Hartwood Hospital leftover bits, Lanarkshire Sept'17

A little history…


The Hartwood Hospital was originally known as the Lanark District Asylum, which opened in 1895 with the capacity for 500 patients. In the hospital style of the time Hartwood was self-sustaining with the grounds including staff-houses, gardens, a farm, powerplant, reservoir, railway-line and a cemetery for patients and staff.


The Lanarkshire Lunacy Board held a competition for designing the asylum and the architect John Lamb Murray won the position. The imposing twin clock towers with turrets called tourelles are designed in the Scottish Baronial style, which reflects the 16th century medieval style of castle building.



The hospital and had its own College of Nursing, which was annexed to Bell College which merged with the University of Paisley to form the University of the West of Scotland in August 2007. It was the last part of the original Hartwood site to close in 2000 when educational services were transferred to Bell College's purpose-built facility the Caird Building on its Hamiliton site.


Sadly, like all too many of these wonderful Victorian buildings, once derelict they become attractions for arsonists. Two major fires, the first in 2004 resulted in the destruction of the administration offices, dining hall and clock towers, then a more recent fire broke out in last year, which caused further damage to the remaining surviving buildings.


Like all Victorian institutions the inception of the Community Care Act 1990 begun the closure of such long-term psychiatric hospitals and a more “community based structure” was supposed to have been implemented. However the reality of this often means extremely vulnerable people have become isolated and receive no, inappropriate or very little psychiatric care until they commit offences and end up in another type of institution.


After it closed in 1998, Lanarkshire Television used it as a studio until the company ceased in 2002 and the site became derelict. Currently the land is still up for sale but with the damage done during the fires will probably give any future developer financial reasons to demolish the remains, hopefully the unaffected nurses home could be redeveloped as it would make stunning homes.



The explore…

It pisses it down in Scotland 24/7, I don’t know how the good people cope. I got wet again.



So on with some pics…



https://flic.kr/p/Y22ABx by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The separate nurses home.



https://flic.kr/p/Y22wWB by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

What’s left of the front of the main administration buildings.



https://flic.kr/p/BWcNyJ by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The rear of the main admin block, you can see the old red flooring where one of the demolished corridors once stood.



https://flic.kr/p/BWcQiW by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



https://flic.kr/p/BWcYWC by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

With the palisade, extra steel fence, razor wire and anti-climb paint the place was cared for at some point so its very sad to see what has happened to it.



https://flic.kr/p/Z3fMYP by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



https://flic.kr/p/BWcYbj by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



https://flic.kr/p/Z3fMbM by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/Z3fLVX by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

There are reports online with photographs of how the asylum looked prior to the fires. I have to view them with my hands over my eyes squinting through tiny gaps in-between my fingers it hurts so much



https://flic.kr/p/Y22BDT by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



https://flic.kr/p/YZvp8C by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/Y22B9V by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/YZvouo by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

There were some gorgeous patterned orange tiles but sadly I didn’t find them I was actually far more upset than this but there isn't an emoji that could even get close to the pain.


https://flic.kr/p/YZvnFQ by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/Y22A7K by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

One of the old circuit breakers I believe…but don’t slate me, hunt me down or bust me tyres if I’m wrong, just a correction from DS would be sufficient.


https://flic.kr/p/BWcTcb by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr



https://flic.kr/p/Y22zyk by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

The happy lonely chair…you see it smiling yeah?


https://flic.kr/p/YDvXu9 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/Y22yUe by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/BWcR9U by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

When people say “they just stumbled across the morgue” when really they spent 3hrs lookin for it, I can really say I did in this case. I never knew this was actually here and when I walked into the room the rain was coming through the roof onto the tiled floor and I slipped and slid a few feet nearly ending up in the fridge.


https://flic.kr/p/YDvX4Q by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Scottish accent required to correctly view this image



https://flic.kr/p/YDvWJb by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/BWcPo9 by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/YDvWuy by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr


https://flic.kr/p/Y22wfg by Pretty Vacant, on Flickr

Well I know there wasn’t much left to see of the place and what there was is trashed but I’m still glad I got to have a look about and it might have saved someone a hell of a lot of petrol money if they were thinking of going...unless you just live around the corner, if that was the case I would pop in.

Thanks for loookin, remember Irn Bru is made from girders so don’t be messin now

We use things called coats up here for the rain........................

There was a lot more to it a number back in 2005/6 even after the first fire destroyed half the place remembered seeing others pictures at the time. still bits and bobs there though but that last fire in estates building destroyed a lot of stuff people didn't know about .

The mortuary used to have a pewter slab table which had toes tags stuck to it when i seen it first time.

your picture of the bars anti climb paint and razor wire are all new additions guess to keep kids out from the main section fired about 4 months ago in the Old local tv news station section

Did you try and get up the direction wind tower ? as that was still doable last time i was there before the fires. Always wanted to do the clock tower but that would be a lot of work now

So Pincheck so its taken a local one for you to comment on my pics has it?

I was not prepared at all for the trip, I never even took a coat. These pics are from my "Got wet, dried off it mc ds, slept in the car...got wet again, trip" I'm gona squeeze in "didn't have a coat" somewhere in that too.

I'd love to see any pics if you took any before the fire.

The direction wind tower??? I don't know about that one! There were a few kids climbing about and they asked if I was going up the clock tower as they were half way up it. But as it was raining and it required a small climb over a very slippery looking slate roof I thought I'd better not risk it, it would have given them something to film on their phones as I'd probably end up getting badly hurt, reality check required that moment!

Toe tags in the mortuary a!!! Do you know what happened to the slab??? I hate seeing these wonderful buildings destroyed like this. I wonder if there could be hope for the place if them bars etc are new, or it could just be an insurance thing?

Thanks for that extra info Pincheck

Loads there to see still! And you did a right proper job there. Very, very strong set.

Scottish people are semi-aquatic. True story. Hartwood's a tip, still a good set though. Braw effort.

prettyvacant71 said:

So Pincheck so its taken a local one for you to comment on my pics has it?

I was not prepared at all for the trip, I never even took a coat. These pics are from my "Got wet, dried off it mc ds, slept in the car...got wet again, trip" I'm gona squeeze in "didn't have a coat" somewhere in that too.

I'd love to see any pics if you took any before the fire.

The direction wind tower??? I don't know about that one! There were a few kids climbing about and they asked if I was going up the clock tower as they were half way up it. But as it was raining and it required a small climb over a very slippery looking slate roof I thought I'd better not risk it, it would have given them something to film on their phones as I'd probably end up getting badly hurt, reality check required that moment!

Toe tags in the mortuary a!!! Do you know what happened to the slab??? I hate seeing these wonderful buildings destroyed like this. I wonder if there could be hope for the place if them bars etc are new, or it could just be an insurance thing?

Thanks for that extra info Pincheck

Click to expand...

Well you know the next time you visit it would be best to be prepared like the time htmlnangel me and Cuban bloodhound did a asylum tour in England back in 2007 he forgot his coat slept outside Denbigh in the van chuffing freezing (for him) ...... its snowed as we entered Canehill(still standing in tact then)it was April. taught him a valuable lesson

the twin towers are not two clock towers one was a clock tower the other was a wind direction tower the clock tower on burned out long ago. The wind direction tower was still doable last i went but for how long ? as there is a hole in the top of the central stair that comes out to the to floor where to then walk across to the corner turret stairs


2006 picture




salb with in-bedded tow tag (used)

in this picture you can see-letter S for south the other once had N W and E for other directions . Was wolfism that pointed than out to me most people just take it both are clock towers but they are not.

No idea what happened to the slab also used to be a sadly suspect that is a insurance thing as a lot of kids go up there and get chased as well as metal thieves. probably to cut their liability if hurt.

Still looks impressive, L enjoy the descriptions of your explores, Thanks

Pincheck said:

Well you know the next time you visit it would be best to be prepared like the time htmlnangel me and Cuban bloodhound did a asylum tour in England back in 2007 he forgot his coat slept outside Denbigh in the van chuffing freezing (for him) ...... its snowed as we entered Canehill(still standing in tact then)it was April. taught him a valuable lesson

the twin towers are not two clock towers one was a clock tower the other was a wind direction tower the clock tower on burned out long ago. The wind direction tower was still doable last i went but for how long ? as there is a hole in the top of the central stair that comes out to the to floor where to then walk across to the corner turret stairs

2006 picture

salb with in-bedded tow tag (used)

in this picture you can see-letter S for south the other once had N W and E for other directions . Was wolfism that pointed than out to me most people just take it both are clock towers but they are not.

No idea what happened to the slab also used to be a sadly suspect that is a insurance thing as a lot of kids go up there and get chased as well as metal thieves. probably to cut their liability if hurt.

Click to expand...

I would never had known that one of the towers was a wind direction tower! Thats great putting them pics up thanks I appreciate that! I can now see what you mean the "clock face" has N,S,E,W on it. Sadly since you have taken them shots, over 10 yrs ago, **** where has the time gone, all the glass has been smashed out of the faces so only the wire probably exists which makes it impossible to see the lettering.

Since you brought it to my attention I've had a little google and been much enlightened lol

Thanks for spending the time putting up the extra pics Pincheck

Haha yes I can see it smiling! Great report prettyvacant!

Well I had to recover those from a old hidden photobucket accoun. I no longer use and upload them to Flickr. just thought it would interest you.

Rubex said:

Haha yes I can see it smiling! Great report prettyvacant!

Click to expand...

I'm so glad you did Rubex and that you have told me means even more!...I don't feel half as when someone else see's the same thing haha

Nice work pv it is a mess there.did you dare the clock tower.i heard it is a bit hairy up there

No I didn't risk it Mikey! It had been pissing it down for hours and it meant climbing onto a slate roof which looked really dodgy, although the local kids just hopped up it lol. If it weren't a solo trip I might have been a bit braver lol but I've had a few slips along the way so I try to tell myself not to be so stupid when Im alone!

should not have to climb on any slate roof to get to the tower roof