No doubt this report will be totally ignored due to all the good stuff happening in the Asylums & Hospitals board but if you do feel like commenting please do.
Well then, what can I say? If I had posted this at this time last year it'd have been lost in a flood of similar (better) pictures. It seems that every man and his dog has visited this wondrous site that really did combine everything I wanted from an urban explore. Easy access with minimal risk coupled with amazing details and natural decay. This was a place that you could (and did!) truly get lost in; new discoveries every time we visited, making the painful climb to the top of the water tower & clambering through the service tunnels. This was my first explore and one that I doubt i'll ever forget. Over the period between 2009-2010 I did probably five visits to this place spending 30+ hours there altogether and still don't recall seeing the whole site. My obsession with this place was massive, I spent hours taking to a former nurse of this hospital (RIP Amanda Love). I was there when the fire extinguisher room was being made, I was there when it went on lockdown & access was near on impossible but thankfully, I was not there to see it's demise and have chosen to abstain from exploring it one last time - it's best times have been and gone.
The following is a set of what I think is the best photos I took, mostly on my tatty old point & shoot 5MP Nikon!
The admin block, such a beautiful building - i'm really glad this one's being saved, this photo was taken as security was coming over on I think my third trip, the only time we were caught at West Park and it was almost intentional because it was more convenient to go through the main entrance than the hole in the fence.
I prefer to do the externals first, the tower, taken on a really nice day - climbing this was not a fun experience considering how unfit I was (and still am!). The views from the top were brilliant though, especially seeing the people walking around below us - a very surreal experience.
No idea when this one was taken but it shows us looking through the trees at one of the wards and a corridor, the corridors were brilliant, endless & charachterful - we even pushed a friend down one in a wheelchair!
I thought i'd follow with a "cliched" corridor shot, taken on my very last trip, we had to enter through a corridor and it involved a friend climbing over a board & opening up one of the windows (we still didn't break anything, it was just an awkward way of entering!).
Loads of wildlife at West Park, we've seen plenty of rabbits in the bushes but also on the first trip we saw a deer prancing around in the grass outside the laundry room!
The day room, strangely my favourite part because it really was the quietest place i've ever experienced, sitting in these chairs to eat our lunch was odd - being the only people in the whole building felt very strange.
One of the wards I presume, I don't remember taking this shot but I do remember the wards, especially the padded cell in the male ward. I've chosen not to include the padded cell in this report as at the time I really didn't know what I was doing with my camera.
Onto the creche with (sorry!) another cliched shot, I really enjoyed the creche but found it odd that all the toys were just left, I would have thought some of the children would have taken them as mementos although perhaps really nobody wanted to remember this place.
Another "lonely" shot, this time of a rattle - the shadow from the windows on the floor really gave this room a lot of atmosphere.
The guestbook, plenty of famous names in here!
The amount of possessions left around was amazing, I assume that the vast majority of West Park's paitents are now deceased, i've definately heard some legit stories of things that may have happened to some of them!
Again, shoes, jackets, clothes, suitcases etc everywhere.
Except from in here - the ward that had been set on fire, the smoke covered glass & mirrors really created an atmosphere although I would love to see some photos of this place before the fire.
Another ward shot, some of the beds were still in tact and although tempted, I refrained from getting in one for a photo!
Moving onto outside the admin block now - taken on the last visit I think this was just before the entrance to the admin although I may be wrong.
Part of the kitchens, this place was really starting to look worse for wear.
Looking out into the main hall, this place probably wouldn't have lasted another year even if demolition wasn't imminent.
The main hall itself, I believe only one photo before the fire is available, a real shame.
Finally a few random shots, this part never seems to get shown - some of the garages where I assume repairs took place (there was an engine block from an MGB and lots of wheelchair parts!).
The famous hoover room, I personally think the floor cleaner room was better.
In the dentists? I assume this draw saw a lot of use!
Final Picture. I guess West Park & St Ebbas were very closely linked, there was even talk of a tunnel joining the two (although I very much doubt this is true!).
Thanks a lot for reading, I hope a few people find the time to comment.
Well then, what can I say? If I had posted this at this time last year it'd have been lost in a flood of similar (better) pictures. It seems that every man and his dog has visited this wondrous site that really did combine everything I wanted from an urban explore. Easy access with minimal risk coupled with amazing details and natural decay. This was a place that you could (and did!) truly get lost in; new discoveries every time we visited, making the painful climb to the top of the water tower & clambering through the service tunnels. This was my first explore and one that I doubt i'll ever forget. Over the period between 2009-2010 I did probably five visits to this place spending 30+ hours there altogether and still don't recall seeing the whole site. My obsession with this place was massive, I spent hours taking to a former nurse of this hospital (RIP Amanda Love). I was there when the fire extinguisher room was being made, I was there when it went on lockdown & access was near on impossible but thankfully, I was not there to see it's demise and have chosen to abstain from exploring it one last time - it's best times have been and gone.
The following is a set of what I think is the best photos I took, mostly on my tatty old point & shoot 5MP Nikon!
The admin block, such a beautiful building - i'm really glad this one's being saved, this photo was taken as security was coming over on I think my third trip, the only time we were caught at West Park and it was almost intentional because it was more convenient to go through the main entrance than the hole in the fence.
I prefer to do the externals first, the tower, taken on a really nice day - climbing this was not a fun experience considering how unfit I was (and still am!). The views from the top were brilliant though, especially seeing the people walking around below us - a very surreal experience.
No idea when this one was taken but it shows us looking through the trees at one of the wards and a corridor, the corridors were brilliant, endless & charachterful - we even pushed a friend down one in a wheelchair!
I thought i'd follow with a "cliched" corridor shot, taken on my very last trip, we had to enter through a corridor and it involved a friend climbing over a board & opening up one of the windows (we still didn't break anything, it was just an awkward way of entering!).
Loads of wildlife at West Park, we've seen plenty of rabbits in the bushes but also on the first trip we saw a deer prancing around in the grass outside the laundry room!
The day room, strangely my favourite part because it really was the quietest place i've ever experienced, sitting in these chairs to eat our lunch was odd - being the only people in the whole building felt very strange.
One of the wards I presume, I don't remember taking this shot but I do remember the wards, especially the padded cell in the male ward. I've chosen not to include the padded cell in this report as at the time I really didn't know what I was doing with my camera.
Onto the creche with (sorry!) another cliched shot, I really enjoyed the creche but found it odd that all the toys were just left, I would have thought some of the children would have taken them as mementos although perhaps really nobody wanted to remember this place.
Another "lonely" shot, this time of a rattle - the shadow from the windows on the floor really gave this room a lot of atmosphere.
The guestbook, plenty of famous names in here!
The amount of possessions left around was amazing, I assume that the vast majority of West Park's paitents are now deceased, i've definately heard some legit stories of things that may have happened to some of them!
Again, shoes, jackets, clothes, suitcases etc everywhere.
Except from in here - the ward that had been set on fire, the smoke covered glass & mirrors really created an atmosphere although I would love to see some photos of this place before the fire.
Another ward shot, some of the beds were still in tact and although tempted, I refrained from getting in one for a photo!
Moving onto outside the admin block now - taken on the last visit I think this was just before the entrance to the admin although I may be wrong.
Part of the kitchens, this place was really starting to look worse for wear.
Looking out into the main hall, this place probably wouldn't have lasted another year even if demolition wasn't imminent.
The main hall itself, I believe only one photo before the fire is available, a real shame.
Finally a few random shots, this part never seems to get shown - some of the garages where I assume repairs took place (there was an engine block from an MGB and lots of wheelchair parts!).
The famous hoover room, I personally think the floor cleaner room was better.
In the dentists? I assume this draw saw a lot of use!
Final Picture. I guess West Park & St Ebbas were very closely linked, there was even talk of a tunnel joining the two (although I very much doubt this is true!).
Thanks a lot for reading, I hope a few people find the time to comment.
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