# st. Augustines, Chartham, Kent. Jul 2011



## Judderman62 (Aug 10, 2011)

*The History*

Administrative history:
The first publicly-run lunatic asylum in Kent was situated at Barming Heath, near Maidstone. By June 1872
it was clear to the County Quarter Sessions that one asylum was insufficient for the needs of the county. 
As a result, the Kent New Asylum Committee was constituted. After a short period, the Committee purchased
120 acres on Chartham Downs near Canterbury, with the intention of building an asylum to serve the whole
of East Kent. The site was described by the Commissioners in Lunacy as being in 'so bleak and elevated a 
position, exposed on all sides'. The site was approved by the Commissioners only after intervention by the
Secretary of State.

The first asylum buildings were designed by John Giles and Gough and built between 1872 and 1875.
On 5th April 1875, the first patients (East Kent patients housed at Barming Heath) arrived at the Kent
County Lunatic Asylum, Chartham Downs. Staff in the first year consisted of a medical superintendent, sixty 
nurses, a chaplain, a clerk/steward and ten tradesmen. These were overseen by a Committee of Visitors
formed by the County Lunatic Asylum Committee of Quarter Sessions.

On the removal of many of the administrative powers of Quarter Sessions in 1889, responsibility for
managing the asylum passed to Kent County Council. From 1920, the managing committee of the
county council was the Kent County Mental Hospitals Committee.
With the formation of the National Health Service in 1948, Kent County Council was absolved
of responsibility for the hospital. Renamed St. Augustine's, the hospital, along with St. Martin's
Hospital (formerly Canterbury City Mental Hospital) was run by the St. Augustine's Hospital
Management Committee (later Hospitals Executive Committee). This committee was responsible
to the Canterbury and Thanet Health District, later Authority.
The hospital closed in 1993 and redevelopment of the site was started in 1997.

History and Development of the Site
1872 Site purchased for £6,236
5th April 1875 The first patients arrived
1875 The gas works were in operation
1876 Accommodation had been built which could accommodate 870 patients at a cost of £211,852
1887 A twenty bed sanatorium was added (later used as a night nurses home)
1893 A new mortuary was built
1898 Hawthorn, May and Hazel blocks were opened
1924 New blocks were added
1910 Staff recreation rooms were added
1929 An operating theatre was built
1931 A new nurses home was built (later named Godfrey House)
1938 The mortuary was redesigned
1939 Admission block and two convalescent villas were built at a cost of £60,000. 
These were taken over in 1940 and used as a military hospital.
1948 A report on the inception of the National Health Service listed a total estate of 300
acres, 200 of which were under cultivation and 73 residences for staff

Records of Individual Patients
Patients from East Kent usually came to St. Augustine's, with a few exceptions. 
From 1902, Canterbury Borough had its own Mental Hospital (later St. Martin's Hospital). 
Prior to this, Canterbury Borough patients were reported as being in various location including
Fisherton House, Wiltshire and in 1896 at Derby County Asylum. Often, St. Augustine's took
patients from surrounding counties who could not be housed in local asylums. This was
particularly true of the London boroughs. During World War I, patients from a number of
counties were transferred to Chartham as a result of their usual hospital being requisitioned 
by military authorities. These patients are listed in separate admission and discharge books. 
The hospital was also part of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) during World War II. Records
of the EMS in this hospital are not held.

Above info from the national archives: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=2006-mht3&cid=0#0

*The Visit.*

Visited whilst staying with my bro on the south east coast. Had had a couple of fails before arriving
at this site and prayed it would not be another fail. I arrived and drove a little ways along the perimeter
of the few remaining buildings that were not knocked down in the conversion (most buildings were just 
flattened only a small handful were converted) to find heras fencing around the whole site.

I parked up and wandered up and eventually found a spot where someone had snipped the fencing to the
extent that one had just to push it lightly and it opened like a gate giving access and not necessitating
bending down to get in - so much for the signs all over the fencing asking people to report and damage to
or theft of any of the fencing. So I was in and off we go.

*The Photos*

How the site used to look:











































































































Awwww a room for the baby lunatics





















The Basement/Boiler room








*The Exit*

so nice relaxed, enjoyable mooch behind me it's time to leave. so I head back to where I had
entered to find the heras fencing had been sealed with some of those plastic tie jobbies - you
know the ones with the teeth that you use to secure your hubcaps etc. Oh that musn't be the 
place I cam in after all, says I, and turned around to spot the two broken LP's I saw on my way
in - this was where I came in !!! Eeeeek - my 1st experience of having access sealed off behind
me - those signs may have some impact after all

Hope you enjoyed  


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## RichardH (Aug 10, 2011)

Judderman62 said:


> so nice relaxed, enjoyable mooch behind me it's time to leave. so I head back to where I had
> entered to find the heras fencing had been sealed with some of those plastic tie jobbies - you
> know the ones with the teeth that you use to secure your hubcaps etc. Oh that musn't be the
> place I cam in after all, says I, and turned around to spot the two broken LP's I saw on my way
> ...



You can check out any time you like...


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## Janey68 (Aug 11, 2011)

Great pics. Especially liked the black and white one of the lone chair......


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## Lolpeacock (Aug 11, 2011)

Baby lunatics. Fnarr! Fnarr! Nice one mate!


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## Em_Ux (Aug 11, 2011)

I enjoyed looking through your shots.

I hope it wasn't to hard to find an exit.

What is it with finding shiny new tools on an explore? I came across a brand new sledge hammer on one explore. It looked so out of place!


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## mookster (Aug 11, 2011)

Best set of photos I've seen from this place!


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## TeeJF (Aug 11, 2011)

Wooo... coolio... another "Bin" to visit! 

How big is what's left then? It's a bit far for a dedicated trip down but I DO so enjoy asylums - once I get the initial wave of depression and the sense of dread squared away immediately upon arrival!

We managed to get padlocked in at St. Edwards on Monday, it's not a very nice feeling is it!!! On the plus side we knew we weren't likely to be disturbed for the remainder of our explore!


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## Judderman62 (Aug 11, 2011)

@ Janey68 - Yes I like that shot 

@em_ux - there was half a second of panic before calming down and thinking logically. Nah I was out not long after and very easily. Still not a nice feeling initially though.

Yeah the brand new hammer kinda puzzled and slightly unsettled me.

@teejf - I think there's 2 or 3 buildings left - defo 2 - I only did the one as there is some life further along the road and didn't want to be spotted. It's not a bad size - not huge , but not tiny either. It was a very nice, relaxed mooch and one for those, like myself, who luke their dereliction quite knackered and nature reclaiming.

Yes I like asylums too. No it's not anice feeling - must be wore still when you know/hear that you're being padlocked in 

Thanks all for the comments and esp mookster - most kind


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## smiler (Aug 15, 2011)

Maybe the room is not for baby lunatics, just for folk who think they are in their second childhood, come to think about it that rationalization might fit a few folks on DP including me. Great Post, Thanks


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## Judderman62 (Aug 18, 2011)

smiler said:


> Maybe the room is not for baby lunatics, just for folk who think they are in their second childhood, come to think about it that rationalization might fit a few folks on DP including me. Great Post, Thanks



thanks 

and yeah that description would include me too lol


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## sparky. (Aug 19, 2011)

Great pics shame about all the vandalism


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## Acebikerchick (Aug 19, 2011)

Very nice, love the fab peely paint shots....


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