# Normansfield Hospital, Kingston - April 2010



## professor frink (Apr 7, 2010)

*History;*

In 1868 John Langdon Down set up his own private home for the "Mentally Subnormal" at Normansfield in Kingston to supply a need for residential training and care for the disabled of the upper classes. Normansfield was a place where people with learning disabilities could be cared for and educated at a time when most of them would have been condemned to life in an asylum.

Children of bankers, doctors and clergymen rubbed shoulders with the children of senior army officers and heirs to titles and estates. Children from these classes were often hidden away in the servants’ quarters and given no chance of a normal life.

Langdon Down identified a specific group of patients whose oriental characteristics he described as Mongolian in character. Nobody had identified this special group and over the next 20 years the designation "Mongolian Idiot" or ‘Imbecile of the Mongoloid type’ came into use.

In 1961 at the request of the People's Republic of Mongolia, the World Health Organisation adopted the recommendation and in 1965 Down's syndrome was then to become a universally accepted descriptive term.

Langdon Down died on October 7th 1896. When Mary Langdon Down died in 1901 their ashes were placed together on the stage of the adjoining theatre for their final funeral service.

The theatre, which they built, is today a listed building and it stands as a permanent memorial to their work.
The auditorium and theatre has recently been restored and can be seen by CLICKING ME

Normansfield was closed in 1997 and this once ornate and beautiful building has lain derelict, unloved and decaying ever since.



1.






2. Dr. John Langdon Down of Normansfield





3.





4. Basement stairs.





5.





6. If visiting, I recommend using this concrete staircase.





7.





8. 





9. The service was appalling.





10. Kitchen





11. Beside the clock tower. The gap in the railings shows the escape route the bell took. 





12. New meets old, this was supporting the attic.





13. Attic.





14.





15.





16.





17.





18.





19. What's that secret your keeping? 





20. Clock tower (No sign of the bell )





21. The three clock faces.





22. Clock mechanism





23. Looking up into the tower.


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## godzilla73 (Apr 7, 2010)

Lovely pics Professor. Can you PM me some details on this, as it is just up the road from me and I would love to visit. Thanks
GDZ


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## Jondoe_264 (Apr 7, 2010)

professor frink said:


> 13. Attic.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



THAT'S BEEN BATTERED OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS THEN!

I can't find the back-up of my pics from here so the only one I can find for direct comparison is this loft pic, taken end of 2006.






I guess they abandoned renovations then. When I visited back then the place was a hive of activity, builders and the like. A real shame, it's a beautiful building, very elegant.

JD


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## tom46 (Apr 7, 2010)

This is great, nice pictures and a really interesting story. John Down is actually buried at the churchyard next to Leybourne Grange, if anyone is interested.


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## mr_bones (Apr 7, 2010)

Great report Professor, shame this place has been left unsecured for so long - can't believe the amount of graffiti since my last visit.


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## pixie (Apr 7, 2010)

mr_bones said:


> Great report Professor, shame this place has been left unsecured for so long - can't believe the amount of graffiti since my last visit.



doesnt time fly, remember when we did this !!


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## mr_bones (Apr 7, 2010)

pixie said:


> doesnt time fly, remember when we did this !!



December 31st 2006!


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## amarisfionn (Apr 7, 2010)

hey, good photos, we were going to go here the other day but weren't sure whether to or not, shame about all the really poor graffiti, ruins a nice building!


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## salar15 (Apr 22, 2010)

Dear professor frink,

I'm currently planning a proposal to apply for various grants and other funding to acquire the old Normansfield Hospital site and reinstate it to something resembling its former purpose.

I was wondering if it would be possible for me to use your photographs to support the applications, as evidence of the building's dereliction?

If you could contact me to discuss this further, that would be fantastic.


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## professor frink (Apr 23, 2010)

salar15 said:


> Dear professor frink,
> 
> I'm currently planning a proposal to apply for various grants and other funding to acquire the old Normansfield Hospital site and reinstate it to something resembling its former purpose.
> 
> ...




Yes, you're more than welcome to use my images as evidence to support your applications.

Good luck saving the old girl, it appears the current owner wants it to fall into such a terrible state that eventually the only option would be total demolition.

P.S. All I want in return is a wing named after Derelict Places.


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## salar15 (May 3, 2010)

Many thanks - I will keep you appraised of the developments! We'll have to see about the naming...!


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## professor frink (May 4, 2010)

salar15 said:


> Many thanks - I will keep you appraised of the developments! We'll have to see about the naming...!



I admire you for trying to save this once impressive building. The current owners should be bought to task for allowing it to fall into disrepair.

P.S. Will settle for a name plaque.


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## Sectionate (May 6, 2010)

I am sure this place used to be locked down tightly. How things change, eh?

I am only round the corner from this, should really make my way over - you seem to be doing a lot of my local stuff that I know of, yet am too lazy to go to....


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## professor frink (May 7, 2010)

Sectionate said:


> I am sure this place used to be locked down tightly. How things change, eh?
> 
> I am only round the corner from this, should really make my way over - you seem to be doing a lot of my local stuff that I know of, yet am too lazy to go to....



I too am lazy, that's why I do the local stuff. 

Also if you fail locally the 'journey of shame' home is shorter.


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## Sectionate (May 7, 2010)

professor frink said:


> I too am lazy, that's why I do the local stuff.
> 
> Also if you fail locally the 'journey of shame' home is shorter.



haha, too true. Normally a short trip back to the station then home 

Relying on the trains really kills any enthusiasm to explore


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## Anthillmob74 (May 9, 2010)

very nice. kingston you say. i near but not a fan of kingston, is it near the town centre? very interesting and great pics.

just how local are you? [pm fine] im just down the a3 a couple of miles.


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## Allstar#500 (May 12, 2010)

Its teddington rather than kingston, its the other side of the bridge from the main shopping centre bit


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## Kent-urbex (May 12, 2010)

the building from the outside looks amazing but inside it's totally fucked from graffiti, nice report


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