Wrapping up what had been a pretty epic 2008 I headed down west. St Lawrences was one that didn't get a lot of attention - probably because it was a bloody long drive even from Bristol and secondly because most had been converted and all that was left was the lovely looking foster annex. Further more most of the annex had been stripped to brick walls and didn't even have floors. Really you only went here for one thing and one thing only. That. Bloody Hall. What a stunner. The whole place was pretty well secured and known as PIR hospital for quite a few years. Towards the middle of 2008 it seemed to become more easy, infact at one point you could just walk in.
By the time myself, Sinnerman and Jules hit it up they'd fixed up the obvious access point around the back of the kitchens and thus access was pretty redic by means of an air vent to the service tunnels underneath. A crawl under the brick work more akin to caving would lead into the tunnels and eventually steps up. The PIRS by now were all dead and the only thing you needed to be careful was avoiding the random security visits which involved walking through the corridors. The second visit here a couple months later resulted in being caught by the seccer. Well I say caught but they'd already called the fuzz thinking we were metal fairies and we had to explain to the officers what were doing all this way, It went something along these lines - 'Have you seen the hall?'
Orginally known as ‘Cornwall County Asylum’ it was founded in 1815 at Westheath Avenue, Bodmin and became known as St Lawrence’s Hospital under the National Health Service.
The County Lunatic Asylum, for the reception of private patients and pauper lunatics, a little to the west of the Town of Bodmin on a site of about 9 acres, consists of eight blocks of buildings radiating from a centre, with annexes and detached blocks subsequently erected and residences for the various officers. The first portion, for 100 patients, was built in 1820; in 1842 the “high building” was added, and in 1848 a “new building” was built; A further enlargement was made in 1867 by the erection of the Carew Block; in 1873 an additional building was erected, and in 1884 another. There is a dining and recreation hall, 80 by 34 feet. The Asylum held 760 patients; the average being, males 305, and females 366, 24 of the former and 23 of the latter being private patients.
Pics:
By the time myself, Sinnerman and Jules hit it up they'd fixed up the obvious access point around the back of the kitchens and thus access was pretty redic by means of an air vent to the service tunnels underneath. A crawl under the brick work more akin to caving would lead into the tunnels and eventually steps up. The PIRS by now were all dead and the only thing you needed to be careful was avoiding the random security visits which involved walking through the corridors. The second visit here a couple months later resulted in being caught by the seccer. Well I say caught but they'd already called the fuzz thinking we were metal fairies and we had to explain to the officers what were doing all this way, It went something along these lines - 'Have you seen the hall?'
Orginally known as ‘Cornwall County Asylum’ it was founded in 1815 at Westheath Avenue, Bodmin and became known as St Lawrence’s Hospital under the National Health Service.
The County Lunatic Asylum, for the reception of private patients and pauper lunatics, a little to the west of the Town of Bodmin on a site of about 9 acres, consists of eight blocks of buildings radiating from a centre, with annexes and detached blocks subsequently erected and residences for the various officers. The first portion, for 100 patients, was built in 1820; in 1842 the “high building” was added, and in 1848 a “new building” was built; A further enlargement was made in 1867 by the erection of the Carew Block; in 1873 an additional building was erected, and in 1884 another. There is a dining and recreation hall, 80 by 34 feet. The Asylum held 760 patients; the average being, males 305, and females 366, 24 of the former and 23 of the latter being private patients.
Pics:
I have always admired that hall
