# Graylingwell Asylum - Sept 2010 in HDR



## vmlopes (Sep 3, 2010)

> The county of West Sussex provided its own asylum accommodation following the withdrawal from the union with East Sussex at the Haywards heath asylum in 1893. Graylingwell farm, former home of novelist Anna Sewell of “Black Beauty” fame and located to the north of the county town, Chichester , was purchased for the purpose of providing a site for the new asylum. The site, east of College Lane stood close to Chichester Barracks in an area later known as Summersdale.
> At Graylingwell, the county commissioned well known Sir Arthur Blomfield as architect, in what was to be his sole asylum design. Development at the site was to include main and service drives with attendant lodges, a large chapel, isolation hospital, new farm buildings, detached superintendents residence and compact arrow plan main asylum building. The original farmhouse was retained and converted to accommodate private patients. Principal features of the main building included a distinctive water tower adjacent to the laundry on the female side, administration block to the north, kitchens and large recreation hall in the centre and assistant medical officer's residence to the south. Either side of the central services stood the female and male blocks (to the east and west respectively), initially consisting of three each side, with further two on the female side and one on the male side being added within a few years of opening. The buildings were constructed in soft red brick with reconstituted stonework ornamentation in classical and Queen Anne styling with much use of ornamental quoins and keystones. The roofing was principally of slate with decorative ventilation outlets. Both lodges differed in the use of render on their upper storeys and the chapel was built in flint with a red tiled roof.
> Graylingwell was evacuated for the use of the military for the duration of the First World War and the inmates we redistributed amongst other asylums in the south-east . On return to civilian usage plans were put in place for construction of further buildings. These would provide an admission hospital (Summersdale), nurse's home(Pinewood), a block for female tuberculosis patients, a female convalescent villa and a villa for female working patients (Richmond and Kingsmead). Construction on this projected started in 1930 and the new structures, designed to compliment the existing building, were opened for use in 1933. With the return of war in 1939, only the admission hospital was requisitioned for emergency military use, but returned with the end of hostilities.
> Graylingwell hospital was passed to the National Health Service, on its inception in 1948, by which time its inpatient capacity had exceeded 1,000. Occupational therapy departments were constructed between the chapel and administration block during the 1950's. Later extensions included the glass-box like Barnfield house to the south west of the main building, extensions to the former male and female acute blocks and changing rooms for the sports ground located to the south of the site.
> During the closure of the hospital, the main building was gradually wound down, with some wards converted for administrative purposes and other areas disused. Services were then concentrated in the former admission hospital. On the official closure of the hospital in 2003 the site was renamed 9 College Lane .



Heads up to D-Kay for the info, had been on my todo list for some time, a strange site with some very modern bits to some really derelict parts.......plenty of activity as demo has started so dodging contractors and asbestos removers whilst there, a return to do the rest of the site is on the cards.........if you wanna see it be quick. Visted with Garystair and MattPhotog.

#1






#2





#3





#4





#5





#6





#7





#8


----------



## bonecollector (Sep 3, 2010)

very nice.
love the projector shot.


----------



## chaoticreason (Sep 3, 2010)

A most spooky looking place! not one to do on your lonesome at night,all those crazy fits of laughter an tears I can almost hear echoing down the corridors of time.:twitcy:


----------



## lizm73 (Sep 3, 2010)

Beautiful photos 
I'm loving the turntables too


----------



## Foxylady (Sep 3, 2010)

Gorgeous pics with bags of atmosphere. Love the close-ups, especially. Echo that about the turntable and projector.


----------



## godzilla73 (Sep 4, 2010)

Nice pics my friend. You have captured the place very well
thanks
GDZ


----------



## Allstar#500 (Sep 5, 2010)

Another good report. Love photos #2 and #3, very nice indeed


----------



## MrXopher (Oct 9, 2010)

*Still Accessible?*

I visited Graylingwell while it was still in service, they had a summer fete that year, we were escorted off site for nosing around, is it easily accessible still, would love a re-visit !


----------



## Simmorill (Oct 10, 2010)

I so wish that there was this kind of history (and architecture) here!


----------



## Whitespirit (Oct 11, 2010)

Great pictures...wish I lived closer..so I caould have a good nosie..


----------



## doubledrop (Oct 13, 2010)

I love the turntables - silly question I know but you didn't happen to catch what records were on there. Would love to know what tunes they played to patients.


----------



## Virusman26 (Oct 15, 2010)

Superb. For once, someone using quite an understated HDR, almost more hi contrast sort of effect. Very nice, good stuff!!


----------



## 0xygen (Nov 15, 2010)

Nice to see a recent report of this place - good job! I went several times a year ago and will never forget the endless service tunnels! Would be good to do one more time.

Thanks for sharing,

-0xy


----------



## Zotez (Nov 16, 2010)

Brilliant! Makes me more inspired for my planned trip soon.


----------



## cuboard (Nov 17, 2010)

nice shots man, the old turntable pic is my favourite, well captured!


----------



## Mcbear (Nov 17, 2010)

*graylingwell*

nice subtle shots.


----------



## Masonry-Lover (Nov 25, 2010)

chaoticreason said:


> A most spooky looking place! not one to do on your lonesome at night,all those crazy fits of laughter an tears I can almost hear echoing down the corridors of time.:twitcy:




Now that is spooky!> :jiggy:


----------



## vmlopes (Nov 25, 2010)

Thanks fellas, quick heads up if your heading down that way..........the projector room is no longer all been stripped and emptied


----------



## chopper27 (Nov 25, 2010)

nice work ,its on my to do list also


----------



## broombank (Nov 30, 2010)

*takes me back*

In the summer of 1970 I stayed at Graylingwell for 8 weeks as a medical student studying psychiatry . It had a fascinating research unit staffed by exceptionally odd colourful people . Research on the clinical uses of LSD was being carried out on the site. As a psychiatrist in Surrey 20 years later I used to go back to teach there. Its funny to see it derelict . Your pictures are great . I have recorded two derelict hospitals in Aberdeen - Kingseat (which is now a housing estate) and Cornhill ( the old buildings are listed - they would love to knock them down but they cant !!) It took me five years of pestering before they would let me into Kingseat - so convinced were they that I would hurt myself. The fact that I used to wander around the wards in the middle of the night seeing patients did not seem to count for anything.


----------

