# Harperbury Hospital, Hertfordshire - April 2016



## Landie_Man (Aug 10, 2016)

Harperbury Hospital, Hertfordshire - April 2016

Another one from my backlog of explores this year! Another from April. This is the more recently derelict parts of Harperbury Hospital; near Hemel Hempstead. We generally avoided the 2001 closure parts of the site and explored the more recent, more fresh parts. 


In 1924 Middlesex County Council purchased the Porters Park estate, comprising a total area of 420 acres, upon which the aerodrome had been built. The area was to become the site of both Harperbury and Shenley hospitals

8 adult males detained under The Mental Deficiency Act 1913 were the initial patients on site. When the new buildings were constructed in 1929, these patients were involved in basic labouring.

The first of these brand new buildings were opened in February 1931 and by December of that year; housed 342 patients. The site continued to grow - with the addition of female and childrens units - until 1936. 

After this rapid expansion; the hospital was officially opened by Sir Kingsley Wood, the health minister at the time, in May 1936 and by 1939 the site had 1,194 patients.

In 1948 the hospital became part of the NHS program. The site was renamed Harperbury Hospital in 1950. 

By 1964 overcrowding had become a major problem. On site accommodation was designed for 1,354 patients and it was housing 1,587.

During the 1970's the hospital became less institutionalised four years later, patients started to be discharged back into the community.

In 1986 the hospital was put under central management, being linked with local Leavesden and Cell Barnes Hospitals.

Eventually it was announced during the 1990's that the three hospitals would be subjected to phased closures, with patients initially being transferred to Harperbury from the other two hospitals. Harperbury was the last to close, officially shutting its doors in 2001.

However,that was not the end of Harperbury! Parts of the site remained live, and new bungalows to house 80-90 residents with learning difficulties were built in 2008, and two medium secure mental health units were added in 2009. The site was renamed Kingsley Green in July 2011, after Sir Kingsley Wood. 

Other parts of Harperbury have closed over the last few years. I visited this site with Southside Assassin. 

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More At:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/landie_man/albums/72157670736774002


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## Sam Haltin (Aug 10, 2016)

Nice post and well photographed. Still hope for this place and could be turned into apartments. I would love one of those airline seats.


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## Landie_Man (Aug 10, 2016)

Hugh Jorgan said:


> Nice post and well photographed. Still hope for this place and could be turned into apartments. I would love one of those airline seats.



I think they are ambulance seats actually. Or minibus ones

Thanks for the comments


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## jsp77 (Aug 11, 2016)

great photos there Landie_man, seems like every report i see turns up a few bits that i haven't yet seen. Cheers


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## Brewtal (Aug 11, 2016)

Nicely done mate. The peel in pic 19 is something else. Thanks for sharing.


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## Kacy_M (Aug 11, 2016)

I'd have a field day going through those archives. Great shots, a pleasure looking through once again.


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## th3boy (Aug 11, 2016)

Great pics, very silent hill #19. Need to visit this site before any works start happening.


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