# Return of Severalls



## mr_bones (Jul 29, 2007)

Visited yesterday with Reaperman. Neither of us had been to Severalls since 2005, seeing as a lot had happened there since our last trips and the weather was very good for a wander, we headed up to Colchester to see how things had changed.

It was an eventful day that immediately reminded us that there were still quite a few long term mentally ill people wandering around the site. One very polite gentleman walked boldly upto us and asked us kindly to 'f**k off' or he was going to pin us to the ground and exclaimed that myself in particular was a womans nether-region.

After hurriedly moving away with this 'cane hill security guard' impersonator laughing in the background we headed towards some of the villas only to notice security turn up, unlock the gate and drive inside - we waited until he was out of site and continued on to 'Ivy Villa' which is outside the main complex and has suffered major arson attacks, although it was only when we ventured inside that RM discovered that one of them was more recent than we had first realised - a section of the villa was still smoldering, we left immediately!







After a quick sweep of another hidden villa we proceeded to the main complex and were right in assuming that security had finished their patrol. We spent about 4 hours wandering round, catching the sun along the way and it looked like not much had changed apart from widespread grafitti, until we found the hall.......last time either of us had wandered through the hall doors it had been followed by marvelling at the excellent condition of the interior. Not the case any more, sometimes these things have to be seen first hand to be believed!









































Eventually we found ourselves at engineering, and shadowed by the tower. The usual assault course of green slimy water and a contortionist trick squeezing through a small gap above a door had been removed and replaced with a large hole directly in. 
















The views were good, despite ever-increasing arson damage and it was nice just to take them in for a while. We pressed on to the rest of engineering and RM showed me the remains of one of the mortuaries, it had been crudely converted and the only sign of it ever being a mortuary was the body refrigerator.











The admin block had suffered a small amount of arson damage including the comedy dumb-waiter that been used previously to hoist me up to the first floor! Also the clock face had been smashed out.





















Finally we explored a few more wards, the kitchens and staff training block and slowly made our way out via a couple of villas. When we got back to the fence it was apparent someone else had come in while we were inside!















































Enjoy!


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## Foxylady (Jul 29, 2007)

Great pics as always, Mr B and RM.
Um...that pile of rubble between demolished walls...was that the hall? 

Foxy


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## mr_bones (Jul 29, 2007)

RM has yet to post most of his photos - just that 1 of the tower he took while i was climbing out a window 

Yep the rubble is the halll 

cheers foxy


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## mr_bones (Jul 29, 2007)

These two were taken of the hall on my last visit in 2005...


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## shadowman (Jul 29, 2007)

Super Pictures, i had a look round today to get some pictures before demolition,almost seen by security,but hid in long grass,spent 3 hours taking pictures of classic roman style brickwork,and then a man turned up with 2 children and started to strip copper pipe from the building,so i left.......dam theives....spoilt my day.:icon_evil


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## shadowman (Jul 29, 2007)

This is what i mean by classinc Roman style building.


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## Reaperman (Jul 29, 2007)

shadowman said:


> This is what i mean by classinc Roman style building.



I like that gate house too, though I dont see it as being in any way Roman. Its style would appear to be vey typical of the 1920's Its design is more a reflection and evolution of years of victorian building than it is a new style in some way inspired by Rome.


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## Foxylady (Jul 30, 2007)

Reaperman said:


> I like that gate house too, though I dont see it as being in any way Roman. Its style would appear to be vey typical of the 1920's Its design is more a reflection and evolution of years of victorian building than it is a new style in some way inspired by Rome.



Sorry, RM, I hate disagreeing with anyone but I'm going to have to here, as it is actually quite typical of an ancient Roman villa, and is even reminiscent of the fort barracks. The arch is typical of a roman one (not to be confused with the Greek colonnade which people think of as classical), as it was they who invented it.
Sorry to go on a bit, but Ancient Rome and Romano Britain is my thing, as it were. 

Foxy


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## Reaperman (Jul 30, 2007)

Everyones entitled to their own opinions naturally,

For me though roman buildings are not renound for their use of slate roofing, Pebble-Dash or tall chimneys.

The only bit I really think of as being remotely roman is the archway and only then in the sense that the romans invented them. On that basis wouldnt all arched buildings be roman-esque? I think an arch alone cannot define the style of a building it needs to be considered within other aspects of the building.

If I were classing the building I would say it had vastly more in common with a late Edwardian style than it did with Roman archirecture.


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## shadowman (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi,
Sorry for confusion here,
i was only refering to certain parts as Roman inspired architecture.
On the picture shown i was refering to the pointy bit above the arch.
Regards


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## Foxylady (Jul 30, 2007)

Reaperman said:


> I think an arch alone cannot define the style of a building it needs to be considered within other aspects of the building.



I agree. It wasn't the arch that clinched it for me, but the two-tiered one-storey in front of the two-storey which was typically Roman. Although they didn't use slate tiles they did use terracotta ones in the same way we use tiles today (sorry, nit-picking a bit there, but a lot of our buildings are based on the roman style, anyway). 




Reaperman said:


> If I were classing the building I would say it had vastly more in common with a late Edwardian style than it did with Roman archirecture.



Sort of, and with the features you mentioned, but I still think it looks more Roman to me, but only in the sense that neo-classical architecture doesn't exactly look like the Parthenon (if that makes sense! ). Check out the old Colchester Barracks as they are built on and based on the original Roman ones and you see the two-tiered construction on the cavalry barracks.

Cheers
Foxy


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## shadowman (Jul 30, 2007)

I noticed your piccy of water tower,i was on a solo visit on the weekend and nearly had a bad accident decending from top of water tower.
So a story for Health and Saftey Dudes........
Quote"I was decending from the top stairs of the water tower facing forwards so i could look out of top window,then i put my hand in a load of Pigeon Bird crap, being fustrated by this , and trying to clean my hand while going down the stairs, i forgot about the missing step,and nearley got wiped out."
So if doing the Water Tower is suppose its best to go accomapnied,in case of accidents.
I did wear saftey shoes in case of nails or broken glass.


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## Simon (Jul 30, 2007)

shadowman said:


> i forgot about the missing step,and nearley got wiped out."



The same thing happened to one of the film crew during my Inside Out filming. He almost bust his leg. He saw the missing slat on the way up, and pointed it out to the other crew members, but forgot about it on the way down.

It just goes to show how easy it is to injure yourself.

All the best,
Simon


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## Simon (Jul 30, 2007)

Thanks for the pictures Marlon. 

It's been sad witnessing the gradual demise of Severalls. For new explorers, who've never been before, it's still an extremely impressive, wonderous site, but I'll always remember it as I first discovered it.

The Essex logo above the Admin door still makes me laugh everytime I see it 

All the best,
Simon


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## Lightbuoy (Aug 2, 2007)

Brilliant set of snaps 
Must be especially sad for you to see how bad Severalls has been trashed since your first visit. Wish I had got me backside into gear and seen the Main Hall before it was destroyed 
Wow -there's a few locks on that door!!! Must have missed that one.
Sounds like you had fun with "let's play hide and seek" with Security too! 

Lb

P.s. -out of interest, seen some pictures of what looks like a dentists lamp hanging from the ceiling, with ornate plaster coving on the walls. Do you know where abouts this room is, as I always seem to miss this one somehow (you'd think after 50+ visits, I would have found it by now!)


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## Lightbuoy (Aug 2, 2007)

shadowman said:


> This is what i mean by classinc Roman style building.



I believe that this was originally the Hospital's Fire Station (main stores and deliveries are just to the left). As for the style, it looks like Arts & Crafts to me.

Lb


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## shadowman (Aug 2, 2007)

Yep, its "arts and crafts"style as outlined by "save severalls " and "SAVE"as it calls it a "arts and craf hospital" So thats Final.William Morris i think.


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## Simon (Aug 2, 2007)

Definintely "Arts And Crafts." The design of Severalls ticks many of the boxes (particularly the use of pebble dash). The following link details the style much more thoroughly (and The Red House wouldn't look out of place in Severalls' grounds):
http://www.bricksandbrass.co.uk/deshist/acmvt.htm


Incidentally, Cane Hill is Queen Anne style. If you could save half of Admin, and one staircase, you'd end up with the house pictured here:
http://www.bricksandbrass.co.uk/deshist/qanne.htm


All the best,
Simon


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## Pete (Aug 3, 2007)

Lightbuoy said:


> I believe that this was originally the Hospital's Fire Station (main stores and deliveries are just to the left). As for the style, it looks like Arts & Crafts to me.



It wasn't a fire station, that was located on the corner of the bakery. The arch shown purely gave access to the main stores and kitchen's stores for deliveries. The style is a transitional mix between arts and crafts and neo-georgian. Most of the buildings are closer to basic neo-georgian, with arts and craft detailing.


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## shadowman (Aug 5, 2007)

Had another visit to Severalls today, there were others looking round in a big group, but i dont think they saw me.
Heres a message from one of the Wards...................see photo....Well are you?


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## shadowman (Aug 5, 2007)

Oh, forgot to mention, someone left their lunch behind...


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## Lightbuoy (Aug 8, 2007)

Pete C said:


> It wasn't a fire station, that was located on the corner of the bakery. The arch shown purely gave access to the main stores and kitchen's stores for deliveries. The style is a transitional mix between arts and crafts and neo-georgian. Most of the buildings are closer to basic neo-georgian, with arts and craft detailing.



Thanks for that Pete 

Lb


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## sneaker (Aug 9, 2007)

Good work mate, i went twice and here's the link for my pictures if your interested, i really enjoyed Severalls.

http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r127/woodimp/sneaker/


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## Lightbuoy (Aug 9, 2007)

Cheers Sneaker -some nice pics you've got of the place 

Lb


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## King Al (Aug 9, 2007)

Good stuff mate, looking forward to more


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