# Bristol County Asylum, Barrow Gurney, June 2010



## Urban-Warrior (Jun 26, 2010)

*Attending:* Kat69, Tony & Myself

*Opened:* 1939 *Closed: *2006
*Layout:* Colony Plan​
Brief History from the interweb 

Officially opening in May 1939 Barrow Hospital was later requisitioned by the government in Spetember of 1939 to serve as the Royal Naval Auxiliary Hospital during WWII, with control being returned to the former owners in August of 1946 greatly easing the overcrowding at Bristol Mental Hospital, whose population had grown throughout the war.

On the 5th July 1948 control of the hospital was transferred to the newly formed NHS and was jointly managed alongside Bristol Mental Hospital by the Bristol Hospital Management Committee under the South Western Regional Hospital Board.

In a national survey of hospital cleanliness conducted in 2005 Barrow Hospital was found to be the dirtiest hospital in the country inspectors stated the hospital had "an unacceptably dirty environment", Two of the hospitals three remaining wards were immediately closed and their patients were transfered to other hospitals, With the final ward emptied during the summer of 2006.

Now on with the Pics...






































































































Thanks for looking ​


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## Urbanman (Sep 12, 2010)

My Girlfriends mate house backs onto the hospital grounds and most of it is still around at the moment, although the place is full of asbestos.


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## tom46 (Oct 1, 2010)

Sorry to bump this. I'm just wondering if there's any demolition planned in the near future? I've had a dig around but no luck. I'm thinking I might have a poke around here in the next couple of months.


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## Urban-Warrior (Oct 6, 2010)

Not sure of the current status of this place I am planning a return trip in the near future tho...


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## chaoticreason (Oct 6, 2010)

Nice shots!
All that peeling paint is very atmospheric,it looks like one of the patients got left behind though.


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## Simmorill (Oct 10, 2010)

#8 is a very creepy story hour. 

"Yes, come children, gather around. It's time for a story!" 

That would scar for life!


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## tumbles (Oct 22, 2010)

tom46 said:


> Sorry to bump this. I'm just wondering if there's any demolition planned in the near future? I've had a dig around but no luck. I'm thinking I might have a poke around here in the next couple of months.



60% of it has already gone (Southside Ward, Main Villas, Secure Unit, Boiler/Engineering Sheds, Mortuary, Parts of Admin)

That said some nice bits remain. Demolition has never seemed to have been done any other way that rather brash and unprofessional. I've seen piles of asbestos lying around in the open air on recent trips. Maybe its time to nudge HSE about it. 

I think they have to wait till all the bats are out before they demolish the rest. 

That said they will never get planning to build houses, Wild Country Lane is just that - a lane and simply cannot be expected to deal with the traffic. It would also be near impossible to widen it in places without significant costs.


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## Foxylady (Oct 22, 2010)

tumbles said:


> I think they have to wait till all the bats are out before they demolish the rest...


I wonder how they're supposed to do that. If it's a bat roost, then it'll stay a bat roost. The only time the bats'll be out is between dusk and dawn. Don't like the sound of that and I think you're right, tumbles...maybe a little word in the right ear wouldn't go amiss.


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## LETMEIN (Oct 23, 2010)

Foxylady said:


> I wonder how they're supposed to do that. If it's a bat roost, then it'll stay a bat roost. The only time the bats'll be out is between dusk and dawn. Don't like the sound of that and I think you're right, tumbles...maybe a little word in the right ear wouldn't go amiss.



We explored this one when back home 5 weeks ago. Same type of pictures, different angles = the same pictures in the end. The site is all but gone. We had bats flying near us. I remember when my Mum worked there in the early 1990's when the place was operational. She has some good and bad memories of the place. It's time just had to come.


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## jai_bris (Nov 11, 2010)

This place looks amazing. I got my partner to drive me there last weekend just to look and saw some other togs there. Just need to see whats happening before i take my turn.

Great shots though.


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## Incognito (Nov 11, 2010)

tumbles said:


> That said they will never get planning to build houses, Wild Country Lane is just that - a lane and simply cannot be expected to deal with the traffic. It would also be near impossible to widen it in places without significant costs.


I've been told planning permission has been granted very recently for a old folks community. Access is no issue to the site as it back directly on the A370 and would be no issue to make an on and off slipway avoiding Wild Country lane completely




jai_bris said:


> This place looks amazing. I got my partner to drive me there last weekend just to look and saw some other togs there. Just need to see whats happening before i take my turn.
> 
> Great shots though.



What you waiting for, if you wait to long it'll either be gone or not a lot will be left.

We did this site not long ago and there is still more than plenty there to see, yeah its shame some of the probably more interesting buildings have gone like the mortuary.


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## jai_bris (Nov 11, 2010)

[/QUOTE]What you waiting for, if you wait to long it'll either be gone or not a lot will be left.

We did this site not long ago and there is still more than plenty there to see, yeah its shame some of the probably more interesting buildings have gone like the mortuary.[/QUOTE]

Incognito

I ain't gonna waiting to long. Am new to the area so just sourcing stuff out. But looking like it going to be a solo visit at the moment.


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## Incognito (Nov 11, 2010)

What you waiting for, if you wait to long it'll either be gone or not a lot will be left.

We did this site not long ago and there is still more than plenty there to see, yeah its shame some of the probably more interesting buildings have gone like the mortuary.[/QUOTE]

Incognito

I ain't gonna waiting to long. Am new to the area so just sourcing stuff out. But looking like it going to be a solo visit at the moment.[/QUOTE]

Go for it, deffo worth the trip just watch out for the floors as most floors have holes in where they have been ripping the cables out, so many time i nearly went down them lol


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## jai_bris (Nov 11, 2010)

Thats the problem with these places. But yet it adds to the character and the untold stories. But thats what the camera is for lol.

Thanks for the safety tips.


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