Hello peoples!
Been a while, but I have better news this time than in my first post!
The subject of my latest explore was St Augustine’s Hospital in Kent. As some of you will probably know, this hospital had a very interesting albeit chequered past.
A (very) brief History of St Augustine’s Hospital
The hospital was opened in 1872, when it became clear that the designated Kent County Asylum alone was not sufficient to serve the area. At the time it was referred to as the East Kent County Asylum. The building layout was created by architects J Giles and Gough, and is of corridor pavilion design.
At this time facilities were basic, consisting mainly of dormitories, staff recreation areas, and a mortuary. Between 1929 and 1939, an operating theatre and nurses home were built, the admissions block and two convalescent villas were also added.
In 1948 the hospital became part of the National Health service, and was renamed ‘St Augustine’s.’ At this time St Augustine’s was using new treatments such as ECT and psychosurgery.
In 1972 the Hospital found itself at the centre of a controversy. Two of the nursing staff (William Ankers and Olleste Weston) had become concerned with the treatment of long stay patients. After their initial complaints to the hospital authorities were overlooked, they decided to produce an in depth report, describing over 70 individual instances of abuse or neglect. In one short excerpt, they detail in particular the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT):
"Drugs were given almost automatically to new admissions ... ECT was sometimes used as a punitive measure - although it was not openly admitted. I have heard the term 'punitive ECT' used in the hospital in reference to "that is what a patient needs". Some psychiatrists had a certain faith in ECT and at times patients were threatened with it"
Due to this an official enquiry was set up. Amazingly, although the majority of the complaints were upheld by the hospital authority, no disciplinary action was ever taken against the staff involved.
The hospital shut down in 1993, after the Care in the Community policy came into effect.
St Augustines Now
I am pleased to report that the majority of the buildings themselves are largely intact (that is, what remains of them today. Parts of the main site have been demolished or converted some years ago). It seems that this site is not currently earmarked for demolition or redevelopment, probably due to its remote location. However, time (and those with no appreciation of the urban environment) have really taken a bat to this place. Pretty much everything has been broken, removed or partially destroyed. That said, St Augustine’s still makes for a wonderful explore, and if you take your time you will find some lovely details. On the map below I have numbered the main buildings: (1) Main Site (2) Convalescent Villa 1 (3) Convalescent Villa 2 (4) Gym and occupation therapy building
Images
The images are numbered in accordance to the building they were taken in, just to give you a better idea:
(1) Interesting graffiti
(1) Writing on the wall of a small room, presumably by a patient, not a graffiti artist.
(1) Staff room door
(1) Graffitied door in corridor
(1) Peeling paint on the ceiling
(1) Packaging from medical products
(1) Remains of a piano
(1) Pipes and equipment in the basement
(1) Main fuses
(1) Linen press
(1) Medical literature, seemingly concerned with surgery or surgical instruments including ‘irrigating cystomes’ (?)
(1) Staff lockers
(1) Door with signs and writing
(1) Medication cabinets
(1) Wallpaper
(1) Ward
(1) Rusted Trolley, in what we suspected to be the ect suite
(1) Collapsed shelves in ‘ect suite’
(3) Old batteries
(3) Mural in one of the ‘convalescent villas. It seemed that these smaller buildings were designated either for patients who were elderly, or those who had learning difficulties rather than any mental illness.
(2) Bath chair
(2) Painting in drawer
(2) MoneyWhich circa 1973
(1) plaque on wall of laundry
(4) Colourful graffiti on wall of sports hall (as we went through the door on the far side we found another large piece, and the smell of very fresh spray paint. It seems this building is frequented by graffiti artists often.)
Hope you like!
Love Leeloo
xxxx
Been a while, but I have better news this time than in my first post!
The subject of my latest explore was St Augustine’s Hospital in Kent. As some of you will probably know, this hospital had a very interesting albeit chequered past.
A (very) brief History of St Augustine’s Hospital
The hospital was opened in 1872, when it became clear that the designated Kent County Asylum alone was not sufficient to serve the area. At the time it was referred to as the East Kent County Asylum. The building layout was created by architects J Giles and Gough, and is of corridor pavilion design.
At this time facilities were basic, consisting mainly of dormitories, staff recreation areas, and a mortuary. Between 1929 and 1939, an operating theatre and nurses home were built, the admissions block and two convalescent villas were also added.
In 1948 the hospital became part of the National Health service, and was renamed ‘St Augustine’s.’ At this time St Augustine’s was using new treatments such as ECT and psychosurgery.
In 1972 the Hospital found itself at the centre of a controversy. Two of the nursing staff (William Ankers and Olleste Weston) had become concerned with the treatment of long stay patients. After their initial complaints to the hospital authorities were overlooked, they decided to produce an in depth report, describing over 70 individual instances of abuse or neglect. In one short excerpt, they detail in particular the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT):
"Drugs were given almost automatically to new admissions ... ECT was sometimes used as a punitive measure - although it was not openly admitted. I have heard the term 'punitive ECT' used in the hospital in reference to "that is what a patient needs". Some psychiatrists had a certain faith in ECT and at times patients were threatened with it"
Due to this an official enquiry was set up. Amazingly, although the majority of the complaints were upheld by the hospital authority, no disciplinary action was ever taken against the staff involved.
The hospital shut down in 1993, after the Care in the Community policy came into effect.
St Augustines Now
I am pleased to report that the majority of the buildings themselves are largely intact (that is, what remains of them today. Parts of the main site have been demolished or converted some years ago). It seems that this site is not currently earmarked for demolition or redevelopment, probably due to its remote location. However, time (and those with no appreciation of the urban environment) have really taken a bat to this place. Pretty much everything has been broken, removed or partially destroyed. That said, St Augustine’s still makes for a wonderful explore, and if you take your time you will find some lovely details. On the map below I have numbered the main buildings: (1) Main Site (2) Convalescent Villa 1 (3) Convalescent Villa 2 (4) Gym and occupation therapy building
Images
The images are numbered in accordance to the building they were taken in, just to give you a better idea:
(1) Interesting graffiti
(1) Writing on the wall of a small room, presumably by a patient, not a graffiti artist.
(1) Staff room door
(1) Graffitied door in corridor
(1) Peeling paint on the ceiling
(1) Packaging from medical products
(1) Remains of a piano
(1) Pipes and equipment in the basement
(1) Main fuses
(1) Linen press
(1) Medical literature, seemingly concerned with surgery or surgical instruments including ‘irrigating cystomes’ (?)
(1) Staff lockers
(1) Door with signs and writing
(1) Medication cabinets
(1) Wallpaper
(1) Ward
(1) Rusted Trolley, in what we suspected to be the ect suite
(1) Collapsed shelves in ‘ect suite’
(3) Old batteries
(3) Mural in one of the ‘convalescent villas. It seemed that these smaller buildings were designated either for patients who were elderly, or those who had learning difficulties rather than any mental illness.
(2) Bath chair
(2) Painting in drawer
(2) MoneyWhich circa 1973
(1) plaque on wall of laundry
(4) Colourful graffiti on wall of sports hall (as we went through the door on the far side we found another large piece, and the smell of very fresh spray paint. It seems this building is frequented by graffiti artists often.)
Hope you like!
Love Leeloo
xxxx
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