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View Full Version : Archived: St John's Lunatic Asylum, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln - 2008 to 2010



compound eye
03-02-2011, 03:53 PM
Somehow it seemed fitting to splat a few of my shots from St John's on the forum at this point. The place has been mentioned several times over the last few days, and it is now - allegedly - a much harder target, with new owners intent on transforming the site instead of letting us play, and K9 accompanied rent-a-plod.

Whether the solemnity of this grand yet grim place influence the relative subtlety of my PP or not I dunno, but you can probably view most of these without hiding behind the sofa.

I'll not witter on about the history. I doubt I've little of any originality to add, except [hopefully] my shots -

The main upstairs secure isolation ward of the west wing. I've heard two stories about the reason for the ceiling patterns - one being to deaden the sound of any screaming / shouting, the other as some sort of fire containment precaution. In any case, this image was used as a full-wrap cover for 'The Colorado Review - Fall 2009'.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/3160277096_3b8e1aba66_z.jpg

The infamous 'grand' staircase of the Governor's building, the climbing of which had me clinging to the walls like paint!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/3160448204_5625eb21a7_z.jpg

A fairly matter of fact picture of the main hall. I wish the projection room had been accessible too...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/3230072290_69482c2e46_z.jpg




"Ooh, sluice you sir!" . The toilet block opposite one of the high security wards on the 1st floor. I wonder how much pooh actually made it down the sluice instead of getting thrown at the nurse opening the cell door for 'slopping out'?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4200529776_8c1b713ef1_z.jpg

The - well known - high security ward opposite that toilet block, note the hasp and padlock on the furthest door.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/4200541232_cb8e1abbdc_z.jpg

As a daddy, it pretty much broke my heart to imagine children young enough for 'naive' murals being locked up in such cold, cramped, spartan cells, with high slit windows and not even a coat hook on the wall.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4200573384_4dde2f5b47_z.jpg

At least the Fillingham ward was an 'open ward'. Still, children in a place like this, urgh...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2765/4199829153_9948bf2470_z.jpg

A corridor leading from one of the upstairs toilet blocks close behind the Governor's building -

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2539/4199966875_f90d98b5f6_z.jpg

The last word in minimalism for the mentally ill. Inside an isolation cell [even without HDR, the greens, pinks, yellows of these rooms were anything but calming] -

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/4199973027_42fa0d95ce_z.jpg

A couple of shots from the 'sea-life' muriel from the children's 'day-room' downstairs -

"You ain't seen me, right?"

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4200787078_f87a80867f_z.jpg

A hippo in the sea??!!!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/4200802310_be4566b294_z.jpg

One of the toilets from the high security wing, where nurses could watch people going about their business through reinforced glass. Nice!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4200060373_f8ba293e0a_z.jpg


So, St John's - an oldy BUT a goody! The thing that struck me was just how stripped back and cleaned up the East Wing was - I took virtually no shots from that half at all. It was just too sterile to be interesting. Even with the mirrored nature of most asylums I'm sure there'd have been plenty to bag prior to the East Wing's clean-up.

Thanks for looking. :D