St Lawrences asylum, Bodmin

[BenWRX]

Visited with Lilli, DocD and Spook.. after 4 and a half hours driving, (which I slept through most of... ) we wern't dissapointed, the main hall alone being worth the journey and my personal favorite, the Loveny ward making the day. The rest of the building is in excellent condtion... a testiment to the amount of PIRs round the place and the unique trick of covering corridors in talc!
Big thanks to DocD for driving and dinner, and to Lilli for putting us up for the weekend... or should that be putting up with us for the weekend?

Cornwall County Asylum

Founded in 1815 at Westheath Avenue, Bodmin.
Became known as St Lawrence's Hospital under the National Health Service.

The County Lunatic Asylum, for the reception of private patients and pauper lunatics, a little to the west of the Town of Bodmin on a site of about 9 acres, consists of eight blocks of buildings radiating from a centre, with annexes and detached blocks subsequently erected and residences for the various officers. The first portion, for 100 patients, was built in 1820; in 1842 the "high building" was added, and in 1848 a "new building" was built; A further enlargement was made in 1867 by the erection of the Carew Block; in 1873 an additional building was erected, and in 1884 another. There is a dining and recreation hall, 80 by 34 feet. The Asylum held 760 patients; the average being, males 305, and females 366, 24 of the former and 23 of the latter being private patients.

In an outer enclosure is a chapel, erected 1859-61, at a cost, with subsequent enlargement, of £1,515; it consists of apsidal chancel, nave of three bays, south aisle, transept and porch, vestry and a turret containing one bell; below the chapel is a crypt, there are sittings for 350 persons.


Admin.



Hall.







Radio station behind the stage.









Large secure cell... easily the most secure cells I've seen!





The smaller secure cell.





Cell 'window'.



Nurses station emergency pull... individual room heat controlers in the back ground, 'Loveny ward'.











Small alarm relay.



The 'Tripod' Alarm relay...




On the way back to Guildford we noticed Bodmin jail, the front of which is now a pub where we stopped for dinner... There is a tour round the main part which we didnt do however there are some parts not on the tour.









And we made a stop off at Tone Vale Asylum... to see the very converted admin, a very busy housing estate, the very locked chapel and an obliterated ward block....