Reports - Asylum - Urban Exploration
Reports - Asylum
Denbigh Asylum
Where? Denbighshire. Comments 49. Posted 15 June 2007.
Denbigh asylum was built in mid-1840s. Over the years it expanded to house more and more patients, reaching a maximum capacity of 1500 in the 1950s.
This asylum lasted roughtly 150 years when it closed in 1995. It is situated on over 100 acres of beautiful Welsh land (sheep, cows, hills, trees etc).
Hales Hospital / Heckingham Institution
Where? Hales, Norfolk. Comments 5. Posted 22 August 2009.
A workhouse has been at this site near Hales since the 1760s.
In 1927, the workhouse was closed and the building converted into an institution for "mental defectives". After 1930, control passed to Norfolk County Council and the establishment was renamed Heckingham Institution. In 1948, it became part of the National Health Service as Hales Hospital which closed in around 1990. The buildings are currently empty and awaiting redevelopment. (Copied from Workhouses website - more info and external photos can be found there).
There are plans to convert it into residential homes, but these seem to be on hold.
Read full Hales Hospital / Heckingham Institution article here
Hellingly Asylum
Where? Hellingly, East Sussex. Comments 56. Posted 3 December 2006.
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!
Leybourne Grange Hospital
Where? Maidstone, Kent. Comments 111. Posted 11 November 2006.
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 
Little Plumstead Hospital
Where? Norfolk. Comments 20. Posted 31 December 2007.
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.
Severalls Asylum
Where? Colchester, Essex. Comments 49. Posted 1 September 2006.
Severalls Asylum was built in 1913. It closed in the late 1990s. In it's heyday it housed 2000 patients; some of which were used in experimental medical tests/operations. More information about the hospital can be found on Wikipedia.
This article is the result of a few visits between 2006 and 2007. A seperate report exists for Myland Court.
Severalls Asylum - Myland Court
Where? Colchester, Essex. Comments 0. Posted 1 October 2006.
Went back to Severalls. The last visit barely scratched the surface! Also took my tripod this time - cue better pictures inside.
Or so I imagined.
Sadly we didn't get to the main complex, so we settled on exploring Myland Court. In the past this building housed a mother & baby unit, an occupational therapy department, and an E.C.T clinic..
Stafford County Lunatic Asylum
Where? Stafford. Comments 154. Posted 15 January 2008.
Stafford County Asylum opened in 1818 to accomodate 120 patients. Over the years it expanded and housed around 1000 patients. During the 1950s, it was renamed St George's Hospital. Like so many other asylums, it closed in the mid-1990s. There are plans to convert the Grade II listed buildings into "100 distinctive dwellings", and work should be starting in 2008.
Tone Vale Hospital
Where? Taunton, Somerset. Comments 128. Posted 2 September 2008.
Tone Vale Hospital was built in 1897 and closed in 1995. This is now pretty much totally converted into homes, and a few leisure services.
The main recreation hall is really the only derelict piece of interest left. Situated bang in the middle of the development, it contains a curious selection of junk - presumably from people now living in the converted parts...
West Park Asylum
Where? Surrey. Comments 0. Posted 12 March 2010.
West Park Asylum is in Surrey.
This asylum, along with several others ("The Epsom Cluster"), was built in the early 1900s on the outskirts of London. The asylum could hold about 2000 patients with a wide range of mental-health issues. The main part of the asylum closed in the 1990s and has slowly deteriorated over the last few years. Mother nature has reclaimed some parts, while vandals and arsonists have destroyed other parts.
Toweards the end of 2009 news of its impending demolition meant the asylum became a tourist hotspot. Nearly every day hundreds of photos appeared on the forums and flickr. Your mum probably looked around before I did. I decided to go along and check it out for myself before it was too late... Baa.
