St. Crispins, as we now know it was established in the 1876 as the “Berrywood” Asylum. Its grounds and the surrounding area are currently under development and will include a new psychiatric hospital, residential housing (loads of it), a large self-contained retirement village, a primary school and a local centre of shops and offices….So now is the time to pay the ol’ girl a visit. I apologise in advance if this report is a little heavy on the external shots, it’s not that that the internal was inaccessible, it was just that the exterior is so beautiful.
Before the opening of the St Crispin Hospital in 1876, the paupers of Northampton were admitted to the Northampton General Asylum to the East of Northampton. With the Lunacy Commission pushing for every county to have their own asylum and not send paupers out to other Asylums, this arrangement was deemed unworthy and the county encourage to build their own premises.
The county purchased land at the small village of Berrywood, and the asylum was founded shortly after in 1873 and was designed by Robert Griffiths. The construction took three years and was opened in 1876 to the paupers who were living interned at the Northampton General Asylum.
The grounds incorporated a large farm complex, gas works, burial ground, a number of cottages for attendants and other estate staff, large residences for the superintendent, farm bailiff, head gardener, chaplain and steward. The main building was built to a variation of the corridor-pavilion plan and consisted of two major patient's blocks on either side of the central services and hall, and linked only by single storey corridors and open metal walkways at upper levels - these were later enclosed.
The Main Hall:
At the back of which was the projectioists booth, incorporating two Kalee Model eleven projectors:
Thorough research has led me to this page from the original brochure
The design reflected the architect, Robert Griffiths' previous work at the Macclesfield Asylum, Cheshire by placing the blocks for acute and generalised cases forward of the building line where they would receive the most light and air, linked behind these were the infirmary wards and flanking the main ward blocks were the blocks for chronic and difficult patients, being positioned here to provide access to their place of work. By 1884, and completed in 1887 were further extensions, creating a new block for idiot and imbecile children adjacent to the female wing and blocks for epileptics on either side of the main block.
A reservoir and fire station, stable yard and an isolation hospital with a distinctive pyramidal roofline were constructed to the north of the site. A stone chapel and mortuary were also constructed to the east. One interesting feature of the chapel, which I’ve never seen anywhere else before; is twin doors. The Chapel is segregated entirely for male and female patients:
The grounds to the south of the hospital farm was developed for mental handicap services during the early 1970s and was to be one of the last major long stay facilities of its kind in England. Named the Princess Marina hospital, it provided a home for a number of Northampton patients. At the time of writing this is also currently derelict, and is just next door so is well worth a drive around.
Conversion is underway, here is the upper floor with new joists, but no floor as yet:
A social club for staff was sited close to a remodelled entrance onto Berrywood Road where I even went to enjoy a wedding reception last year. St. Crispins Hospital briefly entered the news when a fire killed six patients who were resident on Shuster Ward, within the main building.
The hospital finally closed in 1995 and the buildings are currently standing derelict with only one of the wards having been converted. A housing estate has been built on the lands that were cleared around the main building and a new mental health facility, Berrywood Hospital, has also been built on part of the site.
As with many of these projects, the developer, Taylor Wimpey has built a large number of new homes on the site and not concentrated on preserving the listed buildings. It’s weird how close the new development is to the old building. Emerging at the top of one stairway, I found myself looking out of an open doorway, feet from someones bedroom window.
Due the 2008-2010 recession the work was again put on hold and the hospital site has deteriorated rapidly leaving them in a poor state of repair. Now things are picking up and the site is back active again with workman there most days. I look forward to revisiting when the conversion is complete.
After entering the site we were obviously spotted by a couple walking their dog, we hoped that they wouldn’t be too bothered by our presence, and carried on. We made our way into the first building. It soon became apparent that we were not alone.
Hearing banging and voices above us. Rowdy male voices, not sure how many. The occasional hooded figure would dart past in the shadows above our head. Not wanting to be relieved of my new camera we made our way out of the building to see if we could get a better handle on the asylums current occupants.
It was at that point when we bumped into the dog walkers who had spotted us earlier. They seem enthused. “We’ve lived here years, we didn’t know you could get in, we followed you I hope you don’t mind” We briefed them on what we’d just seen, and silently all five of us (including Jack Russell) made our way back into the building.
The light is beautiful and shines in pools, casting shadows of modern building components onto onld solid walls.
I advised the dog owner he may want to carry him because of the broken glass. We made our way oup a stairwell, stronger in number, towards where we could hear whistling. We passed the hooded fellow decending the stairs. He definitely looked more shocked to see us than we did him.
We explored the remainder of the buildings in the late afternoon sun in relative peace. We made our way out, passing local families, walking past their modern Taylor Wimpy homes, built in the shadow of this imposing structure.
Before the opening of the St Crispin Hospital in 1876, the paupers of Northampton were admitted to the Northampton General Asylum to the East of Northampton. With the Lunacy Commission pushing for every county to have their own asylum and not send paupers out to other Asylums, this arrangement was deemed unworthy and the county encourage to build their own premises.
The county purchased land at the small village of Berrywood, and the asylum was founded shortly after in 1873 and was designed by Robert Griffiths. The construction took three years and was opened in 1876 to the paupers who were living interned at the Northampton General Asylum.
The grounds incorporated a large farm complex, gas works, burial ground, a number of cottages for attendants and other estate staff, large residences for the superintendent, farm bailiff, head gardener, chaplain and steward. The main building was built to a variation of the corridor-pavilion plan and consisted of two major patient's blocks on either side of the central services and hall, and linked only by single storey corridors and open metal walkways at upper levels - these were later enclosed.
The Main Hall:
At the back of which was the projectioists booth, incorporating two Kalee Model eleven projectors:
Thorough research has led me to this page from the original brochure
The design reflected the architect, Robert Griffiths' previous work at the Macclesfield Asylum, Cheshire by placing the blocks for acute and generalised cases forward of the building line where they would receive the most light and air, linked behind these were the infirmary wards and flanking the main ward blocks were the blocks for chronic and difficult patients, being positioned here to provide access to their place of work. By 1884, and completed in 1887 were further extensions, creating a new block for idiot and imbecile children adjacent to the female wing and blocks for epileptics on either side of the main block.
A reservoir and fire station, stable yard and an isolation hospital with a distinctive pyramidal roofline were constructed to the north of the site. A stone chapel and mortuary were also constructed to the east. One interesting feature of the chapel, which I’ve never seen anywhere else before; is twin doors. The Chapel is segregated entirely for male and female patients:
The grounds to the south of the hospital farm was developed for mental handicap services during the early 1970s and was to be one of the last major long stay facilities of its kind in England. Named the Princess Marina hospital, it provided a home for a number of Northampton patients. At the time of writing this is also currently derelict, and is just next door so is well worth a drive around.
Conversion is underway, here is the upper floor with new joists, but no floor as yet:
A social club for staff was sited close to a remodelled entrance onto Berrywood Road where I even went to enjoy a wedding reception last year. St. Crispins Hospital briefly entered the news when a fire killed six patients who were resident on Shuster Ward, within the main building.
The hospital finally closed in 1995 and the buildings are currently standing derelict with only one of the wards having been converted. A housing estate has been built on the lands that were cleared around the main building and a new mental health facility, Berrywood Hospital, has also been built on part of the site.
As with many of these projects, the developer, Taylor Wimpey has built a large number of new homes on the site and not concentrated on preserving the listed buildings. It’s weird how close the new development is to the old building. Emerging at the top of one stairway, I found myself looking out of an open doorway, feet from someones bedroom window.
Due the 2008-2010 recession the work was again put on hold and the hospital site has deteriorated rapidly leaving them in a poor state of repair. Now things are picking up and the site is back active again with workman there most days. I look forward to revisiting when the conversion is complete.
After entering the site we were obviously spotted by a couple walking their dog, we hoped that they wouldn’t be too bothered by our presence, and carried on. We made our way into the first building. It soon became apparent that we were not alone.
Hearing banging and voices above us. Rowdy male voices, not sure how many. The occasional hooded figure would dart past in the shadows above our head. Not wanting to be relieved of my new camera we made our way out of the building to see if we could get a better handle on the asylums current occupants.
It was at that point when we bumped into the dog walkers who had spotted us earlier. They seem enthused. “We’ve lived here years, we didn’t know you could get in, we followed you I hope you don’t mind” We briefed them on what we’d just seen, and silently all five of us (including Jack Russell) made our way back into the building.
The light is beautiful and shines in pools, casting shadows of modern building components onto onld solid walls.
I advised the dog owner he may want to carry him because of the broken glass. We made our way oup a stairwell, stronger in number, towards where we could hear whistling. We passed the hooded fellow decending the stairs. He definitely looked more shocked to see us than we did him.
We explored the remainder of the buildings in the late afternoon sun in relative peace. We made our way out, passing local families, walking past their modern Taylor Wimpy homes, built in the shadow of this imposing structure.