The Last Asylum

Urbex: The Last Asylum, Somewhere, United Kingdom – April 2014

The Last of the great Asylums in the United Kingdom to close its doors I believe in 2012. The now abandoned site is quite large and on a scale similar to that of some of the other big asylums in the UK. Due to it being one of the last to close the interior was unsurprisingly very modern and bare with most of the equipment I suspect being moved to functioning hospital and care home facilities shortly after closure.

Birkwood Asylum Spiral Staircase

Urbex: Birkwood Asylum, Somewhere, Scotland – April 2014 (revisit)

Birkwood Asylum dates from the 1860’s and closed in 2002. The most attractive of the buildings and the feature of this report is the old Birkwood House which was constructed in 1819 and was a stately home until the 1860’s when an additional wing was added and the Asylum established. Many additional buildings were added over the years within the grounds which are all now crumbling and falling apart while the old stone built stately home remains!

Severalls Asylum Colchester - Purple Corridor

Urbex: Severalls Lunatic Asylum, Colchester – March 2014 (revisit 3) Part 1 of 3

Briefly Severalls Lunatic Asylum aka The Second Essex County Asylum aka Severalls Hospital was built in 1910 and opened in 1913. At its peak the Asylum could house 2000 patients making it one of the largest in the country. Based upon the Echelon Asylum Plan Severalls has become well known for its spiralling Corridors which connect various buildings and the vast amount of bay windows within the wards.

Denbigh Asylum aka The North Wales Hospital

Urbex: Denbigh Lunatic Asylum aka North Wales Hospital, Denbighshire, Wales – March 2014 (Revisit 3)

The abandoned Denbigh Asylum aka The North Wales Hospital was completed and opened in 1848 to accommodate the Welsh paupers who were reportedly receiving poor treatment in comparably English Lunatic Asylums. Electro-Convulsive Treatment (ECT) and Pre-frontal leucotomy operations aka Lobotomy operations were performed here.