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…
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Thinking about it with me it was not so much the individual staff members doing things on their own but the culture that some abuses were ok and was for the paitents own good I think the term is “instutional abuse”
In many respects you are right. It was looked upon as ” Normal” to treat people in the inhumane way which many of us suffered. BUT at the same time individuals took delight in making our suffering worse. I can remember the names of all those who inflicted pain on me from within Merrifield and the years that followed. It is strange that in life those who have been kind to me I remember—-those who have hurt me in so many ways I remember.
hi everyone i remember everything that happened at merryfield, im still in touch with cindy kellow i have 2 grown up children and a grandson
i think something should be done about what happened to all of us, do you remember terry burgen and alethia? i’ve heard terry is running a childrens unit! andy coles is very high up in somersets child mental health!! you can get hold of me through my nephew’s email adress lloydwidgery@htomail.co.uk take care love katrina
Yes. I remember them all. (I can’t remember Alethia’s surname, though.)
unfortunatly there are abusses through out the mental health system but have heard that child mental health services are getting better but your right something should be done
When I was told officially I had suffered from medical neglect the hospital management committee would not put it in writing when I asked. They said the reason why they could not put it in writing was because I could sue them. Verbally they told me—but putting it in writing was never going to happen. If they had everyone could have sued them and it would have been millions! Absolutley disgusting!
Can anyone remember when we broke into Don Mackay’s office stole his teddy bear and sent him a ransom letter so he stopped all our trips(stupid bastard),Katrina
Yup! didn’t it happen more than once?
I accidentally came across this site whilst trying to get information on Tone Vale Hosp. My brother was in there “around” 1950, he would have been around 13 yrs old. I was only about 4 or 5, but remember mum telling me he had to have a brain operation! now I realize it was a prefrontal lobotomy, I remember visiting him with all the bandages on his head, I saw the pictures of the hospital today, but I remember visiting him in the buildings beside, or at the back of the hospital, like the “childrens” hospital!! I know he was in & out for the next couple or three years, no one ever talked about it. He died of Prostrate cancer in 2003 in Sherborne Hospital. His name was Edward Dennis Chalke, but he went as “Ted” at home, he had a rought life, in & out of jail, always in trouble with someone, now I see why. He changed a bit towards the last few years of his life, living with & taking care of mum, they lived in Dorchester for 30 years. Mum died at age 100 last March 16th, I have no one left alive to ask about Ted’s stay in Tone Vale, now I think it was Merrifield!! I wonder if there is anyone out there tha can give me any information as to what the conditions and treatment given there prior to the MacKeys, ie 1950′s
I am very upset & bewildered to be realising all of this now, and not years ago whilst he was still alive, I would have tried to help him & told him I loved him a lot more. Ted was always refered to as “the black sheep” of the family. God if I had only known the truth. Hope someone out there can give me some info
Hazel (in Canada)
Hi Hazel
I was very sorry to hear of your brother’s experience, and the very hard life he had following his operation.
I’m not absolutely sure, but I don’t think Merrifield Unit existed as a separate (or semi-seperate) institution at the time you’re talking about. However, I believe there was a Merryfield Ward (spelt with a ‘y’, I think) at Tone Vale, which would have been the children’s ward prior to the Unit being properly established (I saw a document many, many years ago whcih refered to Merryfield Ward – unfortunately I can’t remember anything more about it, other than a reference to children).
I think that Merrifield Children’s Unit, as a separate building on the Tone Vale site, was established a little later in the 1950s. Maybe someone else will be able to verify this.
Other people with experience of Tone Vale (and Merrifield) in the ’50s have occasionally posted here, so hopefully someone will be able to give you some more information.
Best wishes
David Austin
Hi David
Thank you very much for the reply. I am determined to find out the details now. I found some evidence that he may have actually had his brain operation at Musgrove(dont know if this is any better!) . He was put into Tone Vale after that because of “behaviour” I remeber him running away and comming home once to Chilthorne Domer, that was around 1951-52, but he was sent back pretty fast.
I will kep checking the sight in hope of more info, thanks again David.
Hazel
I remember my first day there I wanted to leave and the door was blocked by 2 male nurses. One of these 2 men went on to physically abuse me. It is not in my book but I remember it well.
Merrifield childrens unit was a seperate building but still part of Tone Vale Hospital in 1957 when I was there. There was no Merryfield Ward or unit in the main hospital at this time. When I was transferred at the age of 16 to the main hospital no ward of this name was there then and this would have been 1960.
Hello Hazel,
I was in Merrifield in 1957 and it was not the place any child should have been. I do not remember Ted but to have such an operation at that age rings alarm bells to me. The thing you must remember Hazel is that you loved him and you did not know what was going on as it was a hidden world. Do not beat your self up about it as it will not help you now. I am sure your brother recognised that you loved him even though you were young. If you feel you want to remember Ted (even though he may have suffered greatly) why not plant a tree in your garden and see it flourish as you care for it. Do this as a memory of your brother. It can help. I am thinking of you. If you wish me to send you my book I will. It is of those days but how it all changed into something positive. You cannot change the past but you can learn to live for today even when you remember your brother. Im sure he would want it for you.
Hello Joyce
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to me. I will try & do what you suggest, but at he moment I am full of unbelief, and wonder how we, as a family ,could have allowed this to happen, I have so many questions to get answered before I can “move on”. My main question is “why did he need such an operation” I will continue to read this site, even though it brings me to tears. I would love to be able to hop on a plane and get those records, they may contain a lot of answers for me.
Thanks again Joyce
ps I am going to try and get your book out here in Canada
re: medical records from Tone vale
I know for fact that boxes upon boxes of medical documents anf iles containing info about patients have been found in derelict buildings and shed around the old Tone vale site. Not all of it has been built on and as some would know there was acres of space to TVH and lots of “other ” departments not in the main hospital itself. these have been found very recently 2011 – i have seen them myself and they are patients records of tretment/medications/therapies/ names etc patient notes from in patients..
Leaving medical notes for anyone to see on a rubbish dump is in keeping with how they treated the patients in the time I was there. It is disgusting but so typical.
Where are the records now then, nixkie?
still there go to the old hospital site to the building that are left, there are some in nearly each derelict part and loads of bank things from years gone by.
loads of kids go up there in theyre cars at night the have seen them too
If they are left in this way then someone who has respect for those who suffered in there should pick them all up and destroy them out of kindness for the patients who suffered in there. Is anyone willing to do this?
thinking about the legal side of this its just so wrong and probably totally illegal as was much that went on.
Have to see a CPN on Monday will defo mention it and see if there is anything that can be legally done
I would be willing if there’s no fear of broaching the rules of trespass—but then I could plead mitigating circumstances.
guys we need proof if we can then do this then we defo have a legal case against them we need proof
This is going to be sorted one way or another but WE NEED PROOF
sorry for these disjointed posts but if you can provide photos please email me at ellietheellie@gmail.com
I WAS ABOUT 15 WEN I WAS TOOK AN OVERDOSE WEN I WAS IN OLANDS. FROM MUSGROVE PARK HOSPITAL ALL I REMEMBER IS WAKING UP IN THAT PLACE CALLED MERRIFIELD…
DONT RECALL BEING TOOK THERE FROM MPH BUT A BIG PART OF MY LIFE IS MISSING!!!
Isn’t it nice to that they treat peoples private and confidential notes with such care
Nixkie, Is this in the old Tone Vale buildings or Sandhill park? (I know a lot of kids go to Sandhill in cars)
Hi guys, my names Zara – I now live in Cotford St Luke, where the old hospital tone vale hospital was! It’s now modern flats and it looks really lush! Also the chapel has been recently converted into a restruant! If any wants to know more, Just ask!!
Hi Zara
What do the CSL villagers think of Orchard Lodge now? Would anyone consider living there after such horrific stories?
D
Hi Donna
I don’t know much about Orchard Lodge, and I don’t live anywhere near the area (so I can’t claim any local knowledge), but I do know that it isn’t exactly the same as the Merrifield Unit it replaced.
Orchard Lodge caters for far fewer young people than did Merrifield (and there are no children there under the age of 12, unlike Merrifield), and I also understand that the sleeping arrangements are quite different (no large multi-occupancy dormitories).
If you do a Google search on ‘Orchard Lodge Young People’s Unit’ you will find quite a bit of basic information, plus a comment from a patient (calling himself Freddie3) who says the staff there made him feel comfortable and safe and helped him very effectively with his problems. That’s only one story, of course, but it’s a big contrast to what you hear about Merrifield.
Maybe someone else has more information, but while I can’t imagine that Orchard Lodge is perfect, it sounds as if it’s a big improvement on Merrifield – as it certainly should be!
Best wishes
David Austin
Thanks David – i see the annexe was only built in 1995 but the Lodge itself was i see the Superintendents Residence in years past and also i hear possibly contained the hospital shop and social area. Hopefully it was one of the happier places to be…i am curious as it is up for sale and am wondering how it could be used in a positive way for the community? Any suggestions welcome?
Ah, I hadn’t quite realised what the original Orchard Lodge was at Tone Vale. It all makes more sense now – I had thought it was very odd and unfortunate that the new unit would have the same name as a high security young people’s unit in London (the Orchard Lodge Secure Unit, Southwark).
I certainly remember (vaguely) the shop/social area, but not well enough to place it in the general geography of the place. I remember it as being a very dark place (not a lot of light, literally).
I’m sure there’s no funding for this sort of thing, but I’m very keen on local museums. A museum dedicated to the history of Tone Vale would be both interesting and a good reminder about what to avoid in the future.
Think I met someone who was there and it sounds very different to Merrifield the main diference that this lady said was people only stay there for a maximum length of a stay there is 3 months even if they are still ill unlike the years that some people spent in Merrifield sometimes for no good reason
Thanks Ellie – it could only have got better with time thankfully
Hi, Donna,
I follow the history of Tone Vale Hospital on the Cotford-St-Luke (the new village on the site) Village Forum’s History Thread. Recently there has been a post about Orchard Lodge, inviting ideas from the community there as to ideas for the future use of this remaining building ——- Orchard Lodge is a large house at the entrance to the village and would lend itself well to hotel / bed and breakfast accomodation particularly as Cotford St Luke stands on the doorstep to Exmoor. However, it seems that the person interested in a project to utilise this building has encountered a stumbling block.
Hi smudge
That would have been me on the village website. After ‘being shown’ OL i also started researching it’s history, not realising that parts of the village are already in converted TVH buildings. I too thought it was crying out to be a hotel/b&b and/or to be used/enjoyed by the community as much as possible. I feel guilty using the word ‘enjoy’ when such pain was endured on the whole site but feel it would be better/nice to make a positive out of a negative in their memory rather than encouraging more of the same. Are you a local? Do you think there would be a good amount of people willing to contribute?
Hi, my father was at merrifields as a teenager for behavioural problems at the age of 13/14, he’s now 50 (im no good at maths so i cant work out the year!) . I’ve read the book with his permission and I simply had to read it again, just to make it sink in. The torment that took place in this hell shouldnt ever be forgotten, ever. It should NEVER be swept under the mat and NEVER be dismissed as something that never happened, because it did, and to local people!
It’d be nice to hear from anyone who knew a Benji/Steve/ Stephen Binding. Thanks. All the best to you very, very brave people.
Just a short message for David Austin,
David I’ve just started reading your book and so far it seems verys good. I wondered though why you do not quote the name of “Merrifield” and instead call the place “Oakdale” I think. Is it to do with the writing style, in terms of the explanation at the front of the book or is it for some sort of legal reasons? It was just that I was disappointed not to read the name “Merrifield” anywhere so far. I’ll continue to read on but perhaps you could answer this at some stage.
Thanks.
Hi David
Yes, I think on reflection it might have been better to have mentioned Merrifield directly by name in the introduction (or perhaps have it mentioned in the cover blurb) – I was being very cautious before it was published. (Merrifield does actually get a mention in the book, but not by name – it’s just referred to as a unit in Somerset.)
The thing is, I changed names/personalities, etc. to protect identities. Many of us might think that some individuals (certain staff members) don’t necessarily deserve to have their identities protected, but quite apart from possible legal issues, these people had/have families, and I felt I had to be careful about their feelings. Anyway, I think it would have seemed a bit strange to place these altered characters (especially staff characters) in the real unit – after all, everyone knows that Merrifield was never run by a nursing officer called Anna Bishop! – so that’s how ‘Oakdale’ came about.
If I was writing the book now, I might do some things differently – but I don’t think it would end up being very different.
Anyway, thank you for your interest.
Best wishes
David
Perhaps an advert could be put in a shop window, somewhere in Taunton, asking for photographs of the Merrifield building? In that area I would have thought that there’s bound to be a few people with pictures of it.
Has anyone heard any more about the alleged dumped notes ?