Spent afew times up Fairmile the past week and a half and i love it. Even though pretty much of it in the Dark which is spooky 
We only tackeled the Main Hospital and is massive still havent managed to see it all even in 3 visits. Good to see a site with not much Vandalism and urge anyone to go and see it when you can.
Everyone knows this place but just incase heres the History
"Fairmile asylum was designed by C H Howell the same architect who designed the infamous Cane Hill. Building started in 1867 and the asylum was opened in 1870. Originally built to take 500 patients but just 8 years after opening it was heavily overcrowded and further additions were made again by C H Howell.
Yet more overcrowding around the turn of the century meant that another architect had to be brought in to plan more extensions, this architect was G T Hine the other infamous Asylum builder this is the only asylum where Howell and Hine "meet".
He added new male and female wards and also an isolation hospital. This made the hospital closely resemble the American ideal hospital plan the Kirkbride, which has been said to resemble a bat with its wings spread. Further alterations additions were made to Fairmile these included a new admissions hospital where patients would be assessed to determine the severity of their condition and what treatment and ward they would need if they were not to be released.
By the 1940's there were over 1400 patients but due to medicine breakthroughs and a change in the way mental illness was looked at these number dwindled to only 220 in 2002 and final closure was in April 2003.
The chapel building defiantly shows the strong architectural stamp of Howell with the arched windows, heavy use of dark wood and use of two tone bricks which was later effectively used in 2 of his later asylum builds Brookwood and Cane Hill.
It is now in the hands of English Partnerships who are selling it off later this year for conversion to luxury apartments.
Most of the buildings by Hine and Howell are listed and will be saved also the grounds are listed too so no major ground clearance can happen. Unfortunately it seems that the isolation hospital is not in the listed building plans so it seems that it will be lost"
My Pictures
Thanks Matt
We only tackeled the Main Hospital and is massive still havent managed to see it all even in 3 visits. Good to see a site with not much Vandalism and urge anyone to go and see it when you can.Everyone knows this place but just incase heres the History
"Fairmile asylum was designed by C H Howell the same architect who designed the infamous Cane Hill. Building started in 1867 and the asylum was opened in 1870. Originally built to take 500 patients but just 8 years after opening it was heavily overcrowded and further additions were made again by C H Howell.
Yet more overcrowding around the turn of the century meant that another architect had to be brought in to plan more extensions, this architect was G T Hine the other infamous Asylum builder this is the only asylum where Howell and Hine "meet".
He added new male and female wards and also an isolation hospital. This made the hospital closely resemble the American ideal hospital plan the Kirkbride, which has been said to resemble a bat with its wings spread. Further alterations additions were made to Fairmile these included a new admissions hospital where patients would be assessed to determine the severity of their condition and what treatment and ward they would need if they were not to be released.
By the 1940's there were over 1400 patients but due to medicine breakthroughs and a change in the way mental illness was looked at these number dwindled to only 220 in 2002 and final closure was in April 2003.
The chapel building defiantly shows the strong architectural stamp of Howell with the arched windows, heavy use of dark wood and use of two tone bricks which was later effectively used in 2 of his later asylum builds Brookwood and Cane Hill.
It is now in the hands of English Partnerships who are selling it off later this year for conversion to luxury apartments.
Most of the buildings by Hine and Howell are listed and will be saved also the grounds are listed too so no major ground clearance can happen. Unfortunately it seems that the isolation hospital is not in the listed building plans so it seems that it will be lost"
My Pictures
Thanks Matt
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