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Report - - Great Barr Hall - Birmingham, April 2018 | Asylums and Hospitals | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Great Barr Hall - Birmingham, April 2018

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Facesareblxr

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Hello all, this is my first post but it is an old explore. I will hopefully be exploring more soon, just searching now for some good ones in Birmingham.

Brief History: Summarised from Wikipedia and Birmingham Conservation Trust
Great Barr Hall is an 18th Century mansion based in Pheasey and on the border with Great Barr, it is listed as a Grade II*. It was originally known as Nether House, until Sir Joseph Scott rebuilt and extended the house into a two-storey mansion in the Strawberry Hill Gothic Revival Style, along with the later addition of a chapel. Financial problems, from the extensive upgrades, led the Scott Family to lease the hall which became a meeting place for the Lunar Society - their most notable members included Matthew Boulton, James Watt, and Joseph Priestley. The hall is also said to have links with the Bronte family due to an affair with Branwell Bronte and Lydia Scott, while he worked in the household of her first husband. After Joseph Scott returned to the hall, the site was developed further and the Scott family lived there until Lady Mildred Bateman-Scott died in 1909.
It was brought in 1911 and reopened in 1918 as St Margaret's Mental Hospital. Many detached buildings for the hospital were built and there was quite a lot of damage done to the original buildings since it had to be redeveloped for institutional use. In 1955, much of the old east wing was demolished, and in the 1960s, the gothic inspired windows were replaced with standard casement windows.
By 1978, the building had deteriorated further because the lack of maintenance work done and lack of funding, it was the abandoned for hospital use. It was not secured well so arson and vandalism caused more damage to the hall. In 1989, it was transferred to a financial and property developer - who managed to do nothing with the hall other than stripping the plaster. Over the 1990s and 2000s, there have been multiple discussions about what to do with the hall.
If you want any further information there are articles and a more detailed history, click here.

Photos:

The main entrance:
1559518369332.png

Behind the main door:
1559518646220.png

Left side of the building:

1559518720642.png

Main hallway:
View attachment 807770
What I love about the next photo is that I stumbled across an old interior photo taken from the same side but higher up:
1559518866458.png

This is the interior photo:
1559518887428.png

Also main hallway with a view of a basement which I didn't get photos of:
1559519001823.png

A side room:
1559519038264.png

Another room:
1559519066469.png

Last picture:
1559519124315.png


The second floor had caved in in most places, I couldn't get any decent pictures of the chapel as I didn't want to spend too long there since so many people were walking past as I had got in. I will hopefully be able to visit this spot once more before it is completely demolished or inaccessible, it was a beautiful hall and a great piece of history.


1559518756052.png
 
Last edited:

chills

Queller of the uprising
Moderator
I like this! Nice views around it and nice to see a comparison photo of what the interior used to look like! Birmingham is my patch but there's lots to explore! Look forward to seeing more reports! Good work! :thumb
 

westernsultan

Banned
Banned
Birmingham Conversation Trust last mentioned the Hall in 2014 and cited 2 planning applications see - http://www.birminghamconservationtrust.org/2014/07/24/great-barr-hall/
In 2015 a local MP suggested the site should be demolished - https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/bu...erty/call-demolish-listed-great-barr-10651323
In 2018 some nice drone shots were published at - https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/gallery/exclusive-pictures-show-eerie-18th-14665003
It also says the site is unsold despite being on the market since 2011
 

scrappy

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nicely done. good to see a comparison shot and sharp photos of it now. nice first report :)
 

jillytot

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Hello all, this is my first post but it is an old explore. I will hopefully be exploring more soon, just searching now for some good ones in Birmingham.

Brief History: Summarised from Wikipedia and Birmingham Conservation Trust
Great Barr Hall is an 18th Century mansion based in Pheasey and on the border with Great Barr, it is listed as a Grade II*. It was originally known as Nether House, until Sir Joseph Scott rebuilt and extended the house into a two-storey mansion in the Strawberry Hill Gothic Revival Style, along with the later addition of a chapel. Financial problems, from the extensive upgrades, led the Scott Family to lease the hall which became a meeting place for the Lunar Society - their most notable members included Matthew Boulton, James Watt, and Joseph Priestley. The hall is also said to have links with the Bronte family due to an affair with Branwell Bronte and Lydia Scott, while he worked in the household of her first husband. After Joseph Scott returned to the hall, the site was developed further and the Scott family lived there until Lady Mildred Bateman-Scott died in 1909.
It was brought in 1911 and reopened in 1918 as St Margaret's Mental Hospital. Many detached buildings for the hospital were built and there was quite a lot of damage done to the original buildings since it had to be redeveloped for institutional use. In 1955, much of the old east wing was demolished, and in the 1960s, the gothic inspired windows were replaced with standard casement windows.
By 1978, the building had deteriorated further because the lack of maintenance work done and lack of funding, it was the abandoned for hospital use. It was not secured well so arson and vandalism caused more damage to the hall. In 1989, it was transferred to a financial and property developer - who managed to do nothing with the hall other than stripping the plaster. Over the 1990s and 2000s, there have been multiple discussions about what to do with the hall.
If you want any further information there are articles and a more detailed history, click here.

Photos:

The main entrance:
1559518369332.png

Behind the main door:
1559518646220.png

Left side of the building:

1559518720642.png

Main hallway:
View attachment 807770
What I love about the next photo is that I stumbled across an old interior photo taken from the same side but higher up:
1559518866458.png

This is the interior photo:
1559518887428.png

Also main hallway with a view of a basement which I didn't get photos of:
1559519001823.png

A side room:
1559519038264.png

Another room:
1559519066469.png

Last picture:
1559519124315.png


The second floor had caved in in most places, I couldn't get any decent pictures of the chapel as I didn't want to spend too long there since so many people were walking past as I had got in. I will hopefully be able to visit this spot once more before it is completely demolished or inaccessible, it was a beautiful hall and a great piece of history.


1559518756052.png
Nice report.
 

bloodklaat

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Loving it, bro!!! Well done. I live in the area, we could hook up to do some explorashun together next time.
 

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