Explored with jST.
We got an early start to hopefully have a day of win. We'd planned a few places as we'd heard security has been quite tight recently. Indeed once we got there we brazenly walked up to the main gate only for security to turn up 5 mins later, but using all our ninja skills we ran away and hid in a bush. After being a bit more cleverer about it we did eventually get in after a bit of hiking across fields, and were able to see the security outside on the cricket pitches still looking for us.
Wikipedia steal, lots more here
In 1866, the three Lancashire lunatic asylums at Prestwich, Rainhill and Lancaster were deemed to be full. The building of Whittingham Asylum began in 1869, originally to accommodate 1000 patients.It was built from brick made from clay dug on site from a pit which later became a fish pond.
The hospital officially opened on 1 April 1873. The large site included an Anglican church, a Catholic chapel, a recreation hall (also used as a ballroom) and several farms. By 1923, the hospital was known as “Whittingham Mental Hospital”.[13] By 1939, the number of patients was 3533, with a staff of 548, making it the largest mental hospital in the country.
During the 1970s and 1980s, new drugs and therapies were introduced. Long-stay patients were returned to the community or dispersed to smaller units around Preston. The hospital eventually closed in 1995.
The site subsequently became known as “Guild Park”. In 1999, Guild Lodge was opened on the edge of Guild Park, supplying secure mental services, followed the next year by rehabilitation cottages close by.
It is planned to build 650 new homes on the site and to preserve some of the hospital buildings as apartments. However, the plan will not proceed until a date for the construction of the Broughton bypass is known, but in the mean time some of the smaller outer buildings are currently be ripped down.
We had a good few hours in here before heading off to try our luck at St. Joseph's Orphanage in Preston and St. Joseph's Seminary in Roby Mill, but we weren't trying particularly hard as we'd had a good win already so didn't get in either.
Thanks for looking
We got an early start to hopefully have a day of win. We'd planned a few places as we'd heard security has been quite tight recently. Indeed once we got there we brazenly walked up to the main gate only for security to turn up 5 mins later, but using all our ninja skills we ran away and hid in a bush. After being a bit more cleverer about it we did eventually get in after a bit of hiking across fields, and were able to see the security outside on the cricket pitches still looking for us.
Wikipedia steal, lots more here
In 1866, the three Lancashire lunatic asylums at Prestwich, Rainhill and Lancaster were deemed to be full. The building of Whittingham Asylum began in 1869, originally to accommodate 1000 patients.It was built from brick made from clay dug on site from a pit which later became a fish pond.
The hospital officially opened on 1 April 1873. The large site included an Anglican church, a Catholic chapel, a recreation hall (also used as a ballroom) and several farms. By 1923, the hospital was known as “Whittingham Mental Hospital”.[13] By 1939, the number of patients was 3533, with a staff of 548, making it the largest mental hospital in the country.
During the 1970s and 1980s, new drugs and therapies were introduced. Long-stay patients were returned to the community or dispersed to smaller units around Preston. The hospital eventually closed in 1995.
The site subsequently became known as “Guild Park”. In 1999, Guild Lodge was opened on the edge of Guild Park, supplying secure mental services, followed the next year by rehabilitation cottages close by.
It is planned to build 650 new homes on the site and to preserve some of the hospital buildings as apartments. However, the plan will not proceed until a date for the construction of the Broughton bypass is known, but in the mean time some of the smaller outer buildings are currently be ripped down.
We had a good few hours in here before heading off to try our luck at St. Joseph's Orphanage in Preston and St. Joseph's Seminary in Roby Mill, but we weren't trying particularly hard as we'd had a good win already so didn't get in either.
Thanks for looking