St Crispins had been on the list for awhile after seeing report's on here and also having a recce in January.
Explored with a non - member, access was easy. Such an amazing site I had to see it for myself. There is a lot of work being carried out here so there is secca, luckily we didn't see them although got spooked by a family that were kicking around the perimeter.
Yet again pictures are from my Galaxy s4 so i apologise for the quality.
We did go into the basement which was a strange place although I have not uploaded the pictures due to the quality. Need a return visit as we did not go into the tower
This was also the set for a 6 part series of the original Doctor who (apparently).
History shamelessly stolen from 'Dogtown'
The design reflected the architect, Robert Griffiths’ previous work at the Macclesfield Asylum, Cheshire by placing the blocks for acute and generalised cases forward of the building line where they would receive the most light and air, linked behind these were the infirmary wards and flanking the main ward blocks were the blocks for chronic and difficult patients, being positioned here to provide access to their place of work. By 1884, and completed in 1887 were further extensions, creating a new block for idiot and imbecile children adjacent to the female wing and blocks for epileptics on either side of the main block. A resevoir and fire station, stable yard and an isolation hospital with a distinctive pyramidal roofline were constructed to the north of the site. A stone chapel and mortuary were also constructed to the east.
During World War One, the hospital was commandeered by the military for use, and because of this, a large number of photographs are available. With the end of the war the buildings were returned and the return of the patient population. A change of name from asylum to mental hospital was to mark another period of growth and extension in the 1930′s. These were the construction of a new nurse’s home, refurbishment of some of the staff residences, a new admission hospital with two villas for male and female convalescent patients, sited on an adjacent site, away from the main complex.
Following World War Two, the hospital transferred to the newly formed NHS and the hospital then reached its maximum population. This also saw further extension to the site, with two more female working patient villas being constructed in 1954. The grounds to the south of the hospital farm was developed for mental handicap services during the early 1970′s and was to be one of the last major long stay facilities of it’s kind in England. Named the Princess Marina hospital, it provided a home for a number of Northampton patients. Some facilities, particularly the laundry, were centralised and expanded at St. Crispin. A social club for staff was sited close to a remodelled entrance onto Berrywood Road. St. Crispin Hospital briefly entered the news when a fire killed a six patients who were resident on Shuster Ward, within the main building.
The hospital finally closed in 1995 and the buildings are currently standing derelict with only one of the wards having been converted. A housing estate has been built on the lands that were cleared around the main building and a new mental health facility is being built on part of the site. As with many of these buildings, the developer has built a large number of new homes on the site and not concentrated on preserving the listed buildings.
Let the pictures commence
Cheers people
Explored with a non - member, access was easy. Such an amazing site I had to see it for myself. There is a lot of work being carried out here so there is secca, luckily we didn't see them although got spooked by a family that were kicking around the perimeter.
Yet again pictures are from my Galaxy s4 so i apologise for the quality.
We did go into the basement which was a strange place although I have not uploaded the pictures due to the quality. Need a return visit as we did not go into the tower
This was also the set for a 6 part series of the original Doctor who (apparently).History shamelessly stolen from 'Dogtown'
The design reflected the architect, Robert Griffiths’ previous work at the Macclesfield Asylum, Cheshire by placing the blocks for acute and generalised cases forward of the building line where they would receive the most light and air, linked behind these were the infirmary wards and flanking the main ward blocks were the blocks for chronic and difficult patients, being positioned here to provide access to their place of work. By 1884, and completed in 1887 were further extensions, creating a new block for idiot and imbecile children adjacent to the female wing and blocks for epileptics on either side of the main block. A resevoir and fire station, stable yard and an isolation hospital with a distinctive pyramidal roofline were constructed to the north of the site. A stone chapel and mortuary were also constructed to the east.
During World War One, the hospital was commandeered by the military for use, and because of this, a large number of photographs are available. With the end of the war the buildings were returned and the return of the patient population. A change of name from asylum to mental hospital was to mark another period of growth and extension in the 1930′s. These were the construction of a new nurse’s home, refurbishment of some of the staff residences, a new admission hospital with two villas for male and female convalescent patients, sited on an adjacent site, away from the main complex.
Following World War Two, the hospital transferred to the newly formed NHS and the hospital then reached its maximum population. This also saw further extension to the site, with two more female working patient villas being constructed in 1954. The grounds to the south of the hospital farm was developed for mental handicap services during the early 1970′s and was to be one of the last major long stay facilities of it’s kind in England. Named the Princess Marina hospital, it provided a home for a number of Northampton patients. Some facilities, particularly the laundry, were centralised and expanded at St. Crispin. A social club for staff was sited close to a remodelled entrance onto Berrywood Road. St. Crispin Hospital briefly entered the news when a fire killed a six patients who were resident on Shuster Ward, within the main building.
The hospital finally closed in 1995 and the buildings are currently standing derelict with only one of the wards having been converted. A housing estate has been built on the lands that were cleared around the main building and a new mental health facility is being built on part of the site. As with many of these buildings, the developer has built a large number of new homes on the site and not concentrated on preserving the listed buildings.
Let the pictures commence
Cheers people
