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…
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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.
Coooool pics there matey!
See 28DL for the other Dentist’s chair soon!
wowow that place looks amazing can u explain where it is?
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.
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?
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…….
betty
i am also interested in finding where the records are being held.have you tried lewes records office ????
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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?