Report - Menston Mental Hospital - 09.12.07

[sixxfingers]

Highroyds Hospital
Visited again today with myself, Madmax & Disco Kitten. With intention of capturing some stuff as the sun came up. Early start, with a comedy moment as DK appeared out of the shadows as we entered... Nearly a brown trousers moment

Straight to the clock tower while it was dark. Up there it really does give you a great size of the scale of this place... Must have been so beautiful in its hey day, but sadly his demise is ever growing. Due to Pikey's and bad explorers, this place will soon be gone...

We took in most of the key features around the vast hospital and finished off in the Female Sick & Infirm Block, where DK was very excited when we found some intact cells...! I'm sure Disco will be so pleased to get these up, i was where she spent the longest

A Short Historical Timeline:
Architect: Vickers Edwards
Built: 1884-1888
Opened 8.10.1888 - 1.1.1927: 1,807 "insane" of whom all but 199 were Rate Aided. 873 were men, 934 women. In 1926 the proportion of recoveries to admissions was 34.7%. The proportion of deaths to the asylum population was 9.5%.
Became Highroyds Hospital in 1963 - 1,152 staffed beds 31.12.1975
Autumn 2002 reported due for closure
Closing 2003. Maybe February. Site for sale.
Patients from last five wards to be transferred to the Mount Hospital, Clarendon Road, Leeds, on 25.2.2003

What does frustrate me the most, is the way it is being pillaged... and all the fantastic floor and ceramic wall tiles will only take so much of this abuse. Anyway, a great explore... enjoy some of my images form today

The sunrise from the top of the clock tower...

One of the four faces in the tower...

Just inside front of Admin...

More of Admin...

View attachment 85631

Some of the intact fantastic Stained Glass that so far, survives...

The Main Hall...

Some strange character from Dead Man's Shoe's on the stage!

A Selection of corridoors...

The Pharmacy...

On the wards...

The Mortuary...

And DK's favourite part!

 

[MADMAX]

Re: Menston Mental Hospital REPORT - 09.12.07

Finally, after our trip there the other week which was ruined by contractors and failing light, we got back to the infamous High Royds.

Like Sixx said, Disco Kitten stepped out of the shadows as we entered causing mild panic, but other than that access was reasonably straight forward, if you know what you're doing

We headed straight for the top of the clock tower in the pitch black (no torches allowed) to try and catch the sunrise. I pulled the hatch back at the top and swore out loud at what was before us. It was genuinely one of those real classic UE moments as the sun came up.

We then headed back down into Admin, the Main hall, the Morgue and then the epileptic block in the male side of the complex amongst others. As Sixx said, we finished off in sick and infirm Block on the Female side.

Having grown up only 15 miles from this place and having a relative who lived in Menston village, I've always been interested in High Royds.
So this trip put the final piece in the puzzle for me.
It's just a shame that the place is getting ruined by chavs and pikey's.
I'm going to controversially say that I hope the conversion of the rest of High Royds gets finished soon
Otherwise some of the architecture and the likes of the mosaic floor in admin will be lost forever.

Stepping out onto the roof of the clock Tower and a group shot

The Sun comes up over High Royds Mental Hospital

Inside the Clock Tower that is thankfully still in mint condition

The Male part of the hospital from a broken Clock Tower window

No Escape for patients down this corridor and some nice blue paintwork in one of the toilets

Sixxfingers in action

Some of the amazing floor and window detail in the Admin block

The WW1 memorial at the end of the Reception Hall in Admin

The Main Hall now has its own pond and some weirdo on the stage

A fold-out bed and an awesome pair of curtains in one of the male blocks

Under The Mortury Table and down the plug hole

 

[sixxfingers]

Re: Menston Mental Hospital REPORT - 09.12.07

With some info help from Silverstealth & Discokitten
Here's a map, I've put together...

Just need OT to host the original at a good size, any chance mate?

 

[sixxfingers]

Re: Menston Mental Hospital REPORT - 09.12.07

Took Tims & Access today, to give them a bit of a tour of High Royds before its too late. Here's a few images from today that I missed from my first trip.

The beautiful Entrance floor in Admin:

And the ceramic wall tiles:

The Hospital Safe:

Chubb of course...

The Patients Bank:

The Stores:

And the long material cutting & dressing bench:

Orders taken in the Stores:

Some of the patients artwork...

I know we are all tired now of seeing this place, but its been a great explore and over my three trips... its been so, so worth it! What an Asylum...
Thank you High Royds.