Short history:
The hospital was built as a colony for mental defective persons by Kent County Council utilising an existing estate and the manor house in 1936 it housed up to 1200 patients in different ‘sections’ Male, Female and Juveniles, the complex used the old Manor house as an Administration building, the ornate clock tower appeared to be used for maintenance, there was also a main hall that doubled as a church on Sundays, a hospital wing and a hairdressers. Leybourne Grange wound down due to care in the Community and closed in 1996, it lay dormant until English partnerships (later HCA) sold the buildings and land off to developers, now the 94 hectare site is home to Leybourne Chase housing development – with only the Manor House, Clock tower and a few outbuildings to be retained in a sea of new housing.
The explore:
visited with @Minor , @Dora Grew Up and a non member, this site turned out to be a lot more than we were expecting. after fighting our way through the brambles we made it to the manor house but looking to the left spied the clock tower and immediately headed for there, we spent a good couple of hours at this place even though the building was pretty much crumbling around us.
on to the pics
The Manor house
Into the Manor house basement
Escape tunnel in basement
rusted shut escape hatch at end of tunnel
Onto the Clocktower and out buildings
View from the clocktower roof
A lot of the out buildings ceilings/floors are all held up with supports as are the floors in the clocktower
thanks for looking
The hospital was built as a colony for mental defective persons by Kent County Council utilising an existing estate and the manor house in 1936 it housed up to 1200 patients in different ‘sections’ Male, Female and Juveniles, the complex used the old Manor house as an Administration building, the ornate clock tower appeared to be used for maintenance, there was also a main hall that doubled as a church on Sundays, a hospital wing and a hairdressers. Leybourne Grange wound down due to care in the Community and closed in 1996, it lay dormant until English partnerships (later HCA) sold the buildings and land off to developers, now the 94 hectare site is home to Leybourne Chase housing development – with only the Manor House, Clock tower and a few outbuildings to be retained in a sea of new housing.
The explore:
visited with @Minor , @Dora Grew Up and a non member, this site turned out to be a lot more than we were expecting. after fighting our way through the brambles we made it to the manor house but looking to the left spied the clock tower and immediately headed for there, we spent a good couple of hours at this place even though the building was pretty much crumbling around us.
on to the pics
The Manor house
Into the Manor house basement
Escape tunnel in basement
rusted shut escape hatch at end of tunnel
Onto the Clocktower and out buildings
View from the clocktower roof
A lot of the out buildings ceilings/floors are all held up with supports as are the floors in the clocktower
thanks for looking
