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View Full Version : Archived: St. Andrews Asylum, Norwich, June 2010



manof2worlds
20-06-2010, 04:27 PM
The location is securely boarded up with regular security patrols, and required some careful and inventive thinking. This building doesn't compare to the West Parks and Hellingleys of this world, but it does have it 's own unique character and atmosphere. The following information was found on the Internet:

Plans for the asylum were announced in 1876. The buildings were to be of ‘somewhat plain, simple and comparatively cheap construction’, later described as ‘a sort of go-between the Asylum and the Workhouse’.
Designed by the architects Cornish and Gaymer, they were modelled on Metropolitan Asylums Board institutions at Leavesden and Caterham. They comprised a two-storey ‘H’ shape with large and rather barn-like male and female wards linked, or rather separated, by an administrative cross-section, behind which lay a single storey complex of kitchens and staff rooms.
Costing £33,920, they accommodated 250 patients, two and a half times the original capacity. ‘Chronic lunatics, imbeciles and idiots’ were placed under the care of Hills’ assistant, who became resident medical officer, a head female attendant and a relatively modest staff of attendants and nurses.

Sadly, much has gone from this place, including the fantastic journals and records, but St. Andrews still does it for me :-)

And so to the pictures - hope they meet with your approval:

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