Report - Runwell Hospital Chapel, Essex - August 2023

[Wastelandr]

1937

2021

This place needs no introduction. This was a pretty small and brief explore but I thought it would still be worth posting an update given Runwell being a bit of a classic.


THE HISTORY

St. Luke's chapel was constructed alongside the rest of Runwell Hospital in 1937 and designed by Elcock and Sutcliffe. Runwell represents probably the last of the County Asylums, whilst not being specifically referred to as such, and the architecture of much of the hospital is very simple and modernist, but also quite soulless and almost industrial. However, the chapel was built in an Art Deco-influenced Mediterranean style with an interesting barrel vaulted floor-to-floor ceiling. Inside is the original organ, pew and other details, but it has largely been stripped. The residential development on the hospital site has been named St. Luke's Park after the chapel.

My post here covers some of the wider hospital site for those interested.
This post covers the chapel back in 2010 largely in its authentic condition whilst in use.

More old photographs, likely from the late 30s

THE EXPLORE

So, it began with a recce earlier this year. After finding potential access on two visits, I returned late at night with @Sprackles after doing another impressive Essex chapel. Because the chapel is now amongst a new housing estate and literally opposite many houses, we'd have to be quiet and keep torchlight to a minimum. After some physically-awkward ninja manoeuvres (not viable for the majority of people) we were inside. I had to push my camera to the max and crack up the ISO ridiculously high even with 30-second exposures. It was so dark we could barely see inside until a good 15 minutes of adjustment, so it wasn't much of an experience but I'm very glad to have finally gotten inside. Unfortunately now it's devoid of most original features and littered with heaps of builders' junk, but it was a bit of a milestone moment for me given that I saw the rest of the hospital back in 2012 and have been wanting to do this for the past few years. I might return in daylight for better shots, but it was so rough getting in we'll have to see.

Don't get any ideas - this door is firmly locked up and isn't how we did it

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[Bugsuperstar]

Nice! I like that.

 

[Wastelandr]

Nice! I like that.

Cheers

 

[JakeV50]

That's a beautiful building. Bit bare inside but still looks lovely with those lights flowing in.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

lovely night shots.
Church that really looks like a nissen hut inside is unusual lol

 

[dansgas1000]

These shots are cracking considering the lack of light you were working with. Nice report and an interesting place mate.

 

[Wastelandr]

That's a beautiful building. Bit bare inside but still looks lovely with those lights flowing in.

Thanks mate yeah the lighting sort of made a fairly stripped plain interior still pretty interesting

lovely night shots.
Church that really looks like a nissen hut inside is unusual lol

Thanks, haha never thought of it like that but yes very similar looking actually

These shots are cracking considering the lack of light you were working with. Nice report and an interesting place mate.

Cheers honestly it was so dark I couldn't even frame the shots, literally shooting in the dark!

 

[Ojay]

Shit pics, needs more squirrels, you should try AI

 

[Wastelandr]

Shit pics, needs more squirrels, you should try AI

Dare I say I used the AI noise reduction in Lightroom for this

 

[Sprackles]

Great report and pictures mate, glad we finally got this one done after a nightmare of trying to find a night we were both free😆. Top stuff👍

 

[Wastelandr]

Great report and pictures mate, glad we finally got this one done after a nightmare of trying to find a night we were both free😆. Top stuff👍

absolutely mate, cheers for going head first with this one. You'll have to wack a couple of your pics in this thread

 

[Wastelandr]

Bethlem Royal Hospital - Comparisons

People might find this interesting so thought I'd wack it up as a bonus. Went to visit Bethlem Royal Hospital near Croydon a few weeks back with @KismetJ because I saw online that its chapel is similar to Runwell's. Bethlem Royal is both still used as a hospital, contains a great museum with a Pocock padded cell, and is a park for the public to wander round, all very interesting.

Bethlem wasn't a 'county asylum' but should still be treated as part of the same storyline. Like Runwell, its Monks Orchard site built in 1930 represents a final development of asylum design in an Art Deco parallel colony plan. Bethlem of course began in London as the quintessential asylum and is where the word Bedlam derives, so it's still the real deal even if it originated before the Victorian county asylums mental health acts.

The reason for the similarities in design between Runwell and Bethlem isn't just a matter of fashion. Elcock and Sutcliffe were the architects for Runwell, and Charles E. Elcock was actually the architect of Bethlem Royal's 1930 site. Runwell's design, opened 7 years after Bethlem, must've been directly influenced by the earlier project both in the overall plan (parallel colony) and the style of the buildings. So strong was the influence is that the admin building features a copper clocktower like Runwell, and the chapel is almost identical in its unusual 'Dutch barn' style. The chapels only differ in that at Runwell it has a bell tower at the rear, and that the Bethlem chapel has stained glass windows. These were sponsored by beneficiaries due to dwindling funds, and the front of the building features a snazzy William Morris circular window of grape vines or similar.

Look familiar?

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