Ahhhhhh, Cane Hill at last! FINALLY!
Visited with the Uncle; and first and foremost a huge thanks to him. It was a brilliant visit, but only lasted one hour 40 minutes due to;
a) The bitter, bitter cold and
b) The Squibb Demolition workers swarming like fleas around the good bits
Unfortunately this meant I couldn't see Browning/Blake, Vincent/Vanbrugh or the chapel. But I will of course be returning - I have unfinished business to complete.
Designed by CH Howell and opened in 1882, the hospital could cater for up to 2000 patients at its peak, but by the 1960's it only held 1600, leaving some wards abandoned, but looked after, for over 40 years. The hospital finally closed in 1991, and has sine been left open to the elements. This means the main hospital complex is in a terrible state, with spongey floors, missing floors and pieces of mortar falling down all the time. Couple that with the fact it is a demolition zone and you have a very dangerous building.
Anyway, heres my take for what it's worth. As you can see the roofs are icy.
Obligatory admin shots... As you can see the roofs are icy.
One of the very last corridors, out by Kings/Keats/Keller and the old nurses block...
I believe Kings, Keats and Keller were geriatric wards, and hence they are were in close proximity to the morgue, which has now felt the demolition claw.
Each ward had individual cells...
They were small, claustrophobic and cramped, and had an odd small window above the main one.
Each ward also had a dayroom which made the most of the sunlight and let rays spill across the floor. Even in its poor state, this room felt warm and airy.
Although the patients food came from the central kitchens in a heated trolley, staff had a kitchenette to prepare their meals.
Cane Hills interior designer was seriously questionable. That green carpet? Yuk!
Lovely Avacado Green, my favourite!
This is a feature of Cane Hill seldom featured in reports; the partitions between the beds. It made a small room even smaller.
The wards bathrooms were fairly dismal too, and were located in the darkest, dingiest positions of the hospital. They still had toilet paper in them tough, even after 17 years!
Bathing cannot have been a pleasant experience, and patients were rushed through bathtime, helped by a nurse.
Then we proceeded to Faraday (I believe). This ward seemed to be the store for hospital items when the hospital was closed, and there were over 100 bedsteads slowly rusting. However, the building itself is looking a little worse for wear, with the entire first floor having collapsed entirely. I didn't dare venture up to the second floor, as there was a significant risk of falling 20 feet onto some rusty zimmer frame below.
This is another thing I had often wondered about; the stairs in Cane Hill. They seem largely ignored by photographers.
So it was time to proceed to Browning/Blake, which was swarming with demolition workers. This seemed to be another dumping ground for hospital tat.
I was looking for the staircase to the upstairs, famous for its beds, when I heard loud banging and voices directly above me. It sounds like Browning/Blake is being emptied for good, and the beds discarded with the rest. I thought it best to stay downstairs.
Ahhhh, its nice to see sensitive documents look after so well...
Personal items were left around the hospital, including a mint-condition suit which I unfortunately did not photograph.
I will be returning shortly to conquer the chapel before its turned into a community center or some other crap, and Vincent/Vanburgh, and Browning/Blake - so watch out for yet another Cane Hill report.
Visited with the Uncle; and first and foremost a huge thanks to him. It was a brilliant visit, but only lasted one hour 40 minutes due to;
a) The bitter, bitter cold and
b) The Squibb Demolition workers swarming like fleas around the good bits
Unfortunately this meant I couldn't see Browning/Blake, Vincent/Vanbrugh or the chapel. But I will of course be returning - I have unfinished business to complete.
Designed by CH Howell and opened in 1882, the hospital could cater for up to 2000 patients at its peak, but by the 1960's it only held 1600, leaving some wards abandoned, but looked after, for over 40 years. The hospital finally closed in 1991, and has sine been left open to the elements. This means the main hospital complex is in a terrible state, with spongey floors, missing floors and pieces of mortar falling down all the time. Couple that with the fact it is a demolition zone and you have a very dangerous building.
Anyway, heres my take for what it's worth. As you can see the roofs are icy.
Obligatory admin shots... As you can see the roofs are icy.
One of the very last corridors, out by Kings/Keats/Keller and the old nurses block...
I believe Kings, Keats and Keller were geriatric wards, and hence they are were in close proximity to the morgue, which has now felt the demolition claw.
Each ward had individual cells...
They were small, claustrophobic and cramped, and had an odd small window above the main one.
Each ward also had a dayroom which made the most of the sunlight and let rays spill across the floor. Even in its poor state, this room felt warm and airy.
Although the patients food came from the central kitchens in a heated trolley, staff had a kitchenette to prepare their meals.
Cane Hills interior designer was seriously questionable. That green carpet? Yuk!
Lovely Avacado Green, my favourite!
This is a feature of Cane Hill seldom featured in reports; the partitions between the beds. It made a small room even smaller.
The wards bathrooms were fairly dismal too, and were located in the darkest, dingiest positions of the hospital. They still had toilet paper in them tough, even after 17 years!
Bathing cannot have been a pleasant experience, and patients were rushed through bathtime, helped by a nurse.
Then we proceeded to Faraday (I believe). This ward seemed to be the store for hospital items when the hospital was closed, and there were over 100 bedsteads slowly rusting. However, the building itself is looking a little worse for wear, with the entire first floor having collapsed entirely. I didn't dare venture up to the second floor, as there was a significant risk of falling 20 feet onto some rusty zimmer frame below.
This is another thing I had often wondered about; the stairs in Cane Hill. They seem largely ignored by photographers.
So it was time to proceed to Browning/Blake, which was swarming with demolition workers. This seemed to be another dumping ground for hospital tat.
I was looking for the staircase to the upstairs, famous for its beds, when I heard loud banging and voices directly above me. It sounds like Browning/Blake is being emptied for good, and the beds discarded with the rest. I thought it best to stay downstairs.
Ahhhh, its nice to see sensitive documents look after so well...
Personal items were left around the hospital, including a mint-condition suit which I unfortunately did not photograph.
I will be returning shortly to conquer the chapel before its turned into a community center or some other crap, and Vincent/Vanburgh, and Browning/Blake - so watch out for yet another Cane Hill report.
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