Asylums

Sunnyside Royal Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located in Hillside, north of Montrose, Scotland. The hospital was founded in 1781 by Susan Carnegie as the Montrose Lunatic Asylum, Infirmary & Dispensary and obtained a Royal Charter in 1810. The original building was situated on the Montrose Links on a site …

Stratheden Hospital was first opened in July of 1866. The purpose built asylum buildings held up to 200 patients at the begining. The first chief physician, Dr Tuke, was regarded highly as a doctor who changed  the traditional methods of mental health care and helped pioneer the “open door” policy …

It’s eight years since I last visited high royds. Back then much of the site was still undeveloped and awaiting conversion to housing.  Fast forward 8 years and only the grand administration building remains dormant.  Extensive clean up works to the exterior were carried out a number of years ago …

A little trip to Mid Wales Hospital. The site continues to deteriorate and little seems to have been achieved by the new owners with pushing through planning applications.  This winter might just see most of the buildings collapsing both internally and externally.  Shot on my Canon EOS 5 SLR with …

Construction work begin in 1890 to build what was originally known as Lanark District Asylum. Construction work would take five years at a cost of £135’000.  Built originally to hold 500 patients across 6 wards it was a completely self sustaining with its own gardens, cemetery, farm, power plant, reservoir, …

A nice way to finish 2012, which has been a very busy year away from exploring, was a trip to an old favourite. Mid Wales Hospital. The Mid Wales Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Talgarth, Wales. It opened in 1906 and was formerly known as the Brecon and Radnor …

Visited on a Sunny Summers day back in 2009 this was a chance visit and chance explore.  I guess it gave a little  insight to what asylums were like when open back in the day. Beautifully maintained, cleaned and in small capacity – still in use. Opened in 1906, it …

Rauceby Hospital was built in 1897 and was designed by George Thomas Hine, Consultant Architect to the Comissioners in Lunacy, perhaps the most famous of asylum architects. It has many of his trademark features such as glazed brown tiles in the corridors. It was originally known as Kesteven County Asylum. …

Whittingham Hospital was built in 1869 and became one of the biggest county asylums in the county. It was known as the Lancashire County Asylum, Whittingham and took the routine name changes through the years loosing the asylum and mental hospital tags. It closed in 1995 and while some annexes …

A first trek north of the border lead me to Gartloch Hospital, situated in the east edge of Glasgow in Gartcosh. It’s construction was completed in 1896 and served patients till 1996.   During the second world war it was converted to a emergency medical services hospital. Current mental health patients …

Second visit to the Stanley Royd Chapel. Something I swore I’d never visit again due to it being one of the most disgusting explores ever!  Having said that it’s almost one of the most beautiful for that majestic stained glass window that really should be preserved in the asylum museum …

West Park was the last mental hospital to be developed on the Horton Estate, having been planned since 1906, prior to the opening of neighbouring Long Grove asylum. Initial development to have been completed for opening in 1916. From 1917 the main hospital was largely complete and utilised by Canadian …