# County asylums - where did they all go???



## TeeJF

I'm "collecting" asylums, in the main for the fantastic architecture, but I have found very few worth the effort of visiting now. They're either long gone, or you rock up and dodge the demo ball in a frantic bid to snap anything worthwhile. It seems like the best time to have caught these places on camera was mid noughties. 

I have tried to get hold of some interesting reading on these places too but have drawn a blank apart from the odd website. I was hoping to get my teeth into a good book however the best I've managed a so far was an interesting read called, "The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From A State Hospital Attic" ISBN: 978-1-934137-14-7. Briefly they found an attic room full of stock piled suitcases with former patients belongings and from these they have pieced together case studies of certain patients lives. Fascinating stuff but sod all in the way of pictures of the asylums, and it's American too. I'd recommend it if asylums are your bag but only as a study of how patients lived in the American asylum system.

Does anyone know what happened to Cane Hill? that had the most appealing exterior of any I have seen. I checked it out on Google Earth today and in 2009 it looked like it was practically all gone. I assume it's a green field site now or yet another mindlessly depressing housing estate full of ticky tacky boxes. Lula did a great report recently on a south London asylum near Epsom (West Park?) and it showed that there's nigh on nothing left there now too. Redevelopment seems to be the main driving force behind the demo of these sites, understandably so, and yet there also seems to be a lot of instances where they have begun work and then it has ground to a halt again, presumably for want of funding. Then the "mystery fires" begin like at Cane Hill and Denbigh, or the roofs open up and the weather rots everything to the point where, like at Denbigh now, work is ordered to be carried out just to maintain the Graded Listing status quo. 

So... what's still standing? 

We've got:

Whittingham - largely intact still. 
Highroyds - very little left though it seems they're doing a thoughtful job of the main building as flats.
Stanley Royds in Wakefield - just a boarded up chapel now. What happened to the main buildings?
Cherry Knowle - dropping at a frightening speed, what's planned there? 
St. Mary's at Stannington - not much more than an empty shell now, what's planned there? 
Denbigh - a wet and rotten nightmare being put into "stasis" at this time though it looks more like massive demo.
Pool Park - open to the elements now and rotting rapidly.
Talgarth - like Denbigh?
Greylingwell - unknown to me!
St. Georges Morpeth - unknown to me!
Prestwich - nothing left of the orginal hospital but the site is occupied with new buildings and a monstrous supermarket.
West Park - going, going... etc.

Considering there were in excess of a hundred big asylums at one point, what happened to them all? I have always been staggered too at how difficult it can be to actually see these buildings in so much as they are almost always so deeply esconced in the countryside you can't even see them from a main road. Whittingham is a prime example of that but Denbigh is a polar opposite and can be seen for miles around. 

So which is the odd one out?

And if anyone knows a decent book on asylums please point me at it.


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## krela

Have you never come across the county asylums website before? I think you might find it interesting...


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## night crawler

Well Fairmile is still standing that I do know and Littlemore uderwent a development a number of years ago but the main building still stands. I have been meaning to go a photograph the local hospitals to me that hav eundergon develpopment. Can't help you with the book though.


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## mookster

Most of them were demolished as rarely were any buildings listed.

Talgarth - Still there, no plans to demolish it as of yet although the corridors are demolished.
Graylingwell - being demolished/converted
St. Georges Morpeth - still there, boarded up pretty tight.

To add to the list:

Severalls - still there, the bypass slip road has been given the go ahead though so who knows how much longer it has left
St. Crispins, Northampton - mostly demolished, whats left is being converted
St. Lawrence, Bodmin - still there, sealed tight, demolition starting.
Rauceby, Lincoln - mostly demolished, what's left is stripped out
St. John's, Lincoln - partly demoed/converted
Fairmile, Oxfordshire - stripped ready for conversion
Runwell, Essex - still there, no plans for demolition as of yet
Warley, Essex - being converted
Stone House, Dartford - still there but demolition gettting under way apparently
Harperbury, Hertfordshire - demolished except a few wards, padded cells still intact
St. Augustines, Chartham - same as Harperbury minus padded cells
Aston Hall, Derby - still there
St. George's, Stafford - Still there but pretty much a burnt out shell
Springfield, Tooting - One ward derelict the rest still in use
Goodmayes, West Ham - currently in the process of closing. Not doable (yet!)


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## oldscrote

Roundway asylum in Devizes[the Wiltshire County asylum] mostly survives albeit as private housing.There is a very good book on the asylum called 'Down pans lane' other books on asylums here....

http://www.countyasylums.com/books.html


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## uklimey1234

*County Asylum - still in use*

> So... what's still standing? 

St Lukes in Middlesbrough previously known as the Midlesbrough Borough Asylum is not only still standing its still in use as a Mental Health facility although there are plans to replace it with a more modern building


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## Cuban B.

They've nearly all been demolished, with the odd one still in use and some others that've been converted.

Whittingham - St. Luke's is standing in a badly pikeyed state and Cameron House is burnt out.
Highroyds - Mainly still there but they've demolished some more corridors recently.
Stanley Royds in Wakefield - Half the original block was converted and they've done a good job.
Cherry Knowle - dropping at a frightening speed, what's planned there? Tesco maybe 
St. Mary's at Stannington - not much more than an empty shell now, what's planned there? Part converion and new village.
Denbigh - I think the remediation work will strip it to the bone.
Pool Park - open to the elements now and rotting rapidly.
Talgarth - like Denbigh? Buggered at least as bad as Denbigh I believe.
Greylingwell - Partly demo'd mainly still standing derelict.
St. Georges Morpeth - Still standing.
Prestwich - Never heard of it.
West Park - going, going... etc.


St. John's - Empty and derelict.
Stonehouse - Ditto.
Fairmile - Ditto.
Severalls - Ditto.
St. Andrew's - Annexe is still standing and derelict.
Lancaster Moor - Ditto.
St. George's (Stafford) - Knackered and fire damaged.

That's a lot that's gone in even the past few years, I think most of us got into this asylum game too late.


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## Pincheck

As others have said most have been demolished seen quite a few like Cane hill before it went but others not so lucky with, Just the nature of things. Can't see everything and no point worrying about it yes its regrettable but best to see what other Gems have perhaps not out there yet, as it tends to go in cycles from what me and others have noticed


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## jabdc5

Winterton near Sedgefield in Co Durham was a huge mental facility, last time I was up there some of the old hospital was still in use as day wards whereas new housing was appearing on other parts of the site. That was a few years back, I really don't know what the position is there now.
J


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## Em_Ux

It is such shame they're all disappearing.

As far as i'm aware St Andrews in Norwich is still standing derelict.


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## UrbanX

St Andrews in Norwich is standing and do able. I have a report on here.

Little plumstead is standing and is magnificent.

Fulbourn in standing, and has been carefully converted to offices. 

Oh 'Madness in it's place' is an excellent book, patient accounts from sevs. Although is v expensive.


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## Goldie87

Tbh most of the lists here are just the well known places on the urbex 'tourist trail', there were many other places out there in various states. Don't believe everything you read on the net, I can think of a few places years ago people claimed were demolished and were not. If you really want to record these places the only thing you can do is do some research and get out there for a look.


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## TeeJF

krela said:


> Have you never come across the county asylums website before? I think you might find it interesting...




Mmmmm! Velly interesting! Thanks!


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## audi-adam

exminster hospital, exeter, is still standing and in good condition , only downside is its now posh flats,

digby asylum,exeter, the clock tower and admin block are still there, extremely posh flats with a militant residents only parking attitude, 

tonevale, taunton, is now a village called cotford st luke the chapel and clock tower and admin are still standing and being lived in


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## Cuban B.

Another couple of derelict asylums are Barrow Gurney, which is partly demo'd and badly pikeyed, and Stallington Hall, which is just a ruined admin.


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## mookster

Barrow Gurney was never an asylum! It's official title is the Royal Naval Auxilliary Hospital, later just Barrow Gurney Hospital


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## krela

mookster said:


> Barrow Gurney was never an asylum! It's official title is the Royal Naval Auxilliary Hospital, later just Barrow Gurney Hospital



Err yes it was, it was built as a mental colony, comandeered a few months after it opened for the navy because of WW2, then returned to mental health use after the war.


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## mookster

My bad then....must have been supplied with duff info (no change there)


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## mookster

Also to add to the list, there are two bits of Horton Hospital in Epsom left unconverted - the superintendant's residence and the chapel...the chapel is sealed tight, the superintendant's residence is a rotten mess. The tower is still there as well, but there was talk of that coming down too.


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## Flaxington

Prestwich Asylum - still has parts left, Clifton House (the annex) is the Edenfield Centre, also parts still remain around the side of Tesco

St James - Portsmouth - is still Live - I'm going to have a look tomorrow if I get time.


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## Ubermutant

The Old Manor hospital, formerly an asylum (Fisherton Asylm or something) in Salisbury is still half standing because its partly listed. The non listed bits are being knocked down at the moment and the security is very very tight...of course its also just across the road from the law courts and the police HQ....


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## TeeJF

Flaxington said:


> Prestwich Asylum - still has parts left, Clifton House (the annex) is the Edenfield Centre, also parts still remain around the side of Tesco
> 
> St James - Portsmouth - is still Live - I'm going to have a look tomorrow if I get time.



That's interesting. I thought all of the old Prestiwch asylum was gone apart from an entry arch which leads to the new buildings. As to St. James, if it's still live entry will be out I guess. I've been pointed at another site by a kind chappie and it lists all the asylums and gives a rough idea what's happened to them all. There's a surprising number are still fully in use!

Enjoy your visit.

M and T


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## st33ly

Rubery Hill (Hollymoor asylum)

chapel and water tower still standing

Grade 2 listed.


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## TeeJF

*Vanishing Asylums*

I'd just like to thank everyone for the brilliant input you've made to our recent question regarding vanishing Victorian asylums. I've loads of food for thought now and Tonto and I have lots to look out for. Sadly the reading material is a different matter - it seems awfully thin on the ground. Cheers all.


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## mookster

Paid a visit to Barrow Gurney today, it's apparent no demolition has taken place for some time - its like they upped and left one day after demoing half the site. Still a great relaxed wander though.


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## krela

mookster said:


> Paid a visit to Barrow Gurney today, it's apparent no demolition has taken place for some time - its like they upped and left one day after demoing half the site. Still a great relaxed wander though.



AFAIK the buildings that are left are under bat preservation orders and cannot be demolished until alternative accomodation (bat houses) have been built.


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## TeeJF

Gotta love bats, they can come to mine. I've already got a box up but clearly it's not well enough appointed for fussy wussy northern bats...


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## Ellis

would be good to make something like this 

http://lh.matthewbeckett.com/

which is obviously for country houses so many gone, but well documented would be great to have this kind of info documented on asylums


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## Engineer

There were three Asylums at Bridgend, (South Wales).

Glan Rhydd, Angelton and Parc Gwyllt. Parc Gwyllt was demolished and a prison now occupies the site.


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## Krypton

The Information you have for Asylums in the North East of England is all wrong.

*Cherry Knowle *- Sunderland Asylum - Totally Demolished (I was there last week).
*St Georges *- Morpeth - Still intact - Security can be difficult.
*St Marys *- Stannington - Only Admin, Chapel, Water Tower and i believe two Wards remain.
*St Lukes *- Middlesbrough - the Victorian Asylum was demolished in about 3 weeks of it closing last year i think. 
*Winterton* - County Durham Borough Asylum - The Chapel remains boarded up in the middle of a housing development and a couple of boring wards remain on the site that are all boarded up.

We have lost three Asylums in the space of two years.


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## TeeJF

Krypton said:


> The Information you have for Asylums in the North East of England is all wrong.



Ahhh yes, it was an old posting. After we had got the first spate of answers we went and did Cherry Knowle and Stannington and there was a considerable amount of both left standing. They've dropped them at a rate of knots sadly.

There are some decent pix of both those asylums on our reports in here AND via our website link below.

Thanks again.


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## Krypton

I was at Cherry Knowle early December and there was nothing at all left. 

All that i could find were these keys sticking out of the mud on the floor.


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## Jimthething

The biggest one around this part of the world (East Yorkshire) was Broadgate hospital near Beverley. Been closed about 20 years now and I think it's been redeveloped as housing now but this link shows some good photos of it a few years after closure and there's some pictures from when it was still in use. http://www.countyasylums.com/mentalasylums/broadgate01.htm -Although I guess it's only the same site as Krela's link! 
Also found this interesting bit of info about some of the Hull area private asylums of the Victorian era http://www.eylhs.org.uk/asylums.pdf
I know it's going back a bit further but still interesting.

I don't know if anybody else has ever done any genealogy research but the last column in the old census forms asks if the individual is "Deaf-and-dumb, blind, idiot or imbecile or a lunatic". Political correctness gone m...m...mm...mad sir!


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## Krypton

High Royds isnt that bad either - some of the femail wards have been converted to housing but other than that its still really good - was there in the summer but caught by security so i didnt get very far haha - word of warning to stay away from the admin block if your going because they patrol inside which i didnt know at the time


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## highcannons

With the advent of Unitary Authorities most of the County Asylums have been renamed.


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## banshee

this ones still alive.now expensive flats .
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...n&safe=active&sa=N&gbv=2&tbm=isch&um=1&itbs=1


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## klempner69

Havent read all the comments but did anyone mention Severalls..and Harperbury is still hanging in there


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## stevejd

mookster said:


> Most of them were demolished as rarely were any buildings listed.
> 
> Rauceby, Lincoln - mostly demolished, what's left is stripped out
> St. John's, Lincoln - partly demoed/converted
> Fairmile, Oxfordshire - stripped ready for conversion
> )



Rauceby, Sleaford remains unconverted, partial demolition in prep for this. no changes since 2008 due to recession. if you've got £1.5 m you can buy one of the last remaining working buildings. Just the childrens unit in operation


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## lilli

You've all missed Whitecroft on the Isle of Wight 

Its converted now but I dont think too many apartments got sold due to the devolpment company going under, I would post some piccies up but I no longer have them


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## KingRat

...and don't forget Hellingly (loved that water tower climb)


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## klempner69

KingRat said:


> ...and don't forget Hellingly (loved that water tower climb)



My fave Asylum...every trip here was soo peaceful and relaxed and the sun always shone..halcyon days.


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## KingRat

klempner69 said:


> My fave Asylum...every trip here was soo peaceful and relaxed and the sun always shone..halcyon days.



Last time I was there secca came in with BIG dog, I was halfway up the stairs to hide above the stage as they walked past and I dropped my phone. How they didn't hear/spot/find me I'll never know.


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## mookster

I loved Hellingly...my favourite asylum and one of my favourite explores ever. So sad it's all gone now


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## primagedi

*Now that was FUN !*

Back in the 90's my firm was contracted to clear all remaining contents from Roundway in Devizes prior to the developers moving in. We were there for 6 weeks along with police firearms teams practising hostage situations and fire departments learning how to use ladders ! Explored every nook and cranny but the only great find was a secured up and complete 1930's projection room complete with cinema grade projectors.... mmmmmmmmmmmm tasty


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## mookster

primagedi said:


> a secured up and complete 1930's projection room complete with cinema grade projectors.... mmmmmmmmmmmm tasty



I hope they found their way into new hands and not a skip!


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## klempner69

primagedi said:


> Back in the 90's my firm was contracted to clear all remaining contents from Roundway in Devizes prior to the developers moving in. We were there for 6 weeks along with police firearms teams practising hostage situations and fire departments learning how to use ladders ! Explored every nook and cranny but the only great find was a secured up and complete 1930's projection room complete with cinema grade projectors.... mmmmmmmmmmmm tasty



I dont suppose you took any pics when you were there?I did some contract work there when it was open but never took pics.


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## primagedi

With great regret never took any piccys :-(
........ and the projectors stayed with the firm for awhile until a tempting enough offer came along


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## stevejd

Another bit of Rauceby closed before Christmas, Orchard House, built as a villa for the neurotic but the war ministry made it the town hospital for the mass bombing expected in 1940, then the RAF Limb re-construction/burns unit umder Archie McIndoe. it gets stripped in a few weeks and flat by the end of Feb, I hope a friend will send Pics of the current state to Simon's Urbex site.


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## stevejd

I've got a few pics, I'll try and upload


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## Lightbuoy

klempner69 said:


> Havent read all the comments but did anyone mention Severalls..and Harperbury is still hanging in there



Yup, Sevs has been mentioned, however now't wrong with mentioning it again -I for one, never get tired of dropping Severalls Hospital into a conversation. However on the other hand, my Friends are not so glad!!! 

Parts of Turner Village Hospital here in Colchester, Essex are still standing, including the Water Tower. This was an extension of the ROYAL EASTERN COUNTIES' INSTITUTION (Essex Hall Asylum).

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=google+maps+colchester+england&hl=en&ll=51.907445,0.901533&spn=0.003448,0.009645&hnear=Colchester,+Essex,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&t=h&z=17&vpsrc=6

Most of the Villas are still in use at the mo.


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## Sectionate

Random old bump, but I try to keep this list up to date:

http://thetimechamber.co.uk/beta/sites/asylums/asylum-history/the-asylums-list

It isn't complete, and doesn't cover every asylum there was, such as the colonies and a couple of the MAB ones in London.


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## cogito

Cardiff City Asylum, now Whitchurch Hospital is largely still in use although it has a few derelict wards. Worth a nose if you can manage it, it's a medium security facility now so most doors are locked with Assa Abloy.

Also down the road from that is the old Glamorgan County Asylum, later Hensol Hospital. It's now luxury flats and marketed as Wales most exclusive postcode. They've done a fantastic job though, even the main hall is accommodation now.


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## cogito

The one in Bridgend is corridor layout, pre dating the echelon design from what I remember. It's also still standing following a redevelopment and still an NHS site as far as I'm aware. Rocked up about a year ago to have a nose.


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## mookster

Looking at West Park on the Bing maps makes for depressing viewing...


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## LittleOz

mookster said:


> Looking at West Park on the Bing maps makes for depressing viewing...



It doesn't look like that anymore... mostly now converted or built on... zoom in closer on bing and there's a more recent view (although still out of date)


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## UrbanX

*Cane Hill*

Cane Hill: 

2003: 



2009: 



2011:


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## night crawler

This might give an idea as to what my local one looks like now.
http://spudsdailyphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/a-view-from-up-high.html


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## mookster

They have done a very nice job with that place, similarly with Littlemore which was converted almost immediately...I'd have loved to have seen that place if it was derelict for a while it is a fantastic unique looking asylum.


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## Paulytwotanks

Em_Ux said:


> As far as i'm aware St Andrews in Norwich is still standing derelict.



I went there earlier this year, and it was in the advanced stages of being demolished, huge piles of rubble everywhere.


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## night crawler

mookster said:


> They have done a very nice job with that place, similarly with Littlemore which was converted almost immediately...I'd have loved to have seen that place if it was derelict for a while it is a fantastic unique looking asylum.



I used to pass it going to work but like you said it was converted very quick and hardly derelict for any time


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## stouffer

Leavesden Imbeciles Asylum is one local to me. Now Leavesden Country Park and a small housing development, some of the original buildings have survived, some inhabited and some bits dotted around the park derelict. The graveyard is particularly interesting as the gravestone of one of the Jack the Ripper suspects who was a resident in the hosptal is still there.

There's a guy who's a real enthusiast and happy to show anyone interested enough around the grounds and chat about the history, a great way to spend an afternoon if you're ever in the area.

http://www.leavesdenhospital.org/


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## scottishbob

St Matthews at Burntwood, Staffordshire was a beautiful old Victorian asylum, closed in 1995 but I used to play cricket against a team who were based on the grounds. I vaguely remember some of the old walls being standing in the late 90s and I think the Social Club may now be a nursery - but I'd love a little explore to see whether anything at all is still there. My great Uncle spent time there after the First World War with shellshock along with a lot of other broken men coming back from France.


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