# Netherne Asylum Cemetery - July 2014



## mockingbird

*Mockingbird Pays A Quick Visit Here!*

This may not interest a fair lot of you, but I found it interesting in finding the place and doing some research on it, I was in the area of Hooley in Surrey a few weekends back and decided to track this tranquil place down, it was rather a tricky find first thing in the morning, but one im glad I paid a visit to.

Ultimately it is derelict and lays in the heart of some old chaps farm, so you have to cross a farm from a narrow country lane to view it, it did have a clear up last year as the graves was basically un-seen due to such overgrowth an neglect, yet it now seems its only real visitors are tonnes an tonnes of rabbits/badgers that have dug countless holes and up until last year, the bodies that remained there was starting to surface with many visitors finding human bones, the only grave that remains that is visible is that resembling a shield.

This cemetery was used for the Netherne Hospital/Asylum in Surrey and contains the remains of soldiers who fought on the frontlines and children.

In 1995, the hospital was refurbished into luxury flats by developer MJ Gleeson, the graveyard was discovered by history enthusiast Adrian Falks, who was instrumental in unearthing the forgotten soldiers buried at the neighbouring Cane Hill asylum. There are about 1,350 people buried at Netherne, including patients, soldiers and young children who may still have relatives living in the borough, yet no grave stones lay for these people, just a few plastic flowers in the field along with tonnes an tonnes of holes.

The gate fascinated me as you walk through the gate you see the shield and then the row of trees and plastic flowers, its a really strange feeling being there unable to see any gravestones, but the hospital treated soldiers and civilians injured in the wars to ease the burden on hospitals, which might explain why children are buried in this cemetery.

Below is a list of some of the children buried here, that I managed to find via of course the internet.

*• Jean Barboni, eight, died on October 21, 1915, of tuberculosis. His father was Edgard Barboni; an officer in the French army based in Carshalton Beeches and a psychiatrist probably employed at Netherne.

• Leslie Thomas Jackman, 11, died December 11, 1917. His father was a serving soldier.

• William Albert Simmonds, 15, died October 15, 1917. His father was probably killed during the Battle of Arras, but news may not have reached hospital.

• Sidney Peters, five, died October 3, 1915. His father, a soldier, worked as a labourer.

• Jessica Davis, 11, died February 20, 1915, of TB. Her father, from Ham, was a soldier although it is uncertain whether he survived the war.

• William John Newland, 15. Died February 18, 1918, of pulmonary tuberculosis. Interred February 25, 1918. An orphan, transferred from Union Workhouse Infirmary, Epsom (no next-of-kin.) •

•Betty Trotman, seven, died May 31, 1929, after a five-month stay in the hospital. Her parents may have worked there unsure.*

*Also Vivien Leigh (British actor - Streetcar named desire and about 16 other films) spent some months of recuperation at Netherne following her infamous 1953 nervous breakdown.
*



IMGP89431 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8899 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8940 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8933 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8903 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8921 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8909 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8905 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8904 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8889 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


IMGP8906 by urbexmockingbird, on Flickr


_Sorry if you didnt like it, like my other "reports" I promise to do better when I next upload something, just have a big list that expands, so its now first come first serve, hey at least you may have learnt something today! thats a plus right? 

Cheers Mockingbird!_


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## Stealthstar79

Goodness, Imagine finding bones! 
very atmospheric, thanks


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## night crawler

I thing you were trying for too much atmosphere whith this report. Photos are too dark for my liking. I love visiting cemeterys & churchyards but they never seem like that
PS is that near a tennis court


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## tumble112

I like this, a really interesting find. A good friend of mine, who happens to be a photographer, says I'm a morbid sod for creeping around dead peoples houses (he refuses to join me on explores). So this appeals to me!


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## UrbanX

I like the darkness! Then again my camera is permanently set to -.3 Stops! 
Great work on the research as well as the pics


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## mockingbird

UrbanX said:


> I like the darkness! Then again my camera is permanently set to -.3 Stops!
> Great work on the research as well as the pics



I may add it was around 4am and rather rainy, an i often lower my contrast down, cant stand bright pictures 
Cheers matey


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## NakedEye

Great atmosphere to these shots. Sometimes stopping down works a treat. Like urbanX mine is one stop down by default sometimes - 2 not sure I'd venture into -3 territory! Nice report old chap :-D


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## DirtyJigsaw

I like this. The dark shots compliment the location. I esp like the first photo!


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## cunningplan

I think they are a great set. I also down one stop by default and sometimes two. 
I recon it adds to the report


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## Kezz44

Me too, I do like darker pics! Nice set and interesting place!


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## mockingbird

night crawler said:


> I thing you were trying for too much atmosphere whith this report. Photos are too dark for my liking. I love visiting cemeterys & churchyards but they never seem like that
> PS is that near a tennis court



I think everyone has a different style to photography, it was 4am and certainly gloomy,it was not sunny the atmosphere was already there i just brought it out, but i value your opinion people have different tastes and mine stays constant all the time.
Nope nowhere near a Tennis court, the report says in a field an that is where its located with no pathway 


Cheers everyone for the feedback as I said not much there, but it has appeal and a good 10mins paying some respects


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## The Archivist

A fine report. I've been visiting this place from time to time since 2005, good to see it's still accessible and hasn't deteriorated too much.



mockingbird said:


> [...]many visitors finding human bones, the only grave that remains that is visible is that resembling a shield.



The shield-shaped 'grave' is, I'm fairly sure, a concrete memorial into which the only surviving gravestones are set (there are about 6, with the 'open book' being the most readily legible). I'm guessing this was done after the cemetery was closed. Most of the graves would have been unmarked or marked only with small metal or wooden markers which haven't survived.


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## mockingbird

The Archivist said:


> A fine report. I've been visiting this place from time to time since 2005, good to see it's still accessible and hasn't deteriorated too much.
> 
> 
> 
> The shield-shaped 'grave' is, I'm fairly sure, a concrete memorial into which the only surviving gravestones are set (there are about 6, with the 'open book' being the most readily legible). I'm guessing this was done after the cemetery was closed. Most of the graves would have been unmarked or marked only with small metal or wooden markers which haven't survived.



Thanks for that, I had reason to believe it was a grave of some-sort but a memorial adds up a bit more, not much in terms of deterioration, just some barbed wire rapped around the gate and some beer cans which people had left, cheers for the response Archivist


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## The Archivist

To add to that, I've just been looking at the 1913 0S and it seems there was a 'shelter' on site at that time. The concrete plinth might well be the foundation.


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## flyboys90

Brill atmospheric shots,thanks for sharing.


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## Dugie

Nice report & some great pics. Its a shame that the people laid to rest here seem to have been forgotten. When i visited the cemetery at Whittingham asylum there was rows upon rows. All of them was flower less and overgrown including soldiers graves.

Its a shame and this should not happen.

Thanks for posting.

Dugie


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## night crawler

The Archivist said:


> A fine report. I've been visiting this place from time to time since 2005, good to see it's still accessible and hasn't deteriorated too much.
> 
> 
> 
> The shield-shaped 'grave' is, I'm fairly sure, a concrete memorial into which the only surviving gravestones are set (there are about 6, with the 'open book' being the most readily legible). I'm guessing this was done after the cemetery was closed. Most of the graves would have been unmarked or marked only with small metal or wooden markers which haven't survived.



I came across some markers in our local churchyard that were from Fairmile's part and they were cast iorn with numbers on


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## margatt

The early morning shoot yielded some moody shots I’d say. Well done. There is an entire niche for UE finding and documenting cemeteried having belonged to asylums. In America, most have been ignored, over grown and / or abandoned. Finding info on them, to go exploring is near impossible. Good work, cheers


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## mockingbird

margatt said:


> The early morning shoot yielded some moody shots I’d say. Well done. There is an entire niche for UE finding and documenting cemeteried having belonged to asylums. In America, most have been ignored, over grown and / or abandoned. Finding info on them, to go exploring is near impossible. Good work, cheers



Why thank you, despite not many graves remain it was rather tranquil, this place did suffer a clean up awhile ago as many people complained at the state of it, being overgrown and neglected, thanks again!!!


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## sadlerwells

A lady who has a relative buried in the cemetery posted here:








netherne on the hill cemetery


helloo . my name is wendy mortimer . i have a relative buried at netherne cemetery . after many years arguing with gleesons they finally decided to clear the cemetery . and my brother and i have a plan of the cemetery ,and we laid flowers near to my great aunt grave ,by measuring where the trees...




www.derelictplaces.co.uk


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