Cane Hill Asylum in the snow - February 2009

[LiamCH]

As soon as it snowed, I knew I had to go here. Somehow, the thought of Cane Hill in the snow is amazing, and the reality is too. This is probably my final visit, as demolition has progressed very far now and I have seen all that is left. I apologise for the terrible photographs. I don't know what was wrong with me on that day. Anyway, on with the pictures.

Err... Does anyone have any idea what happened here?

Surely this didn't happen by itself?

The service tunnel entrance:

All in all, it was a fantastic explore. Definitely my best visit to Cane Hill yet. Unfortunately, my photographs don't really reflect that, probably due to the stress caused by being surrounded by demolition workers. If you go during the week, please bear in mind that they are all over the place. Surprisingly however, apart from on the beaten paths where the workers go, there were no footprints whatsoever, except for a few in Browning/Blake, which contrary to rumours is still fully intact and worth a visit.

 

[MD]

nice one
looks well dodgey where the floors have gone.

 

[clebby]

first and last shots do it for me nice one

looks like its had it now - its in a right sorry state and demolition looks to have finally beaten the explorers, i expect that your report will be one of the last we see of cane hill

 

[MaBs]

The collapsed floors look really weird, is that due to demolition work or has it happened by itself? It is certainly interesting exploring in the snow

 

[King Al]

Like the snow on the toilet, does any one know what the extra roof cage thing is on that land rover is for? I was thinking Monkeybat security...

 

[Pincheck]

Nice set of pics the floating toilets where...................... unusual . Shameful waste of a building really, just glad we spent so long here last year.

 

[dangerous dave]

Like the snow on the toilet, does any one know what the extra roof cage thing is on that land rover is for? I was thinking Monkeybat security...

its a dog kennel mate its been put on the roof

 

[LiamCH]

The collapsed floors look really weird, is that due to demolition work or has it happened by itself?

I really want to know what happened there! It's odd, because demolition hasn't reached these buildings yet. And why would they go to the trouble of removing the floors in specific rooms?

 

[Bryant]

Shameful waste of a building really

I wouldn't agree with that at all

What is shameful is the constant re-structuring of the NHS in the late-1980s and ealry-1990s. Cane Hill closed at a time of great NHS reorganisation; had it closed 2 years earlier; it would have been in one box, had it closed 2 years later; it would have been in a different box; but it closed exactly at the time of confusion, and therefore it ended up as part of the residue of the South East Regional Health Board. Meaning that it actually went into a draw in Whitehall; so it didn’t belong to the Primary Care Trust, Lambeth & Maudsley Trust only had an interest in one building with 25 patients in it, and the rest of the site was left derelict. Making it ideal for SAS practice, vandalism, arson, and of course photography; and nothing really ever happened to it. Several Science Park and MSU expansion applications later and we have the first real development on Cane Hill.

It's understandable that many will romanticise about Cane Hill as that empty space you could escape to and get lost in of a weekend, but the fact is Coulsdon needs this development. If one looks at statistics concerning A1 retail in the area, the decline of Coulsdon Town Centre does actually match quite nicely with the closure of Cane Hill (as well as other factors such as Tescos at Purley, and more general factors such as increased mobility, the internet etc. etc.)

English Partnerships (now 're-organised' (there's that word again!) into the Homes & Communities Agency) did undertake extensive surveys of the entire site shortly after adding it to their Hospital Sites Programme portfolio. However as many can testify the place is one big asbestos breeding ground. And even if you 'overlook' that, the radiating pavillion design that C.H. Howell used to squeeze as much floor-space into what is after all a 'hill', breaks every building standard in the context of converting to commercial or residential e.g. poor natural light, dimensions too narrow; it just wouldn't be practical both health & safety-wise or economically. Add the structural integrity of many of the buildings to the mix and it all makes best sense to demo and start over. Of course the Admin Block, Chapel, and Water Tower are being retained, which to many on here probably seems a tad tokenisitc.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it's not a waste to do something productive and vitally important to the regeneration of Coulsdon. If anything we're lucky to have that. Coulsdon has a very big preservationist lobby, and a viable option for many years was the old favourite - 'the do nothing' approach, as many saw it as critical to preserve the virgin greenbelt upon which Cane Hill is found (another reason development has taken 17 years).

This by no means a rant, it is simply an alternative viewpoint. I have gradually noticed more and more lamenting the destruction of Cane Hill. It will be greatly missed, I myself enjoyed exploring its empty wards and corridors, but I just think it needs to be appreciated that the future is of greater priority than the past (in this case that is, before I have the archictecture lobby on my back) to those that actually live here. Sure it's just another housing development being proposed, but Coulsdon has a catchment area of only 26,000 people, and if Cane Hill can potentially bring in 3000 more people - it becomes vitally important for Coulsdon's survival.

 

[King Al]

its a dog kennel mate its been put on the roof

Cheers Dave, its a bit odd having them up so high, do they have a little slide???

 

[Winchester]

Interesting viewpoint Bryant, sentiments I share, particularly about the romanticism of Cane Hill

 

[Bryant]

I wonder what will happen to that iconic sign (in photo 1) - security/squibb seem to have trimmed the 'growth' back and scrubbed it clean. It also always strikes me as ironic that the front lawn at Admin has always been kept pristine while the building itself ihas been left to decay - even since the fire which turfed security out! Other strange behaviour includes leaving the Nurses' Block half-standing - though maybe it's their way of signalling the rest of Coulsdon that something is indeed happening?!

 

[Bryant]

I really want to know what happened there! It's odd, because demolition hasn't reached these buildings yet. And why would they go to the trouble of removing the floors in specific rooms?

Same reason why all the tiles have been removed - they're stripping the place for scrap materials, I think there's an agreement in place with Squibb. Also could be becasue of asbestos removal, it's quite a strategic job up there.

 

[fire*fly]

great photos