Report - North Wales Hospital, Denbigh - March 2022

[ASOM]

Love that second shot with the sheep. Nice to see it's still worth a look, presume work starts at some point soon, but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[Sarah75]

The Explore

We were on our way to another site and this happened to be on our journey from Conwy. Naively thought we'd only be there for a short period of time having heard over the years how badly damaged it is now. Well, we were wrong. Should have taken our lunch and our DSLRs, but neglected to do so because we thought this was a quick one with little to see. Apologies, these photos were taken on my smart phone.

Firstly, there was no sign of the man with his dog and we were able to get back to the car without discovering any damage. Secondly, based on how much damage there is to the building, we thought nothing of the perimeter fence other than they must have been busy developing the site and converting it into residential dwellings. The security on this site are very active and experienced from observing them. Nearly as eventful as Pyestock...

It's clear at some point that they have spent some money trying to protect parts of the building with a new metal roof, but there are no signs of ongoing construction anywhere. That's why it's amazing that security is so active.

It was a beautiful sunny, dry day and we had a great time and managed to explore the whole site without any direct contact with security.

Brief History

The asylum was constructed between 1844 and 1848 and served as a refuge for Welsh-speaking mental patients. Originally designed to accommodate about 200 patients, it was expanded to alleviate overcrowding in 1899 and eventually was home to as many as 1,500 patients.
Due to the hospital being privately owned there was little to no incentive for patients to be released so many stayed there till there deaths be it natural or a result of the dark history this place holds including lobotomies and electric shock therapy.
The hospital eventually closed in 1995 and after the previous owner of 14years had allow the buildings to gradually crumble away all it took was after a few denied planning permissions a few suspiciously times arsen attacks and In 2018 plans went through to turn the building into 300 new homes.

Great report , lovely to see as I not been in a few years

 

[Sheepdisease]

Love that second shot with the sheep. Nice to see it's still worth a look, presume work starts at some point soon, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Aside from the fact that they have added a metal roof to parts of SOME buildings and added acroprops/more permanent steel supports, there was absolutely no sign of work.

No tools, no machinery, nothing.

They've done enough to stop most of the important structures collapsing but it could be a long time before work starts.

It's shockingly dangerous in places.

 

[tumbles]

Aside from the fact that they have added a metal roof to parts of SOME buildings and added acroprops/more permanent steel supports, there was absolutely no sign of work.

No tools, no machinery, nothing.

They've done enough to stop most of the important structures collapsing but it could be a long time before work starts.

It's shockingly dangerous in places.

They're only keeping the very front building with the temp roof, the rest is going.

It's still going through the rigours of planning/contracting out I think.

 

[Sheepdisease]

Crikey, such a vast site with so many buildings and so little of it will remain. That's sad.

 

[Xan_Asmodi]

Crikey, such a vast site with so many buildings and so little of it will remain. That's sad.

That's the fate of these things. They were built for a purpose, and speaking with knowledge, they lasted far longer than they were fit for purpose. It's a shame when the main buildings disappear, but the ancillary building don't hold the same value from a conservation point of view.

 

[Sheepdisease]

I'm intrigued, knowledge or experience?

 

[Xan_Asmodi]

I'm intrigued, knowledge or experience?

Experience, to a point. I work in mental health now, and know people who worked in Denbigh and other "big bins" before they were closed

 

[Sheepdisease]

Experience, to a point. I work in mental health now, and know people who worked in Denbigh and other "big bins" before they were closed

Okay, that's awesome! The things you must know, would bring this old ruin back to life.

 

[Xan_Asmodi]

Okay, that's awesome! The things you must know, would bring this old ruin back to life.

Hospitals and stuff are a bit like a busmans holiday these days, but it's interesting viewing them with knowledgeable eyes these days.

 

[Sheepdisease]

I can imagine, I think it's important to understand our surroundings and history.

 

[Xan_Asmodi]

I can imagine, I think it's important to understand our surroundings and history.

Hugely! Personally I feel like the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater with the closures of some of these places, although they dehumanizing and responsible for the institutionalisation of so many people who didn't deserve it.

I was lucky enough to get to know a former psychiatric Matron who used to work in the the old hospitals, she was very surprised by the changes in practice these days. Some of the things she told me were astonishing; the standards of 'care', psych nurses being called to prison riots, so much has changed since these places were shut

 

[Sheepdisease]

No doubt things have changed for the better. Over the next few years, we'll see more prisons close as those that have been in used since Victorian times are deemed unsuitable by todays standards. So, we're seeing the same thing with prisons as we have seen with the treatment of people with (and sometimes without) illnesses who were institutionalised.

 

[Xan_Asmodi]

No doubt things have changed for the better. Over the next few years, we'll see more prisons close as those that have been in used since Victorian times are deemed unsuitable by todays standards. So, we're seeing the same thing with prisons as we have seen with the treatment of people with (and sometimes without) illnesses who were institutionalised.

I will say that I hope we move to a more rehabilitative system in prisons, away from the current Daily Fail sanctioned one. A huge percentage of the prison population are mentally ill, and the lack of resources to help them is inhumane and treatment is part of the key to breaking cycle of criminality. Hopefully we can lose the Victorian attitudes when we move away from the Victorian buildings!

 

[Sheepdisease]

I will say that I hope we move to a more rehabilitative system in prisons, away from the current Daily Fail sanctioned one. A huge percentage of the prison population are mentally ill, and the lack of resources to help them is inhumane and treatment is part of the key to breaking cycle of criminality. Hopefully we can lose the Victorian attitudes when we move away from the Victorian buildings!

You've summed up what I was saying very well in a much better way!