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.
Living in Stafford a few years ago, I would often get a tantalising glimpse of the asylum from the nearby ring-road. I sometimes wondered what it was like inside. I didn’t do anything about it, indeed almost forgetting about it when I moved away. Five years later I finally got the chance to look around. Stafford Asylum is, by far, one of the most derelict buildings I have visited. Time has not been kind to it, suffering at the hands of both vandals and nature. There are no windows and very few ceilings. Floors are squidgy and rotten, if they are there at all!
Outside
You can’t help but admire this behemoth of a building. At four storeys high and around 300m long, it would’ve made an impressive sight on the Stafford marshes in it’s heyday. Sadly it’s glory now hides behind a huge overgrown mess of trees.
Lower levels
The lower levels of the asylum are relatively interesting. Corridors, some isolation rooms (with the most colourful array of doors I have seen in an asylum), engineering rooms, a delightfully dingey pharmacy, and so on…
Chapels
There is a small double chapel in the asylum, strangely found on the second floor.
Main hall
The main hall is perculiar – it is full of scaffolding. Presumably an attempt to prevent it collapsing after previous arson attacks.
Stairs
The main staircase is rather impressive, a square-spiral affair complete with anti-suicide cages. Someone had tried to throw a door down, with no success.
Upper floors
There are huge holes in the roof, and they are slowly making their way down to ground-level. Needless to say, not much of the upper floors were explored…
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Does anyone know where I can find more recent pictures of this site?
hi Phil. good days , lost touch with many , but talk about the 60 s and 70,s being our best days///
we ran a hotel in Blackpool for 20years , then 7 years ago moved to Corfu Greece //// in view of austerity measures imposed this year / maybe not a good choice , but have the sea , and sun to enjoy till we fall off the perch , as Don Perkins would say
Kath and Alf Cox
Dave, unfortunitely the site is currently in the process of demolition, the back has been pulled back to the main building which will likely been gone soon. It’s lucky plenty of people have gotten the chance to go in and take photos because it’s going to be a shame when it’s gone. I’m still hoping to find a way in for a look before it’s gone for good but what with construction fencing it’s gotten even tougher.
its very dangerous in there these days and i wouldn’t recommend trying to get in. since the last big fire and then the demo work, its increasingly dodgy
G’day Bill
good to hear from you and to find you well. I didn’t know that Kevin had died and was saddened by this news.
I also remember those happy days on Farmer ward with Larry and Kevin. Also, Bill with you on Woolley and Male admission. I work in a place called Ballarat with is in Victoria, Australia. I teach Mental Health to undergraduate nursing students who do what is called a comprehensive degree programme. The University just employed a lady who also worked at St Georges by the name of Patricia Awty – anyone remember her? She reckons Bill Jocelyn was a gentleman – I tell her she’s mad!!
Anyone see Graham Simpson?
Kath, you and Alf must be doing well Greece no less. I occasionally see Ian Ward who lives about 500 miles away in Adelaide. No change in Ian.
Anyway all of you stay well. My email is p.warelow@ballarat.edu.au
Regards
Phil