# Warley Hospital (Essex County Asylum)



## Lone Explorer (May 23, 2006)

I when about two weeks ago [May] Sadly I didn't gain access, there CCTV about the site and fencing there is part of the old Hospital wall I think that proble best place to get over. Most has now been flattend for an housing project. Some posh house there now.

The mail building is being coverted, Building contracts are on site monday - Friday (I did see anyone on an Saturday morning)
1st Atemped out side of asylum only

multimap

It woun't be long till the coverted is completed.

going back soon

I forgot to add the tannoy system too


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## Lone Explorer (May 28, 2006)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*





update part uncoving of the clocktower.




Wounder what the grey building like on the inside 

edit:spelling


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## Lone Explorer (Jul 9, 2006)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*









cool security guard


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## mechanised (Nov 9, 2006)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*

I came across something very interesting recently. On the wikipedia entry for Warley Hospital it says the following:

"In order to provide discreet access to and from the hospital the builders included an underground tunnel from the town's railway station up the hill to the hospital; this tunnel was still accessible to hospital staff as recently as 1990 although the railway end had long been closed down. The institution was finally closed down in June 2001"

(for those who don't know the area, that's quite some distance!)

I've tracked down the source of this information - someone who worked at the hospital as a cleaner about fifteen years ago. I learned today that the hospital entrance was near F Block, which was knocked down in 1999 and replaced by the Clements Park housing development. ..None of my family - who've worked at the hospital from the 30s to the 80s - were aware of this tunnel, but I'll keep digging around for more information. 

Is anyone aware of anything remotely similar at other asylums?

P.S. With all the knowledge circulating on this forum, people here should definitely contribute to Wikipedia!


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## Pete (Nov 9, 2006)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*

It seems rather bizarre. Considering the distance across Brentwood between the asylum and station, the probability of mixed ownership of the land in between at the time and the fact it would be a major feat of engineering for what was a publicly funded institution, such a tunnel for the sake of discretion would be an extravagance. That's not to say that it doesn't exist but if it does it is very strange. Also, it would need to have been fairly deep as the majority of land in between has been developed hasn't it? I can't say that i have heard of anything like it elsewhere either aside obviously from service tunnels and minor access tunnels between blocks.
As for the railway station end, the station was rebuilt in the 1930's when the line between Romford and Shenfield, i believe, so i imagine any traces there would have been lost then. 

Its an interesting one anyway.

Pete


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## mechanised (Nov 9, 2006)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*

Yes, it seemed very odd to me too, and I'd have thought it would be mentioned in the Nightingale official history as it would be such a key feature. Plus, beyond issues of impracticability, it wouldn't be that hard to enter the hospital discretely anyway. 

The person who wrote the wikipedia entry is a Brentwood man, and still in touch with this cleaner, so I will ask for clarification. 

F Block was built in 1888 and stretched down to the Crescent Road entrance, so the distance to the station, while still significant, isn't actually _that _far. (A diagonal under what is now Victoria Road, Milton Road and Crescent Road would be about 600-700 yards at a rough guess, and not a huge incline). I'm not sure how developed that area was at the time, but I imagine any area around a station will have been pretty built-up. (I wonder if the infrastructure, sewers etc, necessitated by the major new building work has any bearing on the likelihood of a tunnel being built at the same time. I've no idea about public engineering works)

I'll write again if I find out any more!


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## mechanised (Nov 10, 2006)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*

For anyone interested, I've uploaded a copy of the booklet _Warley Hospital: The First Hundred Years 1853-1953_ by Sir Geoffrey Nightingale (Superintendent from '46-'69). It contains a few pictures, a couple of maps and an awful lot of information. The copy can be found at 
www.warleyhospital.co.uk. 

(For those who've seen this book before, the pictures and maps are now much better quality scans)

[Major updates are a long way off, so I'll probably just keep adding the odd feature over the next couple of months. Again, any information, photos, stories etc would be must welcome and fully acknowledged.]


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## Lone Explorer (Mar 9, 2007)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*

_just a bit in the paper some weeks back I forgot it keep the cut out_

Warley Hospital the luxury flat in the clock tower is all three floors, The keeper of the flat duty has to wind the clock, If not they have to let security in for the job. 

Don't remember the price of luxury flat!


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 9, 2007)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*

He he he! 
A luxury flat where you have to wind up a clock -if I could afford to buy such a place, I'd demand a discount for all the effort!! 
Thanks for the latest news matey.

Lb


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## lilli (Mar 9, 2007)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*



Lone Explorer;11152; said:


> Don't remember the price of luxury flat!



£549,000!!!


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 9, 2007)

*Re: Warley Hospital [Asylum]*



lillimouse;11159; said:


> £549,000!!!



Hmm -I'd better get saving now then? 

Lb


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