the hospital underwent a major refurbishment and introduced the Mulberry wards, replacing older buildings. The new 3-3-3 model includes three days of assessment (Mulberry 1), three weeks of treatment (Mulberry 2), and about three months of recovery (Mulberry 3). From day one, staff work with patients to plan care and help them return to the community.
Services and wards
Fulbourn Hospital provides adult mental health wards, specialist mental health wards, forensic mental health services and older people’s mental health services. Since 1960 the land behind the original hospital has housed learning disability wards and related offices. The Ida Darwin Hospital part of Fulbourn includes child and adolescent wards and various community teams.
A sister facility
The trust also runs the Cavell Centre at Edith Cavell Healthcare Campus in Peterborough, opened in 2009 with seven wards to serve Peterborough and surrounding areas.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:31 (CET).