Kent County Asylum (Oakwood Hospital) Cemetery, Maidstone

[tom46]

This place is literally five minutes from me- I live up the road from the old asylum site which is now houses. I was vaguely aware that there was an abandoned graveyard here but until today, had no idea that it was connected to the site.

It's behind the old nurses' home. There are various graves of nurses, matrons and even head attendants of the hospital, dating from around 1880 to 1950, when I assume the cemetery went out of use.

The site is huge and very pleasing to look at- tree-lined paths and a parkland setting. I think there may have been a lot more headstones- we did see a lot of evidence of desecration

Here's a few digital shots- I took most on 35mm which will be up some time later.

Hope you liked them.

 

[Foxylady]

What a gorgeous setting. It feels really peaceful, just by looking at the photos. Lovely pics, Tom...look forward to seeing your film ones.

 

[tom46]

What a gorgeous setting. It feels really peaceful, just by looking at the photos. Lovely pics, Tom...look forward to seeing your film ones.

Thanks I know it's not the most inspiring of subject matters, but I was just stoked to find that there was actually something left of this hospital that hadn't been redeveloped; reading the headstones was very interesting. One of the blokes buried there (can't remember the first name, surname was Huxley) was the brother of Charles Darwin's closest scientific associate; he was one of the first head attendants.

Mind you, it's sad to see them having fallen into such a bad state. I didn't take pictures of all the collapsed, broken, removed headstones. I find it a bit of an affront that people's resting places aren't better respected. (Also, with the site being in its current state, I think the inscription at the bottom of the raff headstone is somewhat ironic.)

As you said though, it's a beautiful site and really peaceful. Just a pity about the druggies messing it all up.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

Interesting site... Will have to visit

 

[spacepunk]

Nice use of b&w.

 

[Kent-urbex]

found this on youtube shows the Oakwood Hospital derelict and now as apartment. i've never found any reports from here. i think this was because urbexing wasn't around so much then because of the intnet not here yet

[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtN9g5_Yul4[/nomedia]

[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fgVhPC5MqA[/nomedia]

 

[tom46]

Slight bump. Further to those videos, I found out some very interesting stuff about this hospital today which I think is worth posting, intriguing to say the least.

Basically, underneath/near this cemetery (which would have had way way more unmarked 'paupers' graves than headstones, seeing as mental patients were very often not seen as fit for a proper burial), there was an extensive network of tunnels. And by extensive, I mean, huge- bigger than all of the service tunnels we see at asylums today.

Rumours abound that there were underground isolation wards, and while I always thought this was a bit Hollywoodish it seems to be true; was talking to my gran about it and she lived very local, and my grandad, being involved in the plumbing trade, did a fair bit of work around here. On top of this, there may also have been war rooms for local government, deep shelters either from the WWII or Cold War era, in these tunnels. This makes me wonder if there is actually any access to them- not by the traditional means, but it begs the question as to whether the council have still got ways in, seeing as the network was so large.

Illustrating the scale of these tunnels is the fact that they have been known on more than one occasion to cause serious road subsidence. If anybody knows the area: opposite the Cherry Tree pub on the Tonbridge Road there are now some new flats. This used to be the Barming bus terminus and my gran remembers a time when a trolley bus actually fell into a hole in the ground, i.e. the tunnels had collapsed! Apparently the bus is still there although I think this might be an urban myth.

Only a couple of months ago, a large section of road on my estate actually collapsed as well, this was also attributed to the hospital tunnels.

If anyone does have any info on this I'd be interested to hear it. I might get in touch with the council to see if anyone knows anything but it's probably a long shot if these things are collapsing left right and centre.

Probably of no use to anyone else, but I found all this quite fascinating

 

[Moriarty01]

Hi Tom

Where did your evidence for the supposed tunnels under/around the graveyard come from?

There seems to have been rumours for years about elaborate tunnels under the old asylum - and even put about by the developers of St Andrew's Park when the building was re-developed into flats.

My research into the site has revealed a few interesting things but certainly nothing on the scale of underground isolation wards!

There is a tunnel from the river going to underground reservoir tanks at the old asylum. And even a tunnel going across to the prison. This was put in place in the late 1800s when the asylum needed additional water supplies and was the subject of a legal dispute with the owners of the river.

There are also various 'channels' under the original asylum building and the Queens House which were part of the central heating system.

If there is evidence (rather than just rumour!) of more elaborate tunnels that I'd be very interested to know!

Andy

 

[tom46]

Unfortunately, I don't have any evidence other than what my grandparents remember and what my mum remembers, as she worked there for a little while. The only evidence I can speak of is the road having collapsed on Heath Road a couple of months back. And I hear Persimmon (or whoever it was) lost a digger in a large hole while they were developing the new houses.

My gran used to go to dances in the main ballroom which is demolished now but apparently was a very big local venue for big bands and whatnot. I have looked for information on the lost trolley bus but no luck, I guess there would be some in the archives. There's always been talk of isolation wards down there as long as I've known about the place, and anyone I've asked seems to think there were. My mum reckons there were, and she volunteered there for a bit. But it could also be hearsay.

However-the site of the Heath Road collapse is way, way out of the old hospital boundaries, perhaps half a mile away from the boundary wall to the West. Same with the old bus terminus, so that would definitely suggest tunnels on a larger scale. Like I said, I bet the council would have some info but whether they'd be prepared to divulge it may be another matter.

 

[hnmisty]

Wow, that would be absolutely fascinating if it is all down there. Its absolutely fascinating anyway! (Just hope they got all the people off the bus if it is down there! )

Have you tried your local records office? They might have more info on it. Someone somewhere must surely know all about it and maybe even a way in...Damn, if I lived nearer Kent I'd be there in a jiffy with a shovel!

 

[tom46]

Good idea, I'll have a nosey about in the future some time. It would be great just to know what was down there.

 

[James G]

Tom Help

I was recently going through all the old family files and saw that my Great Great nan was here. She was also buried here. She was in the hospital for 21 years iam wondering if you had seen a grave stating Clara Gunningham. It would be a great help if you had seen to take a picture as i live on the Isle Of Wight. So i can not go to visit even though i go up once a year or so.

 

[tom46]

I was recently going through all the old family files and saw that my Great Great nan was here. She was also buried here. She was in the hospital for 21 years iam wondering if you had seen a grave stating Clara Gunningham. It would be a great help if you had seen to take a picture as i live on the Isle Of Wight. So i can not go to visit even though i go up once a year or so.

I can't remember whether or not I saw one. There weren't an awful lot of headstones, but if there's record of her burial there I suspect she may have one.

I'll pop back there soon and have a look for you

 

[James G]

The plot is 6292 if thats any help.Thanks very much>

 

[Engineer]

Asylum.

There's an awful lot of underground bits in the area that may explain the local collapses.

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/uk-mining-regions/default.aspx?ref=51

 

[tom46]

^
That is very very true, there's a quarry still in the area, and Oaken Wood used to be all clay mines.

To the poster who asked: I went back, and couldn't find a Clara Gunningham anywhere. I suspect that there are an awful lot of unmarked graves on this site given the way that mentally ill people were looked upon until recently. Or, the headstone may have been removed or broken. I'm sorry.

Here are a few 35mm shots I got the other day: