Hellingly mental asylum.

[enduro]

Wont be long until developers knock this building down for new houses...Check out Hellingly mental asylum on face book for some great photo of the fantastic building..and my earlier post on here.

 

[doug boardley]

crying shame isn't it

 

[enduro]

Hellingly Hospital was a large mental hospital in the village of Hellingly, east of Hailsham, in East Sussex, England. The hospital, also known as East Sussex County Asylum or just Hellingly, was opened in 1903. Its architect was GT Hine, one of the great asylum architects of the era.
The hospital boasted its own railway line, the Hellingly Hospital Railway, used principally for transport of coal. This branch line led from the main line to the boilerhouse. The hospital also had a vast laundry, ball room, patients' shop, sewing rooms, nurses home, extensive grounds, and an advanced utilities network for its time, including a large boilerhouse and a water tower. It followed the compact arrow plan for the main hospital, with separate villas surrounding this.
The majority of the hospital closed throughout 1994, however, and to this day much of the 25.4 hectare site stands derelict and extremely run down, after suffering repeated vandalism and multiple arson attacks. The hospital is popular with Urban Explorers, not because it has many hospital items remaining but because of its size, severe dereliction and its dilapidation. The main hall/ballroom is a fine example, and is one of the hospital's most recognisable features

 

[enduro]

This was said by a member of staff who worked there.
Sally Chewter It wasn't ugly. It was a nice example of Victorian archictectural style, set in absolutely lovely grounds. I worked there for only 18 months, but there were patients who had lived there over 60 years and had to be uprooted when it closed. All those people chucked out and staff made redundant - only for it to stand and rot for decades. THAT's the insane part.

 

[Scott]

I couldnt agree with her more. Its a crying shame as no buildings are ever built like that again. I looked at the website about this place after you last post, my ten year old couldnt believe they were going to knock it down.

Funny thing greed and profit

 

[enduro]

A few more photos. In the second photo, this building has been knocked down and they are building houses there.

 

[Colour Republic]

This gives you an idea of the scale of this place, it's huge



I did think it was criminal that it was left to rot and is getting knocked down with plenty of other beautiful asylums (which should be all rights be listed) but i'm starting to think Britan is trying to erase part of its murky history.

I tiled 2 kitchens the other week in a complex for the metally ill, the complex was very nice, most 'patients' lived in their own flat or shared a house with others and lead a semi-normal life but while I was there I could help but think 20 years ago these people would have been sectioned and 'controlled' with drugs

 

[Scott]

Id looked at that before Rob as i didnt know where it was just had the name to find it. It is HUGE!

 

[doit4u]

We are lucky where I live the County Mental Hospital was bought by the council when it closed and now has a whole range of different organisations using it, some council, some NHS, some Voulntary. It saved it from developers who were trying to buy it up cheap.

 

[jolly fix]

working (stone floor)in the uk's first mental hospital (17 th cent),in wedmore somerset.