# Asylum seekers>>> Harperbury Hospital



## strider8173 (Oct 3, 2012)

*I first became fascinated by urban exploration when i stumbled into west park asylum. That place amazed, excited and scared me all at the same time. It angers me that i only went there twice and only got inside once. Since it was converted into flats ive been searching for a place that excites me in the same way, every hospital i went to was either inaccessible or, like west park, made into flats.

The next one on my list was Harperbury Hospital.​*





*but the thrill of west park did not return, i think i was about 5 years too late.

As i, legup and the misses found out Harperbury is now just a shell. *




*We looked round a part of the site that incircles the football pitch. Each of these buildings were the basicly the same, all completely gutted and falling apart. I got the feeling they're just waiting for this place to fall down.*







*The hospital opened in 1928 with eight male patients on the site of a first world war aerodrome.

By 1929 86 male patients were living and working on the site, several new buildings were constructed forming what would become Harperbury.*










*As 1931 started the first of these new buildings was opened and by December the institution housed 342 male patients. *












*when the work was finished the site could accommodate 1355 patients - male, female and children.*










*The hospital was completely self-sufficient. Patients worked in various jobs, male patients worked on the farm raising cows, chickens and pigs or in the workshops making clothes, shoes and upholstery for the hospital while females worked in the laundry or kitchens or cleaned wards*
























*World War Two ended and the new labour government came into power and created the National Health Service. The NHS took over the hospital in 1948 and was remaned Harperbury in 1950.
The hospital grew in the 50's and had 1464 beds, four more patient villas were built along with another nursing home, a psychology department, the school was enlarged and a swimming pool was built. *
















*In 1961 Overcrowding was beginning to become a problem. Harperbury had beds for 1,354 patients but by 1964 it was over quota by 233 patients and the overcrowding was so severe that nurses often had problems reaching patients in need of emergency intervention. 

In 1965 a department to study clinical genetics and to diagnose chromosomal abnormalities was opened 

Expansion at Harperbury continued right into the early 70s, the activity centre was enlarged and a new children's playground was added.

In 1973 the scaling down of harperbury had started the farm was closed and by 1974 patients had started to be discharged

by the 1990s plans were in place to close Harperbury hospital, however, in 1995 and again in 1998, Harperbury experienced a temporary influx of patients from two other institutions that were closing. 

But the discharge program continued and by late 2001 there were only about 200 chronically sick patients in residence. *
















*As interesting as harperbury is there isnt much left and most of the insides are totaled.

We didnt do the whole site as we didnt find the swimmingpool or padded room block, but as most of the hospital is still in use and the derelict parts mixed between it we did as much as we could.

My search for west parks equal continues...*​


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## krela (Oct 3, 2012)

What's with the thread title?


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## night crawler (Oct 3, 2012)

I was about to hurl abuse but it's not a bad post.


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## strider8173 (Oct 3, 2012)

we had a day of seeking derelict asylums 

we literally asylum seekers.


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## strider8173 (Oct 3, 2012)

night crawler said:


> I was about to hurl abuse but it's not a bad post.



i thank you for that.


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## Stussy (Oct 3, 2012)

I like this, pics are top quality and a good bit of history! worth a explore in my books, its good to compare the places as the get more into disrepair as time goes by and up until they are either converted or demolished.


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## krela (Oct 3, 2012)

strider8173 said:


> we had a day of seeking derelict asylums
> 
> we literally asylum seekers.



Aah, that figures. duh.


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## mookster (Oct 3, 2012)

strider8173 said:


> My search for west parks equal continues..



You'll be looking for a long time then, nothing even approaching West Park's majesty remains


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## strider8173 (Oct 3, 2012)

mookster said:


> You'll be looking for a long time then, nothing even approaching West Park's majesty remains




i think your right. 
I recently got a book " The Victorian Asylum" by Sarah Rutherford that has a list of asylums in england in 1914. Having a look down this list there arnt any left realy.

It was very intresting tho to see the asylums that have been converted into housing but still look like hosptials 




west park asylum by SMCGILL09, on Flickr

WEST PARK (in its urbex prime)




well asylum by SMCGILL09, on Flickr

WELLS ASYLUM IN SOMERSET NOW HOUSING




napsbury asylum by SMCGILL09, on Flickr

NAPSBURY ASYLUM HERTFORDSHIRE NOW HOUSING




moorhaven asylum by SMCGILL09, on Flickr

THIS IS MOORHAVEN IN PLYMOUTH ITS NOW ITS OWN VILLAGE




long grove by SMCGILL09, on Flickr



horton asylum by SMCGILL09, on Flickr

LONG GROVE AND HORTON PART OF THE EPSOM CLUSTER


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## UE-OMJ (Oct 3, 2012)

There is a whole other side to Harperbury, with a pool, etc. Did you see any of that. Also a derelict bar/pub on the site too


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## strider8173 (Oct 3, 2012)

No didn't see any of that. Only did the football pitch buildings.


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## The Archivist (Oct 3, 2012)

Good report, I like your use of light. Thanks for posting.


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## Pen15 (Oct 3, 2012)

I like this report and layout. Like the history too. You did well !!!

I know the site and have been several times. Last time I was there the school and swiming pool were due to be demolished and had the asbestos team dealing with it. I would love to know how it is now. Security did step up a gear due to the work going on. All that stuff is on the other side of the drive to where you were.


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## UE-OMJ (Oct 3, 2012)

Pen15 said:


> I like this report and layout. Like the history too. You did well !!!
> 
> I know the site and have been several times. Last time I was there the school and swiming pool were due to be demolished and had the asbestos team dealing with it. I would love to know how it is now. Security did step up a gear due to the work going on. All that stuff is on the other side of the drive to where you were.



Exactly the same here too. I'll have to pop by soon to see how it's all looking nowadays.


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## strider8173 (Oct 3, 2012)

Pen15 said:


> I like this report and layout. Like the history too. You did well !!!
> 
> I know the site and have been several times. Last time I was there the school and swiming pool were due to be demolished and had the asbestos team dealing with it. I would love to know how it is now. Security did step up a gear due to the work going on. All that stuff is on the other side of the drive to where you were.




Well the stuff on the other side was being torn down and men in hi fiz were all over it so I think all the cool stuffs gone or going. 
This is all very annoying I have to travel bloody miles now for a decent hospital.


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## Pen15 (Oct 3, 2012)

strider8173 said:


> This is all very annoying I have to travel bloody miles now for a decent hospital.



Same views as the rest of the country Strider, the NHS isn't what it used to be. Even my local hospital has shut half of the site lol. On the plus side I am watching it very carefully


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## strider8173 (Oct 4, 2012)

I've got a derelict one near me but was unable to get in last vist ill be going back me thinks. See what treasures it does hold.


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## chapmand (Oct 7, 2012)

i like this report! fantastic pictures, thanks for sharing


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## quade (Oct 11, 2012)

awesome set of pics and report, just googled it and its less then a hour from me so another day of my holiday accounted for


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## PROJ3CTM4YH3M (Oct 12, 2012)

Nice report, some good photos and I share your feelings on west park, I only made it there once and only got in a couple of the smaller buildings before secca saw us while escorting another group off site... gutted I never got to see some of these places in their priime


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## strider8173 (Oct 13, 2012)

PROJ3CTM4YH3M said:


> Nice report, some good photos and I share your feelings on west park, I only made it there once and only got in a couple of the smaller buildings before secca saw us while escorting another group off site... gutted I never got to see some of these places in their priime





Me and legup got caught on our last trip to west park, the way in I knew was blocked but we found a open window that took us into a small hall and some offices. But the main doors to the hospital were chained. Anyway we went looking else where and a guard caught us in the undergrowth we chatted as he walked us out he said the keys they have only open the front door and that there only way in he let us stop for exterior shots but when I asked if he could show us inside he said he wasn't aloud in then we offered him £50 to open the doors for an hour he said no, then we offered £100 to let us in and if we weren't out in an hour he could call the fuzz. No. 
Anyway I went to £175 but he wernt moving I think it's because he didn't understand English but who knows. 

After that the builders came and ruined it for everyone.


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## quade (Oct 13, 2012)

Made it there today, was pretty cool but gutted could not get the hole site done! i hate fences!!! got a few cool shots but not as good as the above, must try harder. on a plus found a little airplane muesem on route and got to sit in a sea vixen fighter plane so that was pretty cool..


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## dizzydebs (Oct 13, 2012)

fascinating! thank you! i was at one of our local hospitals last week and part of it looks derelict, was in such a bad state of repair i have seriously seen better derelict buildings on here!!!


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