sqwasher
08-06-2009, 12:52 AM
Visited here back in April with the usual company. Everyone knows the background of the place except the noobs out there, so here it is for them;
Denbigh Asylum was the first Welsh asylum to be built and originally came about because Welsh people were being mistreated in English asylums. It evolved due to a collaberation between 5-6 North Wales counties. The land, then worth about £2000, was donated by an anonymous landowner later anounced to be Joseph Ablett, who went on to be the inspiration for his wife to set up the Ablett Testimonial Fund (this fund helped patients after discharge).
The architect chosen to design the hospital was Thomas Full James and he had to make sure that his building provided the space to separate males from females, 1st class from second class and paupers and provide separate areas for violent and epileptic patients. It also had to house staff and many facilities within its walls and was designed to be able to extend, as needed, by building upwards. Construction started in 1844 and was completed in1848. The clock was donated by Mrs Ablett and was mounted on the clocktower in 1854 to 'complete' the building in honour of her and her husbands links with the hospital. Unfortunately the clock was stolen sometime after the main buildings closure.
The asylum had, over the years, facilities such as a brewery, bakery and a turkish baths. The chapel was built in 1862 to hold 200 people and was later extended to hold 440 in 1881. At its maximum capacity (1956) the asylum held 1,500 patients and 1,000 staff!
In 1987 a ten year closure plan announced that sections of the hospital were to close in stages between 1991 - 2002. The main hospital closed in 1995. To this day the main hospital remains derelict and is listed along with the Chapel, Lodge, Gate Piers and Bungalow.
Some externals to wet your appitite
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/3573925301_b94a05e0dd.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3573894705_935b46bee2.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3598/3573868035_b81d59dbc3.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3571840704_7536ac1b0a.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/3568601678_71aabe2f50.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2196/3573913049_52d8613241.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3330/3574707070_62fd4a7fba.jpg
The mortuary & chapel areas
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3573916751_f8586311f7.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3571878674_d3c29e9075.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3571866292_beef00d477.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3571903838_a82c592b88.jpg
The remains of the main hall.....so sad that we didn't get to see it before the fire!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/3570387993_d06ce6e50a.jpg
Moving inside & begining with a classic view
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/3573908861_9457626592.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3573904525_f4f12a5695.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3574692260_7b1cb5c440.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3573850031_0b6946b166.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3564/3573857783_f0d84fe464.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/3570403485_203baacae3.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/3567806227_f0cbc36df9.jpg
The Most Haunted fake padded cell room :fail
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3567778461_a9633c1b79.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3568534556_3c09dc96d0.jpg
A final view as we left this glorious set of buildings
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3572876234_17d68a17b2.jpg
Cheers for looking, my full flickr set can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/sets/72157618852909439/ :thumb
Denbigh Asylum was the first Welsh asylum to be built and originally came about because Welsh people were being mistreated in English asylums. It evolved due to a collaberation between 5-6 North Wales counties. The land, then worth about £2000, was donated by an anonymous landowner later anounced to be Joseph Ablett, who went on to be the inspiration for his wife to set up the Ablett Testimonial Fund (this fund helped patients after discharge).
The architect chosen to design the hospital was Thomas Full James and he had to make sure that his building provided the space to separate males from females, 1st class from second class and paupers and provide separate areas for violent and epileptic patients. It also had to house staff and many facilities within its walls and was designed to be able to extend, as needed, by building upwards. Construction started in 1844 and was completed in1848. The clock was donated by Mrs Ablett and was mounted on the clocktower in 1854 to 'complete' the building in honour of her and her husbands links with the hospital. Unfortunately the clock was stolen sometime after the main buildings closure.
The asylum had, over the years, facilities such as a brewery, bakery and a turkish baths. The chapel was built in 1862 to hold 200 people and was later extended to hold 440 in 1881. At its maximum capacity (1956) the asylum held 1,500 patients and 1,000 staff!
In 1987 a ten year closure plan announced that sections of the hospital were to close in stages between 1991 - 2002. The main hospital closed in 1995. To this day the main hospital remains derelict and is listed along with the Chapel, Lodge, Gate Piers and Bungalow.
Some externals to wet your appitite
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/3573925301_b94a05e0dd.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3573894705_935b46bee2.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3598/3573868035_b81d59dbc3.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3571840704_7536ac1b0a.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/3568601678_71aabe2f50.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2196/3573913049_52d8613241.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3330/3574707070_62fd4a7fba.jpg
The mortuary & chapel areas
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3573916751_f8586311f7.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3571878674_d3c29e9075.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3571866292_beef00d477.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3571903838_a82c592b88.jpg
The remains of the main hall.....so sad that we didn't get to see it before the fire!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/3570387993_d06ce6e50a.jpg
Moving inside & begining with a classic view
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/3573908861_9457626592.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3573904525_f4f12a5695.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3574692260_7b1cb5c440.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3573850031_0b6946b166.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3564/3573857783_f0d84fe464.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/3570403485_203baacae3.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/3567806227_f0cbc36df9.jpg
The Most Haunted fake padded cell room :fail
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3567778461_a9633c1b79.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3568534556_3c09dc96d0.jpg
A final view as we left this glorious set of buildings
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3572876234_17d68a17b2.jpg
Cheers for looking, my full flickr set can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwasher/sets/72157618852909439/ :thumb