# St Marys Asylum Stannington.



## TotallyDisused (Apr 20, 2011)

Hello, 

This is my first Report, I hope you enjoy.

Some History-
Aslmosy As soon as this asylum opened, It was taken over by the military during World War I. Close to the End of its war duties the site was then returned to Gateshead who then added a nurse's home in the period betwen 1927-1928 and also modified the isolation hospial to form a sanatorium for turcerculosis patents. During this time further pressure was put uponthe Counth Durham Mental Hospital which then led to a union with the neighboring county boroughs of West Hartlepool And South Shields during the 1930's. This joint funding and a high demand for further space provided impetus for major additions to the Stannington Hospital which would be completed in 1939. The buildings where built in plain red brick with slate rooves, the new units that where built provided 10 further pairs of staff cottages, two additional blocks flanking the mail building, male and female detatched wordking chronic blocks and a large admission and treatment hospital with consalescent villas places north of the site.
World War II led to the development of a hutted Emergency medical services hospital to the north of the admission unit, which was also requisitioned. Peacetime brought about the creation of the National health service, under which the hospital became known as St. Mary's - named after the Stannington parish church. The hutted emergency hospital was converted to house mental defectives. .
Resettlement and closure led to retraction of wards and services back into the main building, with the areas to the north closing first. Despite the hospitals remote location, and considerable distance from it's catchment area, it remained open as late as 1995 when most surviving facilities were relocated to Bensham general hospital. 



My photos- 
Some Photographs where taken in the light and others in the dark, 2 Different cameras used.

*HOUSES AT THE SIDE OF THE MAIN BUILDING*





























http://farm2.static.flickr.com/

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5637494125/][img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5305/5637494125_80f4ca0969_b.jpg

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*Ashley house (WARD)*




















































*EXTERNALS*

No idea what this is, Anyone know?




Small house or Storage, I think?



...




These huts/ stands where placed in random places around this site




Main Building-




Main Building-




Main building-




Main Building-




*FARM*

Got Slightly Creepy around this area.




Toilet anyone?




Wash, anyone?




Old Equipment.





Mower, anyone?





*Inside the main building ( Gutted, Ready to be demolished)*



































Thanks for looking  

J


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## KelseyRebecca98 (Apr 20, 2011)

B&W photos suit this post really well!


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## jonney (Apr 20, 2011)

Nice first post TD I love this place. I take it by the lack of demolition that the developers are still having money troubles. Did you not get to the morgue and take the "lying on the slab" money shot? Keep up the good work


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## Snips86x (Apr 20, 2011)

Nice post. I've allways wanted to visit and asylum. For interest only, no other reason. But they're all marked for demolition or have been demolished already.


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## The Archivist (Apr 20, 2011)

Interesting photos. Good to see an asylum report which focuses on the grounds as well. 

For your information, photos 1-3 of externals are almost certainly sports pavilions. No. 4 is an airing-court shelter.


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## UrbanX (Apr 20, 2011)

Nice one! Excellent first post. Is it me or does it have a real MoD feel to the architecture?!
Oh Welcome to the forum too BTW, I look forward to more!


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## PenguinJetpack (Apr 20, 2011)

I love those black and white photos too. They add a certain level of atmosphere to the pictures. I don't know if you know what I mean, but I think they compliment the subject well.

Good report TD. I can't wait until I can get out and do one like this.

-PenguinJetpack


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## TotallyDisused (Apr 20, 2011)

Thank you for the comments 

I did try and find the morgue but as walking around the site we then got caught and escorted of the premises ha  so, I may pop back up and have another search...


I'm unsure about the money issue, the front building has been demolished, parts of the asylum have been demolished but the guard said that they keep coming up with problems so they can't funny demolish the building...

I will be posting my report on cherry knowles and Prudhoe hospital when I get them on my computer 

J


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## Em_Ux (Apr 21, 2011)

Would love a look around the main building!

Thanks for sharing & welcome to DP


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## jonney (Apr 21, 2011)

TotallyDisused said:


> I'm unsure about the money issue, the front building has been demolished, parts of the asylum have been demolished but the guard said that they keep coming up with problems so they can't funny demolish the building...



Work was supposed to start again early last year but local councilors have got issues over the plans. Belway homes had money issues at the back end of last year and a lot of their developments were put on the back burner. They are now hoping that the council will pass detailed planning permission and work can begin again


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## Allstar#500 (Apr 24, 2011)

jonney said:


> Nice first post TD I love this place. I take it by the lack of demolition that the developers are still having money troubles. Did you not get to the morgue and take the "lying on the slab" money shot? Keep up the good work



Pretty sure the slab went last year!


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## carlosthejackal (Apr 25, 2011)

yup the slab is long gone,as is the morgue itself!
rumour has it that a local tattooist bought the slab as a feature in his shop!


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## Kischa Gair (Jul 25, 2011)

Beautiful pictures! You have captured a true gem of Northumberland.....right before the end sadly  
I also visited the site yesterday, the premises were heavily servailed with mean looking dogs, they are on there way with the demolition and I cannot put into words how gutted i am! 

I'v never heard of Cherry Knowles? What is it?? Where?

We also tried St Georges Yesterday, but with the new hospital having been built beside it, the security and servailence is tight....I WILL get into both before they are a pile of rubble! 

Kischa (Northumberland)


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## Acebikerchick (Jul 25, 2011)

Wow, i loved them, right up my street....


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## Spirit Butterfly (Jul 25, 2011)

what a fantastic set of pics there  well done, I sure hope to get back there before it all gets knocked down  but I know security is tight. Is there any way into the grounds themselves rather then the steel gates at front where you can squeeze into gaps


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## TotallyDisused (Jul 29, 2011)

Yeah there is a small path next to the enterance to get into the main building and it leads you to come trees, jusy climb through them, you cant miss the ward when you walk up the path.
The main building is impossible to get into at the moment as they're stopping work on it and they're sorting stuff out... 

need anymore help just drop me a message

J


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