# Severalls - July 2014 - Revisit (Pic Heavy)



## Zedstar (Jul 12, 2014)

Yes i know this place has been done to death. but i just had to go back and do this place properly as there was so much i missed last time.
Visited here with mikeymutt and spent around 4hrs and didn't see any secca.

Anyway here's the history bit.....

Severalls Hospital in Colchester was a psychiatric hospital built in 1910 to the design of architect Frank Whitmore. It opened in May 1913.
The 300-acre site housed around 2000 patients and the design was such that the wards, offices and services within easy reach of each other by a network of interconnecting corridors. This meant that staff were able to operate around the site without the need to go outside in bad weather. Unlike modern British hospitals, patients in Severalls were separated according to their gender.
Psychiatrists were free to experiment with new treatments on patients seemingly at will, using practices now considered unsuitable such as electro-convulsive therapy and the use of frontal lobotomy.

In her book ‘Madness in Its Place: Narratives of Severalls Hospital, 1913-1997’ Diana Gittins notes that often women were admitted by their own family, sometimes as the result of bearing illegitimate children or because they had been raped. As they would not always (or were unable to) carry out daily tasks, they were considered to be insane and some were even subjected to ECT and lobotomy. A change in management during the 1960s saw reforms introduced including the creation of art and music therapy programs and the widespread use of drugs and medication.

The hospital closed as a psychiatric hospital in the early 1990s as part of care in the community, although a small section remained open until March 1997 for the treatment of elderly patients suffering from the effects of serious stroke etc. A few of the satellite villas as of 2013 are still operational as research facilities on the edge of the site.

Since 1997 the remaining structures have changed little. Architecturally, the site remains an excellent example of a specific asylum plan. However, the buildings have suffered greatly from vandalism. In 2005 the main hall was subjected to an arson attack and in 2007 the charred building was demolished for safety reasons. The five boilers were removed from the Central Boiler House in 2007.

May 2011 - Colchester Borough Council's Planning Committee gives their approval for the erection of 248 new homes.
Early 2012 - Phase 1 "Rosewood" (248 new homes) begins in the former Asylum's Farmland to the east of the main Hospital Buildings
September 2013 - 1500 more homes approved for Severalls land


----------



## Mikeymutt (Jul 12, 2014)

Great shots there mate.


----------



## DirtyJigsaw (Jul 13, 2014)

This is GREAT. Some very nice pics all in all, and some great corridor shots 
I have been twice and i still havent seen everything. SEVS IS AWESOME


----------



## Catmandoo (Jul 13, 2014)

The fith shot is just awesome!! My kind photoggin. Great take!


----------



## flyboys90 (Jul 13, 2014)

The bath is straight from the "Hammer House of Horror"cracking images and thanks for sharing.


----------



## Onmyown (Jul 13, 2014)

I love it...


----------



## LittleOz (Jul 13, 2014)

Can't have too much Sevs, especially as I've still yet to get my arse up there.


----------



## Zedstar (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks guys, great comments.... 
Catmandoo yeah came out better than i expected...love it 

thanks


----------



## skoobysoo (Jul 13, 2014)

Love pic 5 x


----------



## UrbanX (Jul 14, 2014)

Wow, absolutely cracking set, cheers for sharing!


----------



## cunningplan (Jul 14, 2014)

Glad you put them up after, some cracking shots there. 
Funny, but every time I see this place pop up, it makes me more want to go before its gone. I can see another long weekend coming up sometime soon.
Thanks


----------



## tumble112 (Jul 14, 2014)

Always nice to see the bed. Excellent pictures.


----------



## scribe (Jul 14, 2014)

Loved this photo set. Very atmospheric.


----------



## Dugie (Jul 15, 2014)

Cracking pics mate, very subtle editing works great.

Dugie


----------



## Onmyown (Jul 15, 2014)

cunningplan said:


> Glad you put them up after, some cracking shots there.
> Funny, but every time I see this place pop up, it makes me more want to go before its gone. I can see another long weekend coming up sometime soon.
> Thanks



I'm up for it mate,stay cool!


----------

