West Park Hospital round 2: Dec 2008

This was our second visit to the site. This time determined to get the padded cell, water tower, and generally more of the site we hadn't seen the first time. Kudos to Concentration F, Wifebeater, LiamCH and Clebby for another awesome explore.

Excuse the poor quality of some of the pics, not only did I not bring a tripod but I tried manual focus for a good few of them. They seem to have lost some quality in the resizing also.

Onto the pics

Can't get enough of those service tunnels:



Projector room:

View of main hall:









Old school till inside the hospital shop:



Outside - patients pavilion. The grounds must have been incredible years ago



Back inside:




Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day:





Padded cell:




Water tanks:

Water tower:

View from top of water tower:


Lots more on Flickr


All in all was an excellent, and very eventful day. Between poor LiamCH falling through a very weak floor (warning to anyone else, watch out!) and being chased by security and subsequently ending up the top of the water tower with that view.... wow .

Definitely an underrated gem, shame it'll be knocked for housing sooner or later.

Any comments/suggestions more than welcome. I'm really still learning how to use my D40 properly so keen to learn from you pros

Nice one

You captured the atmos brilliantly...and 18 months on I am still learning with my D80...after every trip,I have learned something different especially using the long exposure combinations...for me,its what often makes an ordinary picture come out surprisingly good..keep plugging away ok.
regards from Stu

Here are my photographs from the trip:





In a basement:


I almost walked into a hole and fell down here. I climbed down, and as you can see, it's not the sort of place that falling into is a good idea.

A photograph of myself lashing about in the padded cell.



In the service tunnels:






The water tower:

The view from the top, looking out over the live part of the site. We had to wait for some of the residents to finish smoking and go back inside before taking this.

Excellent. Really wish I brought my tripod, your view from the top came out alot better, I was so bolloxed from running up that tower the camera was shaking about like I should have been a patient

My shots from the day. Another excellent explore, I think we must have seen most of that place by now

Thanks to all who came!



































Again, loads more on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardfield/

Great stuff there, Some bits of west park I'd not seen before. The door in the tunnels is interesting as it looks like they had a fan driven ventilation system running down there.

Nice shots, I really need to get there at some point. If anyone is planning on going please let me know.

same here

would love to go on the next one

it looks reet spooky. gr8 pics by the way...

stunning pictures, its such an amazing place, ive been intending to go down for ages but every time im about 2 leave i end up going 2 cornwall (the completely opposite direction). its either surfing or photography... not a good way of looking at it as photography is pretty much my life. is it true someone has stolen the door to the padded cell?

Yes. I don't know how they got it out, or why. Maybe it's workmen, but I can't think why they would just remove the door and nothing else.