Comments on: Sandhill Park Hospital – Somerset

By: Tracey

Tracey — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:41:04 +0000

I worked at Sandhill Park from 1987 until 1990 and I have a very many happy memories of working on several of the wards including Clark and Farrant. I don’t remember it ever bing haunted although I remember stories that the main mansion house was

By: pete

pete — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:15:54 +0000

22/11/2011. hi. this may be of interest to all that watch/read this site. early morning news report of a fire at sandhill park mansion. 3 floors and roof burning. have not yet seen any film coverage on news.

By: Robert Butterworth

Robert Butterworth — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:37:05 +0000

I find the images (and some of the comments) quite upsetting. My mentally handicapped sister was admitted to Sandhill Park at the age of five and remained there until her death five years later. The facility was, to some extent, a godsend to those families that were unable to provide the specialist full time care necessary to give some quality of life to those handicapped. Living in Plymouth, without a car, meant we were only able to visit about once a month. Travelling by train to Taunton then out on the branch line to Bishops Lydeard after which we would walk to the hospital. I have happy memories of walking the beautiful tree lined drive to then spend some good familly time with my sister and my parents. Her death there was tragic and the arrival of the police to break the news has stuck in my memory for the last fifty years. Apart from that one recollection I have happy memories of Sandhill Park Hospital spending time playing with my sister on the extensive lawns in the sunshine. There were the equivalent of ‘sports’ days and fetes organised which drew many of the families and friends of residents, highlighting that you were far from being alone in having family affected by mental and/or physical handicaps. The photographs of derelict buildings are easy to cope with, it is a consequence of leaving buildings empty. What I do find unacceptable are the documents strewn about the place, why were these not removed or destroyed when the property was vacated. The thought that there may be paperwork or records relevant to my sister lying around is quite distressing. That said I hope that the building is purchased and renovated. It is a grade II listed property and deserves to be returned to some of its former glory. The use to which it is put is of no consequence, apartments, hotel, private residence, spa, golf course but it is a shame (and wrong) that it is allowed to deteriorate in this way.

By: hayes

hayes — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:55:13 +0000

glad you like the place i actually loved the place, as i trained there in the eighties as a nurse, there were many more buildings all alas demolished, church,wards,swimming pool etc, think it was maybe a little scary now, it was bad enough doing waking nights on the wards !!!!

By: Hannah lucas

Hannah lucas — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:44:18 +0000

if anyone knows how to contact the guy who owns it, that would be amazing! if you could email me at hannah-lucas@hotmail.com thankyou!

By: Dave 2010

Dave 2010 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:07:33 +0000

Quite possibly the wife of John Lethbridge who were major land owners around the area………..she commited suicide in the pond here

By: Dave 2010

Dave 2010 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:06:17 +0000

Hi Jenny
Have asked my Mother and she is looking into it as she was born and bred in Taunton and did have 2 family members who were there as pateints during the ’60′s + ’70′s…….

By: Margaret Howell

Margaret Howell — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:18:46 +0000

I used to live in the former wards from the time the grounds housed an army hospital after the war when there was accute housing shortages. The site was a legal Squat, and we started off as sub tenants of an admiralty housing officer.
The rooms (formerly offices) at the front of the ward were used as a kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedrooms. My brother and I used the large ward to play in when the weather was bad.
Subsequently, the large ward was turned into two housing units, but I now cannot recall whether these were made two storey or remained ground floor only.
I do recall that it was a wonderful place to play in: the wards were connected by covered walkways, and were just right for riding bicycles.
The grounds were fantastic, but I do not remember going anywhere near the house.
I do remember walking across three fields (sometimes with bullocks in), through a picket gate to catch the train to Taunton for school.
My husband and I returned there a few years ago, but the road was gated . the steam train was however still at Bishops Lydeard!!!

By: Jackie

Jackie — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:58:31 +0000

I worked and trained at Sandhill 1979 – 1984 and have to agree with Jills comments, staff worked incredibly hard and were gaining ground for the people living there. I found the pictures really sad and upsetting as this was a home for many vulnerable people. To see I guess private papers scattered with peoples lives documented is more than sad.
Sandhill did have it’s ghostly stories but it also had a lot of fun and laughter by both residents and staff and I have fond memories as well as harsh ones from a time when institutions were trying to change.

By: Jill Davies

Jill Davies — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:32:40 +0000

I worked at Sandhill Park for 5 years until the mid 70′s. I trained there and became a staff nurse on a adult ward. There is no getting away from the fact that it was an institution, but the staff worked very hard to try to make a good life (with the limited facilities that were available) for the patients that were resident there. The patients were of varied abilities, some had behavioural problems and there were many who were both severely mentally and physically disabled. They enjoyed the use of the school,O.T. department, social club, swimming pool and riding for the disabled.
I found the earlier comment about the gruesome deaths a bit confusing, but maybe someone remembers more than I do.
No I agree that it was not always a bed of roses for the patients, there were many members of staff who worked tremendously hard to improve the lives of the people there.