Severalls lunatic asylum colchester essex 1980s 2015. Severalls hospital, colchester, essex england the site has been of increasing interest to urban explorers who have been known to enter the building without permission, take photographs, most interestingly the mortuary which still houses the body refrigerators used to store deceased patients and the imposing water tower no longer in use. The mental health hospital closed in the 1990s and has been abandoned ever since. This abandoned house of horrors had a trialanderror philosophy regarding mental health care.
Severalls hospital boxted road, colchester, essex in 1904, colchester borough corporation sold approx. Severalls hospital, once a sprawling asylum that held more than 2000. Industries started in upholsterers french polishing, book binding, mat. Narratives of severalls hospital 191997 memory and narrative kindle edition by gittins, diana. The hospital was designed by frank whitmore and william town using an echelon formation. Colchester military hospital was able to treat about 221 patients in side rooms and eight traditional wards. An urban photographer took these images inside the abandoned essex mental health hospital, which closed in the 1990s. Some displayed characteristics of mental illnesses such a depression, psychosis and mania still misdiagnosed at the time. Construction was completed and the hospital formally opened in may 19.
Severalls hospital, or severalls asylum as its was originally known colchester, opened in 19 for 1800 patients. Loftus woods in 1797 of a dispensary for the poor which may have closed when he died in. The article contained a series of photos depicting severalls hospital, colchester, essex. Myland also called mile end is a civil parish in essex, england. Severalls hospital bombed tuesday as i write this a german plane is flying over lawford towards the north, rather low and very fast, while there are gunflashes far. Severalls hospital in colchester was a psychiatric hospital built in 1910 to the design of architect frank whitmore. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. Severalls hospital colchester, essex hospital facebook. The forsaken halls of englands severalls hospital the lineup. Narratives of severalls hospital, 191997, gittins, summarised her research, noting that often women were admitted by their own family, sometimes as the result of bearing illegitimate children or because they had been raped. It is based on the echelon plan, which is a specific arrangement of wards, offices and services within easy reach of each other by a network of interconnecting corridors. Severalls asylum in colchester was built from 1910 and opened in 19 as a psychiatric hospital.
Larch house, colchester larch house north and larch house south form a part of our development of the only original buildings at the former serveralls hospital site in colchester. Severalls asylum i have asked this question before but as usual i forgot to make a note of what was suggested anyway, my gg grandfather died at severalls asylum in essex in 1917, i have just had a reply from the essex records office, only to be told that they have no records from severalls asylum deposited there. Severalls hospital, colchester, uk our haunted spaces. Over 2000 patients were treated at severalls hospital at its peak and most of the site now stands derelict since it closed 12 years ago. The buildings were designed by architect frank whitmore and cover an area of 300 acres. The former severalls hospital archant a student filmmaker has been given almost unprecedented access to a former mental health hospital in colchester to chart the sites history through a. A new pathological laboratory was developed for the investigation into causes of mental disorder. On the outskirts of town, however, lies a haunting remnant of colchesters past. Narratives of severalls hospital 191997 memory and narrative.
The project was initiated in the mid1990s, by the north east essex mental health trust, which wanted a social history of the hospital to be written prior to its closure. Alexander fordyce, a speculative banker, built a hospital in colchester c. It was based on the echelon plan, which is a specific arrangement of wards, offices and services within easy reach of each other by a network of interconnecting corridors. This has varied over the centuries but essentially with the same meaning. Severalls hospital, colchester, uk severalls hospital opened in 19 as an edwardianera lunatic asylum housing up to 2,000 patients around an echelon plan an interconnected network of wards and offices within easy reach of one another. There are 2 ways to get from severalls hospital to london victoria by train, subway or car. Severalls hospital, colchester the national archives. Severalls lunatic asylum colchester essex 1980s 2015 before i start, if youre interested in severalls and really want to know what it was like back in the day please take the time out to watch this set of videos made by patricia amos, a former severalls nurse who began working there in the early 1960s and stayed there right.
The book chronicles the 80year history of the hospital, providing an. Derelict severalls hospital, colchester, in pictures. This was replaced with a fine looking red brick hospital in 1896. The severalls was an enclosed area within the borough of colchester it was not common. Severalls hospital has been an interest of mine for a long time, as a 14 yr old in 1976 i was in the cardiac unit or st micheals ward as i believe renovations were being undertaken anda move at that time to the current hospital. Severalls hospital bombed tuesday as i write this a german plane is flying over lawford towards the north, rather low and very fast, while there are gunflashes far in the south. I had some good memories like meeting my husband but as you rightly. More information about the hospital can be found on wikipedia.
Built in 1910 to the echelon plan, it was designed by the renowned architect frank whitmore left. In the days of chillingly primitive mental health care, doctors experimented with impunity at severalls. These dilapidated halls are part of severalls hospital, a psychiatric institution in colchester, england, that opened in 19. Gallery new documentary to chart history of severalls. Excellent account of the impact that severalls hospital had on colchester and. My mother told me years ago that one of her uncles and i believe it is george speight b1891 in sheperds bush was there. Severalls hospital, a large edwardian asylum, opened in 19 for 1800 patients. It brings together the memories and narratives of over sixty patients and workers who lived, or were employed, in. Report severalls asylum update, colchester oct 2019.
During the interwar period severalls underwent a change of name in common with all county and borough asylums, and becoming the essex and colchester mental hospital, severalls. The original village began approximately one mile north of the centre of colchester which probably accounts for its name. Colchester barracks area in essex, england has always been a busy garrison and when the new barracks were built in 1856 a 20 hut hospital complex was built. The town of colchester, once the capital of roman britain, is rich with history from colchester castle, the largest surviving norman castle in europe, to the massive jumbo water tower built in 1883. As they would not always or were unable to carry out daily tasks, they were. Narratives of severalls hospital, 191997 1998 by diana gittins has been the most comprehensive study of this institution to date. Severalls hospital was a psychiatric hospital in colchester, essex, england. Severalls hospital in colchester was built in may 19 but it was shut down in the early 1990s before a separate section for the elderly closed in march 1997. The 300acre site now sits as a creepy and eerie glimpse into the past after falling into a state of disrepair. Severalls hospital in colchester, essex, united kingdom was a psychiatric hospital built in 1910 to the. Severalls hospital is an abandoned mental institution in. After two years onsite, the first two of 20 individual houses have been released on the market through our site selling agents, michaels property consultants. Severalls hospital boxted road, colchester, essex in 1904, colchester. Villas were constructed around the main hospital building as accommodation blocks between 1910 and 1935.
Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events. Asylum, colchester, echelon plan, frank whitmore, second essex county asylum, severalls, severalls hospital. Also known as severalls mental hospital, severalls. Medical reception station colchester military hospital tl 995 237 100719.
Filming starts on an exclusive severalls hospital documentary. Patients of severalls asylum were from a varied background and history. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. An impressive overhead shot of severalls hospital shows the impressive echelon site the patients of severalls hospital a shelled shocked patient from ww1. Turner village hospital royal eastern counties institution tl 996 273 101578. Severalls hospital to london victoria 2 ways to travel. On the outskirts of town, however, lies a haunting remnant of colchester s past. As you might expect, due to its rather gruesome history, and the fact that it was constructed on those sacred grounds, many reports have suggested it is, in fact, one of the most haunted places in all of florida.
Severalls psychiatric hospital is located in colchester in essex and was originally known as the second county of essex lunatic asylum. Derelict severalls hospital, colchester, in pictures essex live. The town of colchester, once the capital of roman britain, is rich with historyfrom colchester castle, the largest surviving norman castle in europe, to the massive jumbo water tower built in 1883. Severalls hospital, a large edwardian asylum, opened in 19 for 1,800 patients. Severalls hospital to london 3 ways to travel via train. Severalls hospital, colchester, essex, was built as an asylum in 19. This article is the result of a few visits between 2006 and 2007. Other shortlived attempts at medical provision included the establishment by dr. This fascinating study presents a unique history of psychiatry in the twentieth century. The 300acre site housed around 2000 patients and the design was such that the wards, offices and services within easy reach of each other by a network of interconnecting corridors. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket.
It was managed by the north essex partnership university nhs foundation trust. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Severalls hospital in colchester, essex, united kingdom was a psychiatric hospital built in 1910 to the design of architect frank whitmore. History and photos of the abandoned severalls hospital, in colchester, essex england. The severalls hospital was an echelon plan psychiatric hospital located in colchester, essex, uk. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading madness in its place. It brings together the memories and narratives of over sixty patients and workers who lived, or were employed, in severalls psychiatric hospital, essex, uk. Severalls hospital, it said in part, seems to whisper with its own chilling history and psychiatrists were once free to test their own new treatments without restrictions on patients at the mental hospital. This edwardianera asylum was opened in 19 to house as many as 2000 patients around what was known as the echelon plan an interconnected network of wards, offices and services within easy reach of one another. There are 3 ways to get from severalls hospital to london by train or car. Before the 19th century no voluntary hospital was established which survived more than a few years. The 300acre site of severalls hospital built in may 19 to house some 2000. The bombed part was never rebuilt, only modified and consisted of 75% of the female epileptic blocks, a section of corridor and the officers laundry behind. This fascinating study presents a unique social history of psychiatry in the twentieth century.