Our New Hogspital

In February 2026, our long‑awaited move finally became a reality, the rescue is now located on the edge of the Carnanton Estate, near Cornwall Airport Newquay. For years, the infrastructure of our previous premises amounted to a residential back‑garden setup of converted sheds and hutches behind the home of our co‑founder, Diane. Remarkably, we admitted more than 1,400 hedgehogs in 2024 using this makeshift arrangement! But operating at that scale made it clear that a purpose‑built Hogspital was no longer a dream—it was an absolute necessity.

Our new Hogspital has been designed from the ground up to provide the highest standards of care for Cornwall’s hedgehogs. The full site will eventually consist of two buildings, purpose‑built to support every stage of rehabilitation—from emergency admission to release back into the wild.

Building One: Now Operational

The first building is now fully operational and includes:

• Triage Room: A dedicated clinical space equipped with essential diagnostic tools: including an oxygen incubator, our microscope, veterinary supplies and monitoring equipment. This room allows our team to assess each new arrival efficiently, stabilising poorly hedgehogs and planning their treatment.

• Main Ward: Our central ward area provides safe, warm accommodation for hedgehogs during their treatment and recovery. This space is designed for easy monitoring and daily care by our staff and volunteers.

• Star Intensive Care Unit: Named after our Sponsors Star Linen Hire St Ives, the ICU contains 14 incubators. This unit supports our most vulnerable patients—hoglets, hypothermic and weak new admissions requiring intensive care to stabilise their condition.

• Stepping Stones: This intermediate area bridges the gap between incubators and hutches. It is specially designed for growing hoglets who are no longer in need of intensive care but still require additional support before graduating to a hutch.

• Wild Bootcamp: An outdoor but covered space where hedgehogs can safely acclimatise to our seasonal temperatures. This essential stage prepares hedgehogs for a successful release.

• ESC Maternity Area: A calm, quiet space dedicated to pregnant and nursing mums sponsored by ESC. Cameras allow us to monitor activity and be as hands off as possible to reduce stress.