I had three eventful trips to St Mary's - it was probably, outside of some of the classic London ones such as Cane Hill & West Park, my favourite. Closed since 1995 it remained in remarkable good condition. A combination of a very rural location, reasonable security and a bunch of locals who generally grassed you up if you got near the place. Although pretty much stripped bare inside it's natural decay and peely paint porn was something to savour. Complete with Hall, Water Tower, Admin, Morgue/Slab, Chapel and Dentist it ticked all the entries on the asylum bingo card. The first visit here was when passing with work and little more than a quick external tour due to the locals shouting at me and calling security. The second time visited with Mr Loon & Lula - a proper gorgeous summer day, blue skies and got around everything of the main block. The third visit a year later was more concentrated on the external buildings further back - some nice stuff in these such as the dentist and various records - it all ended up narrowly avoiding the fuzz and frantically driving away from the woods a the back as blue lights went the other way. It was never dull at St Mary's - the only regret was never climbing the tower but it was one hell of a sketchy one as @Winchester will testify.
Under the reforms imposed by the Local government Act of 1889, Gateshead became a county borough within it’s own right, administratively independant from the County of Durham and within the next twenty years it became evident that pressures for space at the county’s Sedgfield asylum would lead to the end of contracts with the new Gateshead authority. By 1910 Gateshead corporation had purchased part of the isolated West Duddo estate west of the Village of Stannington in the neighbouring county of Northumberland and were to engage George Hine and Carter-Pegg as architect for the new 500 capacity asylum to be built there. The asylum would be the last project to be completed by Hine during his lifetime.
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Under the reforms imposed by the Local government Act of 1889, Gateshead became a county borough within it’s own right, administratively independant from the County of Durham and within the next twenty years it became evident that pressures for space at the county’s Sedgfield asylum would lead to the end of contracts with the new Gateshead authority. By 1910 Gateshead corporation had purchased part of the isolated West Duddo estate west of the Village of Stannington in the neighbouring county of Northumberland and were to engage George Hine and Carter-Pegg as architect for the new 500 capacity asylum to be built there. The asylum would be the last project to be completed by Hine during his lifetime.
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