High Royds Mental Asylum, Menston - 20/10/06

[Oxygen Thief]

Visited with The Riddlers.

Thanks to Dweeb for having the balls to try this place and getting in, and some help with access.

We arrived in the dead of night, and set about finding a way in. Searched virtually the complete perimeter of the building and had a couple of forays into the building, but nothing substantial. We were there so long the sky started to lighten so we searched harder and faster, and found a different (and probably easier) way in. In our opinion, this has always been an access point, I'm amazed this place hasn't been done before now.

Having found the way in, we headed off to the car for some food, beer and sleep. I think we got about an hours kip that night.

We got back to the hospital before sunrise and straight in. A bit of a walk around to familiarise ourselves... then the sun came up... and the workmen started to take over site. They were everywhere, including in the admin building, but that's for later...

We started with a few corridors on the way to the roof...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3274.jpg

...and the projector room (locked). Then back down to admin and the long corridors...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3278.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3288.jpg

. One of them has an amazing cage door...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3290.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3294.jpg

More grand corridors...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3301.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3305.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3308.jpg

...and we found a row of cells, painted in grey and black ...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3317.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3323.jpg

Really depressing colours we thought.

[Oxygen Thief]

A trip around the wards was impressive, hardwood fittings all round...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3336.jpg

There was half a dozen cells per floor, indications of a lot of padded cells and complete isolation .

Back downstairs, the next thing was a block out on a limb, the problem was we had to travel along a corridor with low windows, with workmen on each side. So we crawled along to find the door was locked... and back again, our knees were ruined by this time...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3338.jpg

Now we went into the main hall (we had already crossed it earlier), we had a look around...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3341.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3354.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3356.jpg

and were just leaving it when we heard voices. Just as we closed a door behind us, two workmen walked into the main hall from another direction. At one point we thought they had gone, but they appeared walking straight towards us. We hid and kept quiet, at one point we actually legged it to a small room to lock ourselves in, it was that close. After a while, the workmen disappeared, but still within the building, so we crossed the main hall into admin...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3357.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3358.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3368.jpg

This is fantastically preserved, hopefully it will stay so. A final walkaround and we decided to exit as we had other plans for the day as well.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/High%20Royds%20Asylum%20Menston%20271006/IMG_3345.jpg