{"id":10613,"date":"2015-10-13T22:46:01","date_gmt":"2015-10-13T22:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/?p=10613"},"modified":"2019-02-17T14:26:59","modified_gmt":"2019-02-17T14:26:59","slug":"urbex-high-royds-insane-asylum-aka-high-royds-hospital-aka-west-riding-pauper-lunatic-asylum-menston-leeds-west-yorkshire-february-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.proj3ctm4yh3m.com\/urbex\/2015\/10\/13\/urbex-high-royds-insane-asylum-aka-high-royds-hospital-aka-west-riding-pauper-lunatic-asylum-menston-leeds-west-yorkshire-february-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Urbex: High Royds Insane Asylum aka High Royds Hospital aka West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Menston, Leeds, West Yorkshire – February 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

History<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

High Royds Lunatic Asylum or the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum as it was originally called, is a former psychiatric hospital near the village of Menston in West Yorkshire.<\/p>\n

The broad arrow plan asylum features a large array of stone built wards and interconnecting corridors most of which have been demolished leaving the majority of the old wards as independent buildings most now repurposed as modern apartments.<\/p>\n

The grandest of these buildings, the old administration block which sits at the head of the complex is Grade II listed and is one of the last remaining buildings to be renovated. This building features a large central clock tower which still functions to this day and the main hallways are covered with Italian Mosaic flooring which is intricately decorated with the Yorkshire Rose and black daisies.<\/p>\n

The Asylum opened on the 8th October 1888 and was in full use until a staged closer which began in 2003 following changes to the attitudes towards mental health care in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Our Visit<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Visited with Spider Monkey, Matt Hampshire and Pete ‘Hands’ Costello on another successful SOCC outing :). I’d wanted to see this place for years and after numerous failed attempts in the past, I had to take a look once it was back on the scene again. Clearly, a lot more of the site has been renovated with only 1 or 2 old wards remaining along with the admin block which are all earmarked for conversion into apartments. Thankfully the Administration Building, the main target of our visit still had plenty of original features left to photograph and I wasn\u2019t disappointed with what there was to shoot. Fortunately, the main hall also remained and was accessible via the administration building as well as a few other corridors and kitchen \/ canteen rooms. Even though I would have loved to have seen this place it its prime I’m glad I managed to finally get to see a little part of it\u2026<\/p>\n