Well… Here it goes!
My first Asylum. YAY!
Being a bit of an odd job, I refused to consider myself an Urban explorer until I had gone and visited a hospital of sorts – seeing that they are the images and general stories that made me so interested in urban exploring in the first place.
So! Needless to say, I hopped onto my trusty 125CC steed and rode the 3 ½ hour journey to the Mid Wales Hospital or professionally referred to as the ‘Brecon Radnor Joint Counties Lunatic Asylum’ Rolls off of the tongue that does. I won’t lie when I say that it is likely to be the most overdone asylum –probably because it is the closest asylum to people, like myself, who reside in and around the Bath/Bristol area. Especially now since Barrow Gurney has been completely demolished.
Arriving at the site was a daunting site – the building/building are huge in comparison to everywhere else I have explored, it was at this moment I wished I had a fellow explorer with me, as I saw the extent of the dereliction from the outside. However, undeterred, I started looking for my way in. Typically, I had decided that the building was going to be a worthwhile explore the moment my hands had become caked in Anti-Climb paint I was right!
After having to dubiously manoeuvre my way over a roll of razor wire (It was a million times easier to get in than to get out!) I was finally within the building. I was met with the most breath taking and somewhat sad site. I’ve never seen so much dereliction, wires and lights hanging from the ceilings, floors collapsed, doors kicked in and my favourite little addition of a little hoover just sitting next to a door, it looked like someone wanted to make the typical ‘Let’s get this place back into business’ joke. No doubt there is a report here that shows this wonderful individual.
P.S. May be a little picture happy.
THE HISTORY
I’m not going to pretend that I know anything about this place, in all honesty it was a bit of an impulse decision, had a day off – hit up the local…ish… nuthouse!
Firstly, conceived in 1900 and opened in 1903 the asylum was designed to serve the surrounding counties that are within the vicinity of the hospital. It was also designed to be self-sufficient. With workshops, private water supply – provided by the Pwll-y- wrach waterfall, fed by gravity into the hospital reservoir, electricity, heating and sewerage systems
As well as residential wards, The hospital had various recreational facilities so in order to add to the self-sufficiency of the hospital. The hospital had various gardens, 8 acres’ worth of greenery that the patients and staff were able to use.
The hospital originally was built to host 350+ patients, being a privately run asylum. Hosting 5 grading levels for patients:
During the 1940’s the hospital was integrated into the NHS where they introduced the mixing of the sexes which were originally separated to different sides of the buildings. A nursing and mid wife college was introduced within the hospital and they also provided a substance abuse section where they looked to help attack drug use. Other services included treatments for the elderly mentally ill, rehabilitation and continuing care, day care, reflexology, physiotherapy, electro-convulsive therapy, chiropody and psychiatry
With the advent of Care in the Community towards the latter end of the 1990’s, services at the hospital were started to wind down, with wards slowly dropping off – with the last wards closing in 1999.
In 2009 the site was offered for sale. By this time, several properties that once belonged to the hospital, such as the gatehouse, had been sold off and the buildings were becoming derelict. The site has been repeatedly bought and sold mostly due to the global recession, various attempts to revitalise the site have failed – there was even a Saab internal fabrication shop within the site based on the of stock left lying around the old workshop.
References:
Wikipedia, Highroads hospital, locals who decided not to call the police for my blatant trespassing.
Entry Point.
Façade
Main Ballroom (With the famous roof)
Work Shop
General Odd Shots (No clue where I was)
Moody Landscape Shots
I hope you have enjoyed this post - I apologise for the lack of knowledge on my behalf.
My first Asylum. YAY!
Being a bit of an odd job, I refused to consider myself an Urban explorer until I had gone and visited a hospital of sorts – seeing that they are the images and general stories that made me so interested in urban exploring in the first place.
So! Needless to say, I hopped onto my trusty 125CC steed and rode the 3 ½ hour journey to the Mid Wales Hospital or professionally referred to as the ‘Brecon Radnor Joint Counties Lunatic Asylum’ Rolls off of the tongue that does. I won’t lie when I say that it is likely to be the most overdone asylum –probably because it is the closest asylum to people, like myself, who reside in and around the Bath/Bristol area. Especially now since Barrow Gurney has been completely demolished.
Arriving at the site was a daunting site – the building/building are huge in comparison to everywhere else I have explored, it was at this moment I wished I had a fellow explorer with me, as I saw the extent of the dereliction from the outside. However, undeterred, I started looking for my way in. Typically, I had decided that the building was going to be a worthwhile explore the moment my hands had become caked in Anti-Climb paint I was right!
After having to dubiously manoeuvre my way over a roll of razor wire (It was a million times easier to get in than to get out!) I was finally within the building. I was met with the most breath taking and somewhat sad site. I’ve never seen so much dereliction, wires and lights hanging from the ceilings, floors collapsed, doors kicked in and my favourite little addition of a little hoover just sitting next to a door, it looked like someone wanted to make the typical ‘Let’s get this place back into business’ joke. No doubt there is a report here that shows this wonderful individual.
P.S. May be a little picture happy.
THE HISTORY
I’m not going to pretend that I know anything about this place, in all honesty it was a bit of an impulse decision, had a day off – hit up the local…ish… nuthouse!
Firstly, conceived in 1900 and opened in 1903 the asylum was designed to serve the surrounding counties that are within the vicinity of the hospital. It was also designed to be self-sufficient. With workshops, private water supply – provided by the Pwll-y- wrach waterfall, fed by gravity into the hospital reservoir, electricity, heating and sewerage systems
As well as residential wards, The hospital had various recreational facilities so in order to add to the self-sufficiency of the hospital. The hospital had various gardens, 8 acres’ worth of greenery that the patients and staff were able to use.
The hospital originally was built to host 350+ patients, being a privately run asylum. Hosting 5 grading levels for patients:
- Private (fee paying, full cost of maintaining patient per week)
- Rate Aided Voluntary
- Rate Aided Certified, Chargeable to rates from the area from whence they came.
- Criminal Lunatic
- Pauper Lunatic
During the 1940’s the hospital was integrated into the NHS where they introduced the mixing of the sexes which were originally separated to different sides of the buildings. A nursing and mid wife college was introduced within the hospital and they also provided a substance abuse section where they looked to help attack drug use. Other services included treatments for the elderly mentally ill, rehabilitation and continuing care, day care, reflexology, physiotherapy, electro-convulsive therapy, chiropody and psychiatry
With the advent of Care in the Community towards the latter end of the 1990’s, services at the hospital were started to wind down, with wards slowly dropping off – with the last wards closing in 1999.
In 2009 the site was offered for sale. By this time, several properties that once belonged to the hospital, such as the gatehouse, had been sold off and the buildings were becoming derelict. The site has been repeatedly bought and sold mostly due to the global recession, various attempts to revitalise the site have failed – there was even a Saab internal fabrication shop within the site based on the of stock left lying around the old workshop.
References:
Wikipedia, Highroads hospital, locals who decided not to call the police for my blatant trespassing.
*Note for viewer*
I am not going to act like I knew where I was in these images, so the few places I do know I will state, but generally speaking I did not a single ounce of research before making my way into this place.
I am not going to act like I knew where I was in these images, so the few places I do know I will state, but generally speaking I did not a single ounce of research before making my way into this place.
Entry Point.
Façade
Main Ballroom (With the famous roof)
Work Shop
General Odd Shots (No clue where I was)
Moody Landscape Shots
I hope you have enjoyed this post - I apologise for the lack of knowledge on my behalf.