This was the 2nd Asylum we explored on the day, it was completely trashed but made for excellent peely paint photos and yes that room really was that red in the pictures. Unfortunately the other side of the hospital has now been demolished and I fear the same fate awaits this side as well.
Thanks to OMJ for showing me round, I think it is home from home for him as he has spent many hours here and will be sad to see it go..
A brief History then the pics:
It has been known as Harperbury Hospital for 61 years and has been a fixture of the area's mental health scene since 1928. It had two sister institutions, Shenley Hospital and Napsbury Hospital, within a few miles of its location.
By the 1990s plans were in the works to close the Shenley, Napsbury and Harperbury hospitals. Patients were moved out of all three that decade. However, in 1995 and 1998 Harperbury got a temporary influx of patients coming from two other institutions that were closed. By late 2001 Harperbury had only about 200 patients and Harperbury was officially considered closed.
The scaling down at Harperbury resulted in many of the old hospital's buildings becoming abandoned. In many cases much material and equipment were salvaged from the old buildings. Over the years most of the abandoned buildings were visited by vandals and other trespassers. Most, if not all, of these unused buildings are scheduled for demolition.
Thanks to OMJ for showing me round, I think it is home from home for him as he has spent many hours here and will be sad to see it go..
A brief History then the pics:
It has been known as Harperbury Hospital for 61 years and has been a fixture of the area's mental health scene since 1928. It had two sister institutions, Shenley Hospital and Napsbury Hospital, within a few miles of its location.
By the 1990s plans were in the works to close the Shenley, Napsbury and Harperbury hospitals. Patients were moved out of all three that decade. However, in 1995 and 1998 Harperbury got a temporary influx of patients coming from two other institutions that were closed. By late 2001 Harperbury had only about 200 patients and Harperbury was officially considered closed.
The scaling down at Harperbury resulted in many of the old hospital's buildings becoming abandoned. In many cases much material and equipment were salvaged from the old buildings. Over the years most of the abandoned buildings were visited by vandals and other trespassers. Most, if not all, of these unused buildings are scheduled for demolition.