Leybourne Grange is located right beside the M20 near Maidstone. That said, you wouldn’t know it’s there – it covers around 270 acres and is very tree-based. The trees (and fresh air etc) were meant to be good for the patients. 1200 patients.
It opened in 1936, was used for sixty years, and finally closed in 1996. There is a private school on the site which is still in use. The colony was built in the grounds of a huge manor house which still remains. The manor house also has an impressive clock tower.
A lot of the buildings are very well boarded up, but we managed to look in a few.
Hall
First stop was the main hall. This was used to entertain the patients (discos, etc) and also for religious worship as there is no chapel on site.
Inside is a fantastic little buggy, some junk, and a projection booth..
Boiler Room / Engineering
From the outside…
.. and inside is an impressive selection of boilers. There are eight huge ones, and you can climb on top of some of them.
There’s also loads of little rooms with various tools and things. There is also an office.
Kitchen / Laundry
Considering the hospital closed 10 years ago, I can’t beleive how many machines are left in the kitchen and laundry areas…
Nurses Home
This is a behemoth of a building. It’s four storeys high and it housed a million nurses (to confirm?). Every single window is smashed. Apart from the ground floor ones which were all boarded up.
Manor House
The manor house was used as an admin block. It is very secure with alarms and boarding. The clock tower is quite fancy too.
And that’s it. I missed the mortuary. I seem to always miss the mortuary at hospitals (not due to spookiness factor)…
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I am currently working at Leybourne grange as part of the demolition crew,
[quote]Posted 3 July 2007, 02:10 From lee simpson
is this place haunted??????
[/quote]
A few of my collegues believe it is haunted and even gone as far as to name the ghost “CASPER”..:P.
There may not be ghost`s but i`m sure them wall`s could tell a tale or two…..
I had two aunties that were at Leybourne Grange possibly in the 1930′s/40′s l just wish l knew why!!
ive visited the grange about 3 times and it is amazeing it was realy good fun this was after it has shut down still more to see yet do
Lee..demolition crew? they’re tearing the place down? =[
I WORKED AT LEYBOURNE IN THE EARLY 80,S AS A NURSERY NURSE ON CC4 AND LOVED IT.I ALSO PLAYED FOR THE HOSPITAL TABLE TENNIS TEAM AND WE WERE QUITE SUCCESSFUL IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM OLD COLLEAGUES.
Hiya all !! I go to GP twice aday and have done on and off 4 the last 19yrs, its always fasinated me and we’re all told that its not just the main house thats listed but the dorm’s 2, so Lee is it right that thier being converted like the house is itself ?? Brilliant pic’s but the grounds are so beautiful its heart-breaking seeing the place torn apart and Lisa you can sneak in with me lol !!!
To Lisa {july o7)
There are a network of public footpaths that run through the grounds,though they are not widely used.One starts from the A20 near MuddyPaws garden centre,the other at the corner of the guards house near the opening of the Grange.
I kept my pony at Leybourne Riding Centre for 13yrs,and spent almost everyday riding round the grounds,and scrumping the apple trees! The Grange intrigued me and scared me all at once.It was like a time warp,coats hung up,toys in the class room,rusting car in the parking lot.It was like they had left in a hurry.I spent many happy hours exploring.They even had a swimming pool and a Salon.To think that it is all going to be torn down is heart breaking,the main house is absolutley stunning.It is also rumoured that a nurse spotted a ‘Big Cat’ in the grounds around 1995.As for it being haunted,possibly,there was certainly some unexplained stuff! It is so sad they are building houses,it would make the most wonderful country park.It would mean the disabled clients of Leybourne Grange could enjoy the experiance of riding out in safety,without fear of traffic.
I WORKED AT LEYBOURNE IN THE EARLY 80,S AND LIVED IN THE NURSES HOME, NOW THERES A STORY ! LOVED THE CHILDREN I WORKED WITH ON CC4 AND WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM PAST COLLEAGUES INCLUDING THOSE ON THE TABLE TENNIS TEAM U KNOW WHO YOU ARE !!
My Grandmothers’ brother John Eric Gabriel was living at Leybourne Grange until his death. He was born with Downs Syndrome and died in 1964 and probably spent most of his life there.
my aunt was in leybourne grange until she was transferred to oakwood in 1951until 1955 when she died age 30. i know nothing about why she was in there or for how long, i have no family left who i ca ask only copies of her birth, death and transfer certificates. can anybody help me as to where i ca find records for this period please
Hi, i believe my birth brother was a patient at Leybourne Grange between 1970ish until his death in 1976? aged about 14, i believe he had polio, he wore callipers. I was adopted the year he died (i was 11) so don’t have much info, would love to hear from anyone who knew him. His name Andrew Harris. If you remember him please contact me:
wildone6169@hotmail.com
I’ve visited Leybourne Hosiptal roughly around 3 times, being there was so interesting and me and my friends had so much fun imagining everything that went on there! The photo of the blue bed amazed me as i actually remember seeing it there! A few of my friends are planning on taking a trip back down there next month for a photography project – however i heard there is heavy security there now, does anybody know if we’ll be able to go there without being escorted from the premises, or what is the best way to get there from south east london, greenwich area? my email is x_iheartcharleigh_x@hotmail.co.uk please feel free to mail me or add me to msn if you have it if you have any information, or a copy of a map we could use for navigation? Thanks a lot – this website is the best i’ve seen! xoxox
p.s here’s my e-mail again – x_iheartcharleigh_x@hotmail.com
Does anyone know exactly why this place was shut down? I find it very stange as to why all the X-Rays (confidential information) of the patients were all left at The Grange. From visiting the place yesterday i believe there would have been far more than 1200 patients as it took about an hour to walk round not even a quarter of the site! Also noticed a desktop diary from 1988 which hadn’t decayed in any way, yet the walls etc had…
Charleigh,there is a public footpath that runs from either the Roughettes Road off the A20,next to Ryarsh Church,or also near the Muddy Paws Pet Shop/Wheatsheaf pub.These foot paths lead you up to the school,and into the grounds.It takes you to the top part,a good mile from the guards house.Just duck and dive!!!!