Horton Chapel has been a goal of mine for three years now: countless recces and revisits have proved fruitless, (the chapel is securely locked and maintained by the borough council) so when the opportunity arose to visit legitimately as part of a 'guided walk' around the Epsom Cluster, I jumped at it.
The chapel held its last service c.2003 and is now in limbo. Several ideas have been put forward for re-use, including an evangelical church, a mosque and most recently a community centre.
First, the former main gate of the hospital, now part of the Horton Haven Psychiatric Unit
The Chapel
In 1961, the west end of the chapel was partitioned off to serve as a hall for entertainments which doubled as a music therapy unit. This was called the Harewood Hall
Among the items left behind was this huge ancient reel-to-reel tape recorder, probably part of the music therapy equipment.
The chapel itself, looking up the nave
Looking back. The large mural was painted in 1963 after the chapel was partitioned and is in excellent condition.
Encaustic tiles in the sanctuary
The organ console
Stops and keys
Organ pipes
Old service sheets and a moulting hassock
East Window
Naturally, as well as the guided walk, I engaged in a few 'extra-curricular' visits. I won't go over the history of the Epsom Cluster here, but if you're not familiar, there's a brief introduction here
Firstly, the rest of Horton:
I was shocked to see that the iconic water tower had been demolished and replaced by this memorial
This is Horton House. Originally the Superintendent's residence, it was converted to patient accommodation in the 1960s.
I first visited this house in 2009, since then it seems the upstairs walls have fallen through the floor.
This was the only part of the upstairs I cared to visit. Taken from the top of the stairs.
Here's St. Ebba's:
Admin block, now rather nice flats.
One of the villas, likewise, although about 1/4 of the hospital remains open for patients.
The water tower and surrounding workshops are stranded in the middle of the new housing estate.
Sadly, the place was completely empty and the tower was a guano-strewn, pigeon infested nightmare.
Nothing to see here.
Long Grove:
Admin block, again, now rather nice flats. Nothing derelict to see here.
Central Power Station:
Now David Lloyd Health Club, I always assumed there was nothing left to see
Amazingly however, the original pumping equipment survives and is well-looked after.
The Manor:
Admin block, there's a theme developing here...
Some sort of temporary building, formerly also the hospital bus stop.
The now closed Pines Lodge Day Centre.
Hollywood Lodge:
Completely bricked up.
And of course, West Park:
Admin block, being converted to flats.
Clifton/Cranford/Denton/Dartford
Main street
Greenbank House, former Drugs unit
Kitchen
Corridor
The Mortuary
Pathology Lab
Tissue samples - rather creepy.
I believe by the legs and tail that this was a squirrel.
The body refrigerator
More on Horton hospital here: http://derelictmisc.org.uk/hospitals/h/horton.html
The chapel held its last service c.2003 and is now in limbo. Several ideas have been put forward for re-use, including an evangelical church, a mosque and most recently a community centre.
First, the former main gate of the hospital, now part of the Horton Haven Psychiatric Unit
The Chapel
In 1961, the west end of the chapel was partitioned off to serve as a hall for entertainments which doubled as a music therapy unit. This was called the Harewood Hall
Among the items left behind was this huge ancient reel-to-reel tape recorder, probably part of the music therapy equipment.
The chapel itself, looking up the nave
Looking back. The large mural was painted in 1963 after the chapel was partitioned and is in excellent condition.
Encaustic tiles in the sanctuary
The organ console
Stops and keys
Organ pipes
Old service sheets and a moulting hassock
East Window
Naturally, as well as the guided walk, I engaged in a few 'extra-curricular' visits. I won't go over the history of the Epsom Cluster here, but if you're not familiar, there's a brief introduction here
Firstly, the rest of Horton:
I was shocked to see that the iconic water tower had been demolished and replaced by this memorial
This is Horton House. Originally the Superintendent's residence, it was converted to patient accommodation in the 1960s.
I first visited this house in 2009, since then it seems the upstairs walls have fallen through the floor.
This was the only part of the upstairs I cared to visit. Taken from the top of the stairs.
Here's St. Ebba's:
Admin block, now rather nice flats.
One of the villas, likewise, although about 1/4 of the hospital remains open for patients.
The water tower and surrounding workshops are stranded in the middle of the new housing estate.
Sadly, the place was completely empty and the tower was a guano-strewn, pigeon infested nightmare.
Nothing to see here.
Long Grove:
Admin block, again, now rather nice flats. Nothing derelict to see here.
Central Power Station:
Now David Lloyd Health Club, I always assumed there was nothing left to see
Amazingly however, the original pumping equipment survives and is well-looked after.
The Manor:
Admin block, there's a theme developing here...
Some sort of temporary building, formerly also the hospital bus stop.
The now closed Pines Lodge Day Centre.
Hollywood Lodge:
Completely bricked up.
And of course, West Park:
Admin block, being converted to flats.
Clifton/Cranford/Denton/Dartford
Main street
Greenbank House, former Drugs unit
Kitchen
Corridor
The Mortuary
Pathology Lab
Tissue samples - rather creepy.
I believe by the legs and tail that this was a squirrel.
The body refrigerator
More on Horton hospital here: http://derelictmisc.org.uk/hospitals/h/horton.html
