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 WORKED AT LEYBOURNE IN THE EARLY 80′S AND LIVED IN THE NURSES HOME.I LOVED THE CHILDREN I WORKED WITH ON CC4 AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM PAST COLLEAGUES INCLUDING THOSE ON THE TABLE TENNIS TEAM.
I lived and trianed as a nurse, the villas I worked on was cc1&cc2, I was the first male charge nurse to be on a female villa.i really enjoyed my time at the hospital. If anyone would like to contact to chat about the Grange,that would good.I also worked behind the bar at staff social club
hi peter not sure when you worked at the grange but i remember the social club well and used to play on the hospital table tennis team with peter diprose and a chap called steve ledner. i left to travel abroad approx 1986 ish having worked as a nursery nurse on cc4 with charge nurse bill goldsborough.
Hi all,
I am a journalist who lives just down the road from Leybourne Grange and having visited it several times, I find it fascinating.
I am researching the history and tales for a feature and would love to talk to people who have fond memories of the grange.
It would also be lovely to talk to anyone who had family member/friends at the hospital and how they remember it.
Anyone who feels they would like to chat about it, please drop me a line on
wordsbykatie@googlemail.com
It would be great to include anicdotes of staff and produce a researched and fact filled article that does the hospital, its patients and staff justice.
Thanks,
Warmest wishes, Katie
Hi all,
I am a journalist who lives just down the road from Leybourne Grange and having visited it several times, I find it fascinating.
I am researching the history and tales for a feature and would love to talk to people who have fond memories of the grange.
It would also be lovely to talk to anyone who had family member/friends at the hospital and how they remember it.
Anyone who feels they would like to chat about it, please drop me a line on
wordsbykatie@googlemail.com
It would be great to include anicdotes of staff and produce a researched and fact filled article that does the hospital, its patients and staff justice.
Thanks,
Warmest wishes, Katie
ah the social club wot a laff! wheelin the doctors back in a wheel chair at xmas dos. The discos were g8 we all had such a laff. Also who remembers the borstal boys who use to come and work. We had a laff with them too. I worked on many villas F10 M10 wellington ward ect. Yesterday i met 2 old clients in town they were really happy to see me. They remembered many people (staff included) I did love it there.
Glad there is some interest in the old hospital and its staff. I worked in the Admin section in the 60′s/70′s. Names I recall are Bill Shepard, Farm Manager, Terry Frankland Senior on the nursing side, Girls in the typing pool–Wendy, Geraldine, Rosemarie, Janet Wilson, Bill Fellows Head of Buidling, Bill Edwards Treasurer, Dave Mackay Finance Bill Southgate Finance,Walter Hague Group Secretary, his deputy Steve Mullins, Gordon Mills, Ian Tuppen, Paul Bridger and so on. Don’t know where you all are, some have passed on but Happy Days to you all. David Bellchambers bells5@xtra.co.nz
Wow what memories the ‘photos brought back for me. I had the good fortune to work as Assisitant Catering Manager around 1985/86 and have some wonderful memories, not least falling in love (where are you now Jacqueline Anne Keaton?). Some of the rsidents were amazing characters and the staff knew how to enjoy themselves. The catering staff were great making me welcome when i first started. Had some lovely drives in the country when going to a satellite unit at Hildenborough (Princess Farm I seemed to remember). I don’t remember the table tennis team but do remember the tennis team and the courts, we must have been dreadful as I came 2nd one year and I remain awful at tennis, but lots of fun. michael@kentcounsellor.co.uk
iv visited the grange many many times and iv seen some really freaky stuff in the epecially in the church me and a few friends were walking around and we came across the church so we walked in and went to the top and as we came out we saw some blood on the wall that was still wet but it said the word “help” it looked like it had been written by somebodys finger we all thought it was somebody joking about until my friend touched it and tasted it then we knew it was real.
if any body wants to chat about the grange email me at beaverno1_1986@hotmail.com i know i shouldnt have but iv taken a few things from the grange that i found cartoon comics, nurses reports….. etc they are really interesting to read and if any1 wants to know a easy way to go into the grange ask me and i shall tell hehe and easy ways to avoid security anyways see u laters
i was just wandering, whos knocking it down?
and how much they bought it for?
can anyone answer this for me.
thank you
Beaver,the Grange is an AMAZING place,but i really would not reccomend tasting any thing on the walls,sadly the place has been a popular place for druggies and squatters for many years!!
i was born at leybourne grange in one of the staff houses. my parents were both on the staff; liam and janet bouch.
I am absolutely fascinated!!
I live in Australia. I stumbled accross this whilst showing my father Ben Leybourne stuff on the internet when we googled the word “Leybourne”. As you can see our surname is Leybourne, we originate from the U.K. but the history is fuzzy.
It is amazing that I am actually a trained nurse in Psychiatric Nursing. I love my chosen profession and have worked in this area for the past 16 odd years.
My regret is that I never had the chance to work in this hospital as it closed in 1996!! Damn, maybe in my next life!
I worked as a nurse at Leybourne Grange from 1977 to 1988. I have loads of memories of the place, its so sad to see it like this – it was a real home and vibrant community for so many people residents and staff alike. I met my husband here, Clive Tannant. If anyone remembers me, it would be good to hear from you.
Those “pods” would happen to be some part of the laundry unit,
i have been to this place countless number of times, only living 39 minutes away by foot. it was a great explore and will always remain in my heart as it was also my first explore.
sad to see most of it gone =[