Hi Everyone,
Yes I know it's been done to death and many roll their eyes at this place being a tourist hotspot.
This one was one I was not rushing to either but one lazy day turned into road trip and quite an amazing explore.
The place can't help but draw you in as soon as you see the size, the beauty of its gothic architecture against the rolling green hills, it's breathtaking. What a beautiful place it must have been. You can still see this beauty if you look hard enough even beyond its trashed and clinging for life interiors.
The explore was peaceful with some funny events, meeting other explorers on the way of course.
I was even made up to see the infamous Elwyn who was just leaning against a wall keeping an eye out on the staff quarters. He did a couple of rounds in the grounds too, but he doesn't get out his car, plenty of time to hide as seems to like driving in high revs
.Not going to go into the history as most of us know the history, many who are interested will google it. What I will say is those who squash the excitement of this derp really underestimate the personal side to this place. How scary it must have been to be taken here, and those terrible practices.
The following are memories of a staff member .
Infamous Characters - Clwyd Wynne
R.O. was a 'cariad' of a man. He had been a patient in the hospital since his discharge from the army shortly after the 1st world war where he was a radio operator. Everyone who came across him could not but like him although his communication skills were limited. He had bouts when he was extremely hyperactive and noisy singing "Black Dando" for days on end until he lost his voice and his favourite saying was "Away you silly duffer!" whenever anyone tried to stop him doing things he shouldn't like going into other patients' lockers to look for sweets. The stories about his escapades are legend. Has anyone got any other stories about this lovable character who lived almost to his 90's and had sadly been in hospital for about 60-70 years when he died.
