Little Plumstead was home to Norfolk’s main “mental deficiency colony”. In recent years, it has closed down. Sadly a lot of the buildings have been demolished to make way for housing. Part of the site remains in use as a hospital. This section is due to close soon, with around 100 patients moving to community-based services. I think a re-visit will ensue before more houses are built.
External photos
Not much remains at Little Plumstead – of the “live” part, only a few buildings are empty. A country mansion-style building for administration purposes, and a couple of villas.
Internal
Only one building was open. Based on a document found in here (an incontinence products chart), I presume this was a villa for males.
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Hiya, if you havnt already, check out Fairfield Hospital just outside Arlesey its Bedford way. Huge victorian asylum, part lived in now, half is still derelict. Soo worth a visit anyway. If you want more info mail me got loads of pics and history, directions etc. Also St Crispins at Northamptons pretty cool
Did a short locum in the pharmacy at Little Plumstead Hospital back in 1978. It was a delightful open place, and both staff and patients wandered around quite freely. In those days, ID badges were seldom used, people knew each other, and security was very low key. It was sometimes hard to tell the difference between the patients and the medical staff – they were all crazy!
Hey we went and couldn’t find a way to get in, the places which people got in before r proper boarded up. How did u get in?
i worked here for 20yrs up until about 10yrs ago and am still in the service, although not perfect we all took a pride in the service and home we offered to people. there have been a few break ins and squatters who unfortunately did not only abuse the buildings but also abused the some of the remaining residents/patients and staff! very sad pictures particularly as this the ward i worked on and managed.
I did my nurse training at Little Plumsted Hospital in 1980 -83. The nursing school was in the old hall and I lived in the male nurses home above the nursing school. I met my wife at the hospital, we lived in a hosptial house adjoining the hospital grounds. My daughter was christened in the church next to the hosptial. Services have changed since those days beyond recognition, mainly for the better. However I have fond memories of my time there and am glad I had that experience. It’s sad to see the photos of dereliction.
Have recently discovered that my Uncle who had Downs Syndrome lived in the Hall from 1948 until his death at 8 years of age in 1952. I am trying to find out where he was buried – have been told he may have been buried in the “Walled Garden” – does this mean anything to anyone?
jacky. the walled garden is over grown and locked up but there is a small clearing next to the walled garden. in the clearing there is a fairly new tombstone that has been put there to remember previous service users at the hospital.hope this helps.
Where abouts in Little Plumstead is this building? Does anybody know if this building still exists? Or has it been knocked down for new houses to be built?
i have banked at little plum , many yrs ago it was a safe setting for inmates , now i don’t think gov’ or management care less , only getting there fat pay off with a large redundancy ,
i was geting in and out of old hall for a long time it was pretty in side as well as outside.
Does anyone know if the hospital owns the houses approx a mile infront of this building, detached houses on copeman road? Desperately trying to find out who owns these houses so i can contact them. Thanks
I worked at little plumstaed for 2 years, and there are lot’s off diffrenet story’s that have been said but to be honest i have seen lot’s of things good and bad but mainly good! no matter what the team work was great and the service user’s were looked after to the best we were aloud.. to many pen pusher’s laying down the law.. stopping the workers doing there job.. but all in all i loved working and miss it. the workers and the service user’s..
Laura the houses on copeman rd are part of the hospital
hi, whould anyone know if it is still posible to go there, or who shall i contact if i would like to do the shoot? many thanks
LAURA iv got a lot of picture’s of the in side of the home’s out side of the glade if you what give me your email and il send them to you
kyleharper@fsmail.net (that’s me)
hi KASIA i have emailed the owner’s a lot at the moment thay don’t what no one in as kid’s brock in and made thay own desk’s and room’s you know like making it look nice in side agen but thay don’t like it sorry but if it help’s you
hi im know im only 14 year’s old but if any one is doing a shoot in the hospital give me a email
i whould love to be abile to use a camra like you lot and get inside the hospital again my home is on the glade next to old hall and the mess hall
so if i can give my a bell (kyleharper@fsmail.net)
i woldnt advise u to go on site now as they will call police……… very strict. it used to be nice but now no no no. had good times and v bad times working there. staff great and they cared. miss it loads… i left working there 3yrs ago
I went there twice during July and several of the buildings were open, although the main building remains boarded up. It was obvious that people had been in and smashed stuff up between the two visits, which is just such a shame. The second time we went, the atmosphere was very different. There are so many relics from the past there, and I can totally understand how people that worked there are sad to see it as it is now. Whilst we were there we bumped into a couple of other people, who told us they had been asked to leave. We didn’t see anyone when we were on the site however.
A close friend of ours lived at the asylum for a number of years. We are recording her memories. We would be interested to knwo if anyoen else has contact with service users who lived and worked there before 1985 (our friend was there for a cconsiderable time), and if there are any records/archive we could access to add to Life Story. Thanks!
I worked at Lt.Plum Hosp between 1978 & 1983 in the physio dept. I loved it there and I learned a lot. The care of people with learning disabilities has moved on enormously since then. I still work in the same field but with social services in Surrey. Although it was a big institution, most of the staff at Lt Plum were very caring and did their best to give the residents a good quality of life.
KADO would love to help, A s/u i worked with got an award for being longest serving resident, still working with previous residents, many stories to tell. Would love to hear if anyone remembers any s/u’s in particular?
THIS PLACE IS NOW A SECURE WING FOR PAEDOPHILES. IT IS OWNED BY HERTFORDSHIRE HEALTH AUTHORITY AND THEY SEND THESE SCUM BAGS TO NORFOLK TO LIVE WITHIN A FEW METERS OF FAMILIES ON THE NEW ESTATE.
Some interesting pictures and comments, i used to live very near by to the hospital,about 17plus yrs ago and regulary passed through the grounds as a shortcut with a friend of mine who lived in the village, security was non exsitant and we even ate in the canteen a few times! Last comment i find disturbing ‘jac’ on 17.04.10, as i visit the new housing estate with my children.
So, this place is closed? I thought it was still running? just paedophiles are there now??? When did it get shut down? Would appreciate any current info on hospital….Thanks
What a great find this site is.
In 1998 or so, I was a locum doctor and I remember the two weeks I spent as the only doctor in the place. They gave me this little chalet to live in, a bleeper and left me to it. In the whole two weeks I was bleeped twice!!
I remember trying to find the hospital (pre sat nav of course).
I was driving around and found a sign saying something like ‘Little Plumstead 1/2M ->’ and then I would drive about 1/2M and then find a sign saying ‘Little Plumstead 1/2M <-'
Once I found it, everyone (staff and patients alike) were very pleasant. Some parts of it were crumbling then and it had an air of abandonment as the authorities had basically decided not to pay for this sort of humane mental healthcare any more
Thanks
Im only 17 but have lived right next to the hospital all of my life, and my mum has lived in the staff houses for 25 years while working there. I do miss being able to go in there and have a look round, and its disappointing that it has mostly become derelict. It was a beautiful place to grow up, and being able to meet some of the patients and become friendly when I was little has made me less judgemental of people with mental disabilities. Im really going to miss it when its all gone, and im so proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of it.
jac, the secure unit that is still in use is not for paedophiles it is for mental health issues. i know this as i have worked with u/s’s who have been there.