A friend recently sent me a piece from the Inside Out (BBC Midlands) programme. It was concerned with the forthcoming closure of Kingsway Hospital in Derby. A local historian told the history of the institution and outlined the future of the buildings. He was also filmed at the now remarkably clean-and-tidy St John’s at Bracebridge Heath (cleared for asbestos removal) whilst a researcher dug out some black and white footage of an asylum in the 1950s.
It was this archival footage that made me sit up. I suddenly released that it might be Cane Hill. So, I grabbed a few frames and studied them closely. Was it?
(Apologies for the subtitles. They were on the original recording).
The first parts of the archival film showed an overcrowded female dormitory. There are no clues here; it could be anywhere.
This was more interesting. The arches over the doorway and the circular skylight over the door on the left seemed familiar. But it certainly wasn't conclusive.
The next frames of the film showed an extremely overcrowded male dormitory. Again, there were no clues as to where this was shot.
Suddenly it all looked extremely familar. I got out the Cane Hil plans to figure this shot out. We were on the male side of the hospital as there's seveal men walking around. So the cameraman was probably on the first floor of Wren/Wesley shooting roughly south east across No. 4 Garden and just capturing the end of Vanbrugh/Vincent. But what of the shelter? I consulted the older hospital plans. And there it was - positioned exactly on the plan where it was shown in the film. I could even imagine the cameraman standing in the bay window of Wren/Wesley to get this shot.
Again, the male side of the hospital. But this shot is more difficult to place. It's either the southern flank of Wren/Wesley or the southern flank of Vanbrugh/Vincent.
We've now returned to the shot from Wren/Wesley and the cameraman has zoomed in on the path by the corner of Vanbrugh/Vincent.
An amazing piece of history. Consulting Howell's original plans for the hospital, which includes the walls and shelters, I believe this shot was taken from the public footpath, looking through the gate, past the shelter and the ward in the background is Hill/Harvard.
We were back inside the hospital. Now that I was convinced it was Cane Hill I was looking for additional clues. The cast iron pillar looked very much like the ones in Cane Hill.
The archival film finished with a slow pan across a crowded female dormitory. But the line of doors at the back were familar.
Is this Cane Hill?
All the best,
Simon
It was this archival footage that made me sit up. I suddenly released that it might be Cane Hill. So, I grabbed a few frames and studied them closely. Was it?
(Apologies for the subtitles. They were on the original recording).
The first parts of the archival film showed an overcrowded female dormitory. There are no clues here; it could be anywhere.
This was more interesting. The arches over the doorway and the circular skylight over the door on the left seemed familiar. But it certainly wasn't conclusive.
The next frames of the film showed an extremely overcrowded male dormitory. Again, there were no clues as to where this was shot.
Suddenly it all looked extremely familar. I got out the Cane Hil plans to figure this shot out. We were on the male side of the hospital as there's seveal men walking around. So the cameraman was probably on the first floor of Wren/Wesley shooting roughly south east across No. 4 Garden and just capturing the end of Vanbrugh/Vincent. But what of the shelter? I consulted the older hospital plans. And there it was - positioned exactly on the plan where it was shown in the film. I could even imagine the cameraman standing in the bay window of Wren/Wesley to get this shot.
Again, the male side of the hospital. But this shot is more difficult to place. It's either the southern flank of Wren/Wesley or the southern flank of Vanbrugh/Vincent.
We've now returned to the shot from Wren/Wesley and the cameraman has zoomed in on the path by the corner of Vanbrugh/Vincent.
An amazing piece of history. Consulting Howell's original plans for the hospital, which includes the walls and shelters, I believe this shot was taken from the public footpath, looking through the gate, past the shelter and the ward in the background is Hill/Harvard.
We were back inside the hospital. Now that I was convinced it was Cane Hill I was looking for additional clues. The cast iron pillar looked very much like the ones in Cane Hill.
The archival film finished with a slow pan across a crowded female dormitory. But the line of doors at the back were familar.
Is this Cane Hill?
All the best,
Simon
I would say at the very least, SOME of it is Cane Hill
