A PROJECT celebrating 140 years of history at a Headington hospital has been unveiled.

The mural at The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, in Windmill Road, has been developed with cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It charts its small origins as the Wingfield Convalescent Home in 1871 to the current state-of-the-art building, which was reopened in 2007.

The mural, in the atrium, has been designed with the help of youngsters from Windmill Primary School in Headington. They joined former NOC chairman, Joanna Foster, CBE, in unveiling it.

Throughout her nine years in the post, Ms Foster was at the forefront of championing art at the hospital, and in 2002, set up its arts and identity committee.

She worked with the hospital’s arts co-ordinator Tom Cox and the committee to secure funding.

Ms Foster, chairman from 2001 to 2010, said: “It has been a true privilege to be invited back to this wonderful unveiling ceremony, with what I’m sure will be a huge attraction and focal point of interest to all that come to the hospital.

“We want to share our proud heritage with local people and this event demonstrates our outstanding international reputation among both orthopaedic surgeons and patients.”

The project looks at the growth of the NOC, which is the home to pioneering development in orthopaedic surgery, neuro-rehabilitation, metabolic medicine and rheumatology.

During the First World War, it was transformed into a military hospital with rows of wooden buildings.

In 1929, Lord Nuffield, Sir William Morris, gifted £70,000 to the trust so could build new nurses’ quarters, seven new wards and a massage department.

During the Second World, War the hospital was controlled by the War Office before being designated a regional orthopaedic centre in 1948.

In 1956, it was re-named the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

Windmill Primary head teacher Lynn Knapp said the school was proud to be involved. She added: “It’s great for the children to be part of the unveiling of the NOC’s heritage mural.

“The children were in Year 3 when the project first started, and are now in Year 5, so it is nice for them to be able to see the finished project which is part of a living history.”