St John's Hospital, Bracebridge Heath - June 2012

I had a really nice wander round St Johns Hospital with Bambii (she didnt fall over!). This is a lovely building, I took nearly 400 photos and had trouble reducing them down for this post. However it does look much better from the outside than inside. Dont let it fool you, it looks in great condition but most of the floors inside are ready to give way, they have collapsed in many places and most of what is left is soft under-foot and therefore you have to be really careful and walk very slowly!


Some history taken from
http://www.forsakenplaces.co.uk/Urbexreports/Bracebridgeheath/Bracebridge Heath.htm

The asylum has been known by many different names over the years:

1852-1893 Lincolnshire County Lunatic Asylum or Lincolnshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1894-1915 Lincolnshire Lunatic Asylum
1897-1898 Lindsey, Holland, Lincoln and Grimsby District Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1903-1920 Lincolnshire Asylum
1898-1902 Bracebridge Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1902-1919 Bracebridge District Lunatic Asylum
1919-1948 Bracebridge Mental Hospital
1930-1938 Lincolnshire Mental Hospital
1939-1960 Bracebridge Heath Hospital
1961-1989 St John's Hospital, Bracebridge Heath

The 'Asylum' (St John's Mental Hospital) closed down in 1990 and was sold a few years later to a property developer who has constructed nearly 1,000 new houses in the village. The original hospital buildings themselves are classified as Grade III listed buildings and are protected from demolition. During the redevelopment of the hospital site, a number of these protected buildings were refurbished and converted into flats and offices.

I believe that part of the original planning consent was a stipulation that the original building would be restored, this was a condition of the new houses being built. This has never happened and the original building gets worse every year. They are not secure, local kids often use them to hang on in and vandalise them. there is water pouring in from various places and it is only a matter of time before the buildings fall down on there own. I have a niggling feeling that the owners are hoping the building will be classed as dangerous and structurally unsound soon so that they can be demolished.

Click to expand...

I had a chat to a friendly business owner who worked opposite, apparently the front part of the building (reception) was opened up for an 'open day' last week to allow people to view plans, the main water tower is going to be removed and a few other bits taken down.

I had completely missed the nursery and it was only with his kind help he guided me to where it was. I'm planning on posting another report after this one based soley on the nursery. This part just doesnt look like it belongs in the same thread, it's hard to actually believe it's even in the same building.

There are also many tunnels/service ducts, but I didnt fancy a trip down there either through choice, or via the floor collapsing...

Make a note of the ceilings, these are very different to anything else I've seen, and quite attractive.



(This photo was tagged as being taken in 2005, found on google)



















































































































































Sorry, lots of photos, and most from the outside. I really enjoyed this explore, especially the 'look' of the building.

Nice job mate, glad you managed to get in

Seems like you've seen quite a bit that we didn't get around to last time!

Great stuff! Thanks for posting them up

awwww..just lovely..

Geeze you have really been bitten by the Urbex bug good and proper lol

Must have been an amazing building in its day? first time i,ve noticed the phone box! superb photos.

Great stuff mate a good to see another slant on this place
Was good to see a bit more of the exterior as well as in side
Keep em coming

Nice stuff mate, the place is starting to look a bit sorry for itself now

very nice pics mate thanks for sharing

This place has some very nice features and your photos are really good, the first shot with the pink clouds is amazing

Thanks for the nice comments everyone - That first shot with the sunrise was just pure luck, we just happened to arrived at the right moment, and for once the camera behaved itself

Good to see the place is back on the radar and getting some attention again. It's a cracking explore.

Nice work mate.

Great pictures looks like a great explore!

Great shots mate, love the water tower, you've made me wanna go now!

Very nicely done mate. Looking forward to this one, those ceilings really are a bit different!

Covered that really well, think i need to head over here!

I was a patient here [sad story of abuse. Doctor later struck off!] from 1968 to 1971. Pity you didn't photograph the inside of one of those small 'side-rooms'. They were the place 'naughty' or 'uncontrollable' people were locked...until someone remembered you were there..Not so fuuny as it seems!

Gary Numan used this place for his 'Fall' video

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGiuajhBv7s[/ame]

goodtime212 said:

I was a patient here [sad story of abuse. Doctor later struck off!] from 1968 to 1971. Pity you didn't photograph the inside of one of those small 'side-rooms'. They were the place 'naughty' or 'uncontrollable' people were locked...until someone remembered you were there..Not so fuuny as it seems!

Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing that. I may have taken a photo in one of those, I only published about 40 of 400 or so, I'll have to take a look. Which pic number shows the outside of the rooms you're talking about.

shipwreck said:

Gary Numan used this place for his 'Fall' video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGiuajhBv7s

Click to expand...

Thats brilliant, thanks for that