I arrived one afternoon with a couple of non members who i work with, we had a good look round and found it to be a good explore. We have all been here before and how things have changed other the years.
History
At the end of the Great War in 1919 when the armistice had been signed, the Royal Flying Corp's London Colney aerodrome was abandoned. In 1924 Middlesex County Council purchased the Porters Park estate, comprising a total area of 420 acres, upon which the aerodrome had been built. The area would eventually become the site of both Harperbury and Shenley hospitals. On October 25th, 1928, a new mental hospital was opened on the site utilising the old aircraft hangers as ward accommodation and it would become known as The Hangers Certified Institution . The first patients were eight males and they were immediately set to work clearing out the hangers and converting them. The name Harperbury Hospital was adopted in 1950.
In 1964 the hospital was suffering severe overcrowding, yet the hospital continued to expand up until 1973 when the scaling down process began. and by 1974 a discharge programme had begun moving patients out of Harperbury and back into the outside world. The discharge program continued and by late 2001 there were only about 200 chronically sick patients in residence.
On with the photos.
Thanks for looking
History
At the end of the Great War in 1919 when the armistice had been signed, the Royal Flying Corp's London Colney aerodrome was abandoned. In 1924 Middlesex County Council purchased the Porters Park estate, comprising a total area of 420 acres, upon which the aerodrome had been built. The area would eventually become the site of both Harperbury and Shenley hospitals. On October 25th, 1928, a new mental hospital was opened on the site utilising the old aircraft hangers as ward accommodation and it would become known as The Hangers Certified Institution . The first patients were eight males and they were immediately set to work clearing out the hangers and converting them. The name Harperbury Hospital was adopted in 1950.
In 1964 the hospital was suffering severe overcrowding, yet the hospital continued to expand up until 1973 when the scaling down process began. and by 1974 a discharge programme had begun moving patients out of Harperbury and back into the outside world. The discharge program continued and by late 2001 there were only about 200 chronically sick patients in residence.
On with the photos.
Thanks for looking
