Hellingly Asylum

Where - Hellingly, East Sussex.
Visited - 2 December 2006.

Posted - 3 December 2006.
Categories - urbex, asylum.

Contents
Boiler room
Water Tower
Main hall
Salon
Corridors
Wards & Rooms
Admin Block
Kitchen, Laundry & Stores
Some buildings
Other bits

Had a little trip down to Hellingly Hospital in East Sussex (formerly known as East Sussex County Asylum). It opened in 1903 and closed in the early 1990s.

Weather and vandals have taken their toll on the hospital, but it was one of the most atmospheric places I've been. There were quite a few bits left, like chairs and curtains. This shocked me!

Boiler room

Our first stop was the boiler room. This wasn't as impressive as the one at Leybourne Grange but still quite good. There were 3 little boilers.

Water Tower

The tower can be seen from everywhere. There was a door in the boiler room which led to the water tower. Underneath were a few tunnels which went off under the hospital. Didn't really explore these though.

Main hall

The next stop was the main hall. This was impressive, except for a few failed fire attempts on the floor.

Someone had also drawn a huge pentagram on the floor of the hall with salt. The salt drew moisture out of the atmosphere and stained the wood.

Salon

As you can see in the hall, there is a chair that looks as if it has come from a hair salon. It's true. Next door is a salon. It's recently been trashed though

Corridors

Guess what - there's corridors in this place too! A few of them have collapsed though due to fires and wet.

Wards & Rooms

Also, there are wards (and other rooms). One thing that reall struck me is how much stuff is left here. There are curtains, chairs, coat hooks, bottles and all sorts of other things

Admin Block

The admin block had been damaged by fire a few years ago and has been sealed up. There is a tiny way in though. The stairs had burnt down meaning you couldn't get upstairs. Downstairs was nice though, with ornate tiles in the corridors, toilet roll in the toilets (!), and a dentist chair in the corridor.

Kitchen, Laundry & Stores

One or two photos from the kitchen, laundry and stores. I did climb into one of the huge washing machines - that was quite a task as the drum kept moving!!

Some buildings

...from the outside...

Other bits

A few other sights I saw, including a room full of dentist's chairs...

Your Comments

View newest comments first

Posted 3 December 2006, 19:10 From mick (minty447)

nice pics dude, glad you lot had a good one. p.s. theres a dentists chair in one of the upstairs ward blocks, not sure if it's a fully kitted out dentists though.
Posted 8 December 2006, 14:40 From Lightbuoy

Coooool pics there matey!

See 28DL for the other Dentist's chair soon!
Posted 21 February 2007, 20:20 From John Smith Smooth
I think it should be known that the pentacle was made using table salt and nothing more. It wasn't devil worshipers or kids which would be the typical conclusion one would reach seeing such a sight. It was used for an experiment.......
Posted 22 February 2007, 09:20 From DAB @ derelicte
Thanks - I'd be interested to hear more about this "experiment"... (email me if you'd prefer - thanks!)
Posted 24 February 2007, 01:40 From Spider
Maybe it was salt. maybe not, but either where where did it come from and who put it there and why???
Posted 21 May 2007, 14:50 From joely

wowow that place looks amazing can u explain where it is?
Posted 8 June 2007, 15:50 From Glynis Nisbet
I used to work here in the 1970s I trained here I find it very sad that this place should be like this now. I always felt it would be a big mistake to close such hospital down as there would be an increase of crime and sure it has come to pass. I feel for the people who were in mates here as this was their home, and they were turned out. Many worked on the farm with the animals, there was also work party that went out to cut the grass at many of the local churches. Since then many grave yards around the churches have become over grown and unkept. I wonder what has happened to the museums artifactes. Where are they now? Hopefully in a another museum somewhere..
Posted 11 June 2007, 14:40 From Betty Cullen

I was interested in this hospital, as my mother was incarcerated there for a short while in the early 1920s, following tragic happenings during the First World War when she was in the Royal Flying Corps. I was interested to know that it has been shut down. I would like to know where the patients' records have been stored, as I would like to look up my mothere's records.

Interesting pictures. Strange that the place would be left to become derelict and would not be demolished.
Posted 11 June 2007, 16:50 From Betty Cullen

I was interested in your photographs of Hellingly County Asylum, Sussex, as my mother was incarcerated there for a short time just after the First World War, following tragic experiences while working with the Royal Flying Corps during that war, which caused her to have a mental breakdown. Your pictures are good. Do you happen to know where the archival records of that hospital are lodged?
Posted 13 June 2007, 14:40 From essie

I did some training there a few years before it closed down. sad ending really it was quite a lovely place lovely rural setting. many of the patients who I remember would have found it difficult to live in towns like hailsham and eastbourne but they had no choice. I had a great time there but.......
Posted 13 June 2007, 14:40 From essie
these corridors were pretty scary at night so quiet the wards off the corridors all had heavy doors with locks which the staff carried with them. one type for male wards and one for female if I remember rightly.
Posted 9 August 2007, 17:20 From Mike Knowles
It saddens me to see Hellingly Hospital in its present state. I’ve been a freelance writer for almost 30 years, but back in the mid 60’s I was a student nurse there. I regard it as the best years of my life. Back then David Rice was the Medical Superintendent and Alistair Milne his deputy. If I recall correctly, Milne lived in the big house at the bottom of the drive. The main hall brought back memories. They used to show films there for the patients. Needless to say, the staff also attended. The first film I saw in there was, “It’s A Mad, Mad, World.” Which I thought was rather appropriate. The patients loved it. In fact a number asked to be discharged saying they were perfectly normal. Their consultants then had to convince them that the real world wasn’t like that. Then there was Paula Gosling, a registrar. She lived in a flat at Amberstone Hospital with five cats. I remember when I was a third year student on H1, which was the acute admission ward. This farmer was admitted on a Mental Health Section and the admission papers described how he’d drowned some cats. Gosling was duty doctor and when she did the physical exam she rammed four fingers up his arse! One more and he’d have been fisted! Although she used a whole tube of KY Jelly, I don’t it was to ease his discomfort. I think she was scared she’d get hard hand stuck up there. That, she told us afterwards, will teach him not to kill cats! Yes, those were the days. The time of the World’s Biggest Turd and the Vicar’s penis.
Posted 11 October 2007, 15:10 From theresa

betty

i am also interested in finding where the records are being held.have you tried lewes records office ????
Posted 6 December 2007, 10:20 From Philip

Parts of it were re-opened by the local healthcare authorities about 4-5 years ago as an admin centre - i applied for a job, There are still some derelect buildings that look freaky but not as scarey as the big red building in the distance as you approach it.
Posted 13 March 2008, 13:50 From lois ransome
I trained at Hellingly in the late 70's. I am truly shocked at how this magnificent buliding has been allowed to deteriorate. Many ghosts I should imagine!!!!!!!!!! Not many happy ones, this was many poor peoples home for many years. Lots of happy memories for me.
Posted 21 March 2008, 07:30 From Marion Johnstone
This collection of images is truely amazing.Hellingly was my first nursing job in 1980 and to see the grand old Lady looking like this reminds me of before and after shots of Titanic.Things were done so differently then and I can feel the ghosts of the people I cared for in this "shipwreck".
Posted 23 March 2008, 19:50 From Gina Panayi

Am desperatly trying to trace family! I believe my deceased dad's mum was at hellinglly 1940's think her name was Rose Hebron nee Burton married? a canadian? Any ideas of how to access records would be fab! Thanks!
Posted 24 March 2008, 18:50 From Darren
Ive had an obsesion with Hellingly Hospital for a number of years. I used to play tennis there and we used to hire the hall on a sunday night to play football. I also attended there for treatment on my knees. Ive got about 200 photos, manly of the outside . I met a quite a few pationts while the hospital was stillopen and know a few stories. At school i studdied rural science which encluded trips to the hospital which at one time was compleatly self suficient, i could go on for ever
Posted 30 March 2008, 13:10 From Stewart Glenister

We also are trying to find a relative who was there, we think when it was first opened, and would be grateful if you could supply us with the information on how to track the records of the inmates. Atmospheric pictures by the way.
Posted 16 April 2008, 21:30 From Kat

Hey, im a local teenager, I have read a document on the internet where some development want to turn hellingly into housing estate. I am really against this and would like to know whether you think there is any way to stop it decaying like it is, or stop it from being demolished. i think that part of it should be turned into a museum because the building and its history is amazing and people, local and tourists would be attracted. im really stuck! i know people who trained there and to be honest too many victorian buildings have been left to rot away - it really annoys me! please comment back!
Posted 27 April 2008, 21:00 From jim

i was in hellingly to day its

where i spent most my time when i was a teenager!

not good to hear they are building on it.
Posted 7 May 2008, 11:20 From Luke
Yeah, it's still freaky that thing - wouldn't wanna do it alone if there's that sort of stuff around the place.

John Smith, how do you know so much about this "experiment"??
Posted 11 May 2008, 22:30 From anon

it is very easy, we went up there this eve, there is a large fence that is easy to get over, we just got a bad vibe from the place, there are two guard dogs that patrol the 8 acres, at one point my friend to a medium up to the area outside the fences and she said that there was thousands of angry spirits just outside the fences, it is a very wierd area, we hope to enter the building at one point. cheers.
Posted 12 May 2008, 15:10 From Leigh Osborne

I am tracing my family tree and have found that My Great-Great Grandfather worked in Hellingly Asylum before transfering to Chartam Asylum. Does anybody know where records & archieves are now kept? Or has anyone got photos, memories or family contact of George Bishop, Born Framfield 1875? Can you help?? Please Email: thewolfman202@hotmail.com
Posted 26 May 2008, 19:30 From James
Me and my pals went down underneath it theirs jst massive pipes underneath u cant really get around them and its pitch black
Posted 4 June 2008, 10:10 From jenny palmer

My grandmother was a patient here in the 1950s - I would be really interested in finding any medical records or even more general information on what went on at this place in the 50s. It is really sad to see the condition of the site. One would think it could be put to some use. Who owns it at the moment?
Posted 16 June 2008, 11:10 From BENN

Hi there i have been going to hellingly about six times in the last couple of weeks, fantastic place, i would love to see some pics of it in its hayday, but cant find any anywhere.I took lots of pics but one iwas very strange not sure how to put it on here if someone could tell me, i can tell you its well worth a look,its taken in a room on the ground floor just past the baths, the room is pitch black and leads to a staircase where there is a old public phone on the wall,anyway the minute i walked in the room the temp dropped it was freezing,myself and my 4 other friends felt a choking sensation and a desire to get out of there i took a pic and left.Now i dont really believe in ghost etc but what the pic shows is a face in the skylight above the door and the whole place is covered in orbs,now i looked up about orbs and some say it be down to dust but in all my other photos there were no orbs. I see alot of you are having trouble getting in with security, i think it must be the way you are going in,if anyone would like to join me on my next visit feel free to contact me.somone tell me how to put the pic on as i really want to share it.

cheers

benn
Posted 18 June 2008, 08:00 From vanessa
it is such a shame that it has become like this i remeber when doing my nursing training and visiting the place although foreboding it was not as sad a site as this is now a real legacy to care in the community
Posted 24 June 2008, 23:00 From chris

Was at Hellingly today, June 23rd. Lots of big fancy signs around proclaiming how it had been sold to a developer, although talking to some locals it seems far from certain what its fate will be. Plenty of fencing and signs about security, although I didnt venture inside there seems to be little signs of life, security or otherwise, not sure where the guard dogs were!?
Posted 6 July 2008, 22:50 From Becky

Me and my cousin went their earlier this evening and it was pretty dark everywhere so we couldn't see alot! But it was quite scary, looking at it in the daylight from the photos it looks more impressive [the big hall] rather that scary. We're returning with my brother and a few others in the week though....armed with a torch!
Posted 22 July 2008, 14:00 From Neil

I've literally stumbled across the whole UE / 28DL thing by accident through boredom at work and I'm blown away by the whole thing. . . Benn - - or anyone else - please, let me come along?
Posted 25 July 2008, 00:50 From kirsty

i remember going to helleingly in the pouring rain at 3 in the morning with a couple of friends.....suffice to say it was a scary expierience. im generally a brave no nonsense person, but the overwhelming opressive feling in there led me to spontaniously, with no real explanation burst into tears. i felt suffocated and very sad. i think there are many ghosts in the place
Posted 25 August 2008, 13:30 From Juliette
My mother was a trainee psychiatric nurse at hellingly and she once performed as Maid Marion in Robin Hood in this hall.
Posted 7 October 2008, 16:40 From charlotte

hi i have been on training at hellinley and we were next to the old church, could you tell me if it is still there and do any of the outside buildings still remain?

i have never seen such a beautful group of buildings and i once loked afer a gentleman who lived at helingly working in the printers there.
Posted 2 December 2008, 00:50 From Arthur William Carter

I am most fascinated with the pictures of the Hellingly Hospital that looked so beautiful to me when I last saw it- 1938

I lived in Shawpitts Farm Lane from 1930 til 1039. Wwent to school at the Infants and Junior schools then on to Hailsham. I roamed as far and wide in the Shawpitts area as boyhood legs would take me.so I went on asventures of discovery, including all around the hospital. The wooded area to the north east(?) had many chestnut and horse chestnut trees eagerly sought. An apple orchard was raided once or twice during those years. There seemed no danger associated with the railway line and so of no great interest - I did of course cross many times to and fro from Hailsham Scool.

A friend of the family: Robert Feast was closely associated with a patient at the Hospital and would quite often take us to the 'Pictures" there - a very exciting time

Arthur
Posted 4 December 2008, 22:30 From Mr Peertum mahmud
Thanks alot for these pictures.I worked in this hosp in1974 for some yrs.these were the most beautiful yrs in my life.the place was so beautiful it's really sad tosee how it looks like now.Icould't stop tears coming from my eyes.It's a disaster and a big loss.o God what amistake they did.Iwould like to know whre the staffs move to.I used to live in BowHill nurse's home.A picture of BowHill will be greatly appreciated.You really did abig job.thanks again.
Posted 20 December 2008, 11:20 From Charge Nurse

Sad pictures. I worked at Hellingly from 1980 until it closed in, I think, 1997. Had a huge fireworks display for the close in front of the old chapel organised by the local bonfire society. I was based in Bowhill for a few years when it became management HQ. it had been the medical superintendent's house. I had a copy of his employment contract. Its only requirement was to visit the wards once a day! It was a male nurses home for a few years. oh the parties we had there!

Records from the hospital are, I think, in the county records office at Lewes.

Front entrance had carpet stuck over beautiful victorian mosaic floor, same color as those tiles in the pictures I think. Amazing pine staircase led from it to the management offices on the first floor - burnt down when it was set on fire.

I was a night charge nurse for a few years. Lonely corridors to walk at night. Never creepy though.
Posted 2 March 2009, 14:40 From Robert Mclaren
Hi i went up to hellingly hospital the other night an i must say it was a very spooky place we didnt get through the whole place but what we did see was mad.Ive never been to a place like this before if you are looking to go up there i would defo recomend it!!! SPOOKY!!
Posted 13 March 2009, 21:10 From Beccy H

Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong as this is a bit of a guess..

but with regards to the experiment, I think it is a similar experiment as to one done on Most Haunted at Denbigh as means of drawing out a witch/spirt.

I only just made the connection after watching this old MHlive on Youtube.. but I may be wrong.

Anyway - Great photos - I love to see old buildings, they really fascinate me
Posted 21 March 2009, 02:30 From Jan

Hi Does anyone know anything about this place in 1935. I am doing my Family tree and can't quite work out the writing on a family letter but it looks like the name of this Hospital .
Posted 25 March 2009, 23:20 From Jan

I have found out that my relative in the family tree was at this hospital and died there in 1958 not as I first thought 1935 So I now have the details correct for my Family tree.
Posted 6 April 2009, 22:30 From Mark

I started to work as a nurse there back in the mid 60's, before taking off on the Hippy trail to India and places. I eventually did train as a Pychiatric Nurse (Not there though). In my day the whole place was segregated into male and femail wards, and staff. I think the only place people met was the Social club. - Just inf for anyone who wants to know - The hospital actually had its own fire brigade. Staff who trained as fire fighters and an antique, push-by-hand fire-pump. The Water tower (The thing that looked like a clock tower) had a great pump engine that used to chug away like some kind of death knell.
Posted 9 April 2009, 17:10 From Steve

The hospital had it's own 500v electric railway to bring coal for the boiler house and passengers from Hellingly station. The track ran up the right hand side of the main drive into the hospital. The last train ran in 1959.
Posted 15 June 2009, 19:40 From J.E.Pryor

I trained here in 1960 and remained until we were moved to so called purpose built units.

Lacking in space to give freedom of movement within the confines of the ward.

The patients lost out no lovely views or grounds to roam safe from traffic.

Sad to see such a lovely building damaged by mindless vandles and the ravages of time.

Dr. Rice once said things go round in a circle I wonder when someone will think it a good idea to build this type of hos[ital again,snag will be to find such a great spot.

John
Posted 24 June 2009, 23:20 From allan

i worked as a psychiatric nurse at hellingly in the 70's.my mother and her sister trained there in the 50's.it was a beautiful place to live.patients preferred to live and feel safe there instead of being placed in a hostile community which did not understand them.it would be nice to see pictures of bowhill nurses home.

Hellingly Asylum - Urban Exploration in Hellingly, East Sussex