# Leybourne Grange Hospital



## Pete (Jan 15, 2006)

Leybourne Grange was built as a Colony for Mentally Defective Persons by Kent County Council, utilising an existing estate and manor house between the village of Ryarsh and the town of leybourne where it opened in 1936. This 270 acre colony was intended to be self sufficient, with its own farm, boiler house, laundry and kitchen gardens, workshops etc. where the patients would work. Twenty seven Villas were built to house up to 1,200 males, females and children for high and low grade patients. as well as houses for married staff and a large Nurses home. Other structures included a sick hospital, administration block within the former mansion, school, kitchens, laundry, boiler house and workshops. The ownership of Leybourne Grange passed to the National Health Service on its inception in 1948 and became known as a subnormality hospital, later known as a mental handicap hospital. Further additions were made to the site following NHS takeover. These included a cafeteria, industrial unit and Grange Park College. The M2 was also constructed through the northern part of the grounds. From 1992-6 Leybourne Grange was wound down and became redundant and is now derelict and awaiting development which will see most of the site demolished.
Links:
Nobodythere July 2004

Location chat thread: http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=621


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