When I first got into urbex, I spent my first month exploring derelict houses by the sides of main roads. Then someone invited me along on an explore of Severalls – an 1,800 patient, Edwardian lunatic asylum. I was sold. And it’s always had a soft spot for sevs since.
In the next five years; through my website I’d receive hundreds of emails along the lines of “How do you break into Severalls, my band wants to do a video there”
These have continued right up to this summer, and I was replying honestly that I literally didn’t know access, I haven’t been for five years! So I thought it was about time I changed that and saw how the ol’ girl was getting on.
Visited in the amazing company of TeeJF.
In the last 5 years I’ve also acquired a wide angle lens, I couldn’t do this on my 17-55mm!
Admin has changed a fair bit. It wasn’t ‘wide open’ when I last visited, but it certainly didn’t have it’s own fence!
The morgue hasn’t changed one bit!
I was pleased to see that the patient art hadn’t been vandalised any further.
The corridors in Sevs are unforgettable. To me thought they have aged a lot in five years. More damp has got in, there’s more vegetation. They are also a lot harder to move around in. Doors have become locked / screwed / boarded / wedged, forcing the explorer outside to get around the obstacle – clever secca! Five years ago it was all open.
I’m glad to see this still here after all the years.
The Sign making room remains unchanged (TBH I don’t think many people find it!)
Selfie:
Five years ago, Sevs had planning permission to be converted into flats, and the word on the urbex scene was all “You’ve got to visit this week, it’ll be demo’ed by the weekend” I even embarrassingly called a report “Goodbye Severalls”. Yet she’s still standing there.
Report from Sep 2007: http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/severalls-lunatic-asylum
The news on her conversion has changed though. The original planning application planned to convert the main Echelon plan building into flats. Which Architecturally makes a lot of sense, each ward is perfect flat size, staircases are well positioned for it.
However the building has deteriorated over the years, and it was surveyed in detail last summer. (I’m working on consolidating the full detailed survey drawings, I have them piecemeal at the moment.)
A Quantity surveyor put some costs to it, and it worked out to an average cost of around £181,000 to convert each flat. Which just isn’t financially viable for a developer.
The masterplan was redrawn. With the exclusion of the water tower, and Admin, the whole of the main building will be demolished. The new development still acknowledges the form and massing of the old building on plan. But if you visualise it, it’ll be a series of avenues, not courtyards and will have quite a different feel.
Cheers for looking. If I ever get round to finishing the detailed survey I’ll publish online for y’all.
In the next five years; through my website I’d receive hundreds of emails along the lines of “How do you break into Severalls, my band wants to do a video there”
These have continued right up to this summer, and I was replying honestly that I literally didn’t know access, I haven’t been for five years! So I thought it was about time I changed that and saw how the ol’ girl was getting on.
Visited in the amazing company of TeeJF.
In the last 5 years I’ve also acquired a wide angle lens, I couldn’t do this on my 17-55mm!
Admin has changed a fair bit. It wasn’t ‘wide open’ when I last visited, but it certainly didn’t have it’s own fence!
The morgue hasn’t changed one bit!
I was pleased to see that the patient art hadn’t been vandalised any further.
The corridors in Sevs are unforgettable. To me thought they have aged a lot in five years. More damp has got in, there’s more vegetation. They are also a lot harder to move around in. Doors have become locked / screwed / boarded / wedged, forcing the explorer outside to get around the obstacle – clever secca! Five years ago it was all open.
I’m glad to see this still here after all the years.
The Sign making room remains unchanged (TBH I don’t think many people find it!)
Selfie:
Five years ago, Sevs had planning permission to be converted into flats, and the word on the urbex scene was all “You’ve got to visit this week, it’ll be demo’ed by the weekend” I even embarrassingly called a report “Goodbye Severalls”. Yet she’s still standing there.
Report from Sep 2007: http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/severalls-lunatic-asylum
The news on her conversion has changed though. The original planning application planned to convert the main Echelon plan building into flats. Which Architecturally makes a lot of sense, each ward is perfect flat size, staircases are well positioned for it.
However the building has deteriorated over the years, and it was surveyed in detail last summer. (I’m working on consolidating the full detailed survey drawings, I have them piecemeal at the moment.)
A Quantity surveyor put some costs to it, and it worked out to an average cost of around £181,000 to convert each flat. Which just isn’t financially viable for a developer.
The masterplan was redrawn. With the exclusion of the water tower, and Admin, the whole of the main building will be demolished. The new development still acknowledges the form and massing of the old building on plan. But if you visualise it, it’ll be a series of avenues, not courtyards and will have quite a different feel.
Cheers for looking. If I ever get round to finishing the detailed survey I’ll publish online for y’all.
