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What is it with Whittingham Asylum and us? We got up at Stupid-o-clock this morning and drove over to Goosenargh only to find that they've erected a fc*k off galvanised steel fence around every bit of the asylum we tried to gain access through INCLUDING the quiet way in more than half a mile away over at the back!
OK... every urb-exer should have a fall back site - for us it was Blackburn Royal Infirmary. Despite it being very close to home we've not been there before today, treatment trips and patient visits excepted, so it definitely merited a look see.
They've already demolished a serious part of the site and reduced it to mounds of brick dust but several wards and a couple of operating theatres are still intact in the main block together with the rotunda and the residents accomodation. Sadly it's been badly chavved already and I think lots of stuff has been nicked... it doesn't help that there's a pikey encampment less than 300 yards away across the road either.
So... I'm not going to bore you with shed loads of detail, I'll just show you our piccies instead.
The view of the main block from the demolished area...
The hospital name and coat of arms...
Detail of the coat of arms... why are they both sticking their tongues out?
We entered on the first floor via this childrens ward...
Many of the rooms are still clearly labelled with their original purpose...
Murals for the children are all over the place on this ward...
The extensive chavving means that this sort of pretty frosted glass is rare to find...
The coat of arms of Blackburn is inlaid into floor here and corridors radiate off in two directions. In the past there were a further two corridors originating from this point but they have been demolished leaving only boarded up archways.
The Blackburn coat of arms and motto...
At this low level within the building it is still very dry but it is badly trashed...
Stainless steel light fitting in the main entrance corridor...
The in bound stores were brought through this loading area... note the "orb"... wooooooooo, I think we've got a ghosty, better get Derek Acorah across to scam a few gullible punters sharpish!
Sluice off the side of a ward. Some knobby's calling card is painted in the form of this skull all over the hospital. I can't see the point personally...
High intensity anglepoise lamp in a treatment room...
A vain attempt at an arty shot...
A rather jolly resident in one of the two operating theatres...
Theatre air conditioning control panel...
Medical gas monitoring in the theatre...
I think the area beyond the door is the prep area for the theatre. Gas and vacumn lines hang from the roof of the theatre itself with quik-lok type bayonet connectors on the ends...
Yes I know... everyone does this shot!
A second peadiatric ward at the opposite end to the first one...
For the footy fans amongst you, that's Blackburn Rovers ground in the middle distance and beyond it is the hill upon which Darwen's famous Jubilee Tower resides...
Hospital catering...
A stray Crimbo decoration and an interesting set of instructions. I tried to find out what HPPF is but all I could find on the net was a reference to Equine Hoof Fluid! Any offers peeps?
The staff clearly inputted a lot of time and effort to make the children's surroundings as pleasant as possible...
A bed space on one of the wards...
Daft as it sounds I didn't spot these disposable spoons until I started checking the pix prior to posting!
The rotunda roof is beginning to deteriorate badly now...
Things got a little surreal about now when I suddenly recognised this ward as the one I received treatment on for a bad eye infection back in 1996.
I've been in here before too...
In the Day Room - is it a Parker Knoll?
Back in '96 my bed was in the first space immediately to the left of this door...
More signage...
Oddly enough we didn't see anyone working in this room...
Despite the decay these murals still give a jolly feel to the peadiatric wards... this is Peter Pan and Tinkerbell if my memory serves me correctly?
..and isn't this Christopher Robin? He looks just like Harry Potter to me!!
Bath time...
...with the help of Mr. Soapy!
This charming inlay is set into the floor of a children's play room just off the ward...
This is the top floor which has offices on one wing and resident's accomodation on the opposite wing...
This area looks at first glance to be in quite good condition however it is very deceptive. Every room was soaking wet and all the celings were down or coming down. A quick glance outside shows the reason why - there are slates missing all over the place.
The view from the top floor down to the first floor wards...
...and finally, a fire escape which links all the floors. The internal staircases are gone, presumably with the demolition of the areas attached to this block. Now the two fire escapes at either end of the building provide the only route between floors.
So... a bad day at the office where Whittingham was concerned turned into a fun ex just 4 miles from home!
OK... every urb-exer should have a fall back site - for us it was Blackburn Royal Infirmary. Despite it being very close to home we've not been there before today, treatment trips and patient visits excepted, so it definitely merited a look see.
They've already demolished a serious part of the site and reduced it to mounds of brick dust but several wards and a couple of operating theatres are still intact in the main block together with the rotunda and the residents accomodation. Sadly it's been badly chavved already and I think lots of stuff has been nicked... it doesn't help that there's a pikey encampment less than 300 yards away across the road either.
So... I'm not going to bore you with shed loads of detail, I'll just show you our piccies instead.
The view of the main block from the demolished area...
The hospital name and coat of arms...
Detail of the coat of arms... why are they both sticking their tongues out?
We entered on the first floor via this childrens ward...
Many of the rooms are still clearly labelled with their original purpose...
Murals for the children are all over the place on this ward...
The extensive chavving means that this sort of pretty frosted glass is rare to find...
The coat of arms of Blackburn is inlaid into floor here and corridors radiate off in two directions. In the past there were a further two corridors originating from this point but they have been demolished leaving only boarded up archways.
The Blackburn coat of arms and motto...
At this low level within the building it is still very dry but it is badly trashed...
Stainless steel light fitting in the main entrance corridor...
The in bound stores were brought through this loading area... note the "orb"... wooooooooo, I think we've got a ghosty, better get Derek Acorah across to scam a few gullible punters sharpish!
Sluice off the side of a ward. Some knobby's calling card is painted in the form of this skull all over the hospital. I can't see the point personally...
High intensity anglepoise lamp in a treatment room...
A vain attempt at an arty shot...
A rather jolly resident in one of the two operating theatres...
Theatre air conditioning control panel...
Medical gas monitoring in the theatre...
I think the area beyond the door is the prep area for the theatre. Gas and vacumn lines hang from the roof of the theatre itself with quik-lok type bayonet connectors on the ends...
Yes I know... everyone does this shot!
A second peadiatric ward at the opposite end to the first one...
For the footy fans amongst you, that's Blackburn Rovers ground in the middle distance and beyond it is the hill upon which Darwen's famous Jubilee Tower resides...
Hospital catering...
A stray Crimbo decoration and an interesting set of instructions. I tried to find out what HPPF is but all I could find on the net was a reference to Equine Hoof Fluid! Any offers peeps?
The staff clearly inputted a lot of time and effort to make the children's surroundings as pleasant as possible...
A bed space on one of the wards...
Daft as it sounds I didn't spot these disposable spoons until I started checking the pix prior to posting!
The rotunda roof is beginning to deteriorate badly now...
Things got a little surreal about now when I suddenly recognised this ward as the one I received treatment on for a bad eye infection back in 1996.
I've been in here before too...
In the Day Room - is it a Parker Knoll?
Back in '96 my bed was in the first space immediately to the left of this door...
More signage...
Oddly enough we didn't see anyone working in this room...
Despite the decay these murals still give a jolly feel to the peadiatric wards... this is Peter Pan and Tinkerbell if my memory serves me correctly?
..and isn't this Christopher Robin? He looks just like Harry Potter to me!!
Bath time...
...with the help of Mr. Soapy!
This charming inlay is set into the floor of a children's play room just off the ward...
This is the top floor which has offices on one wing and resident's accomodation on the opposite wing...
This area looks at first glance to be in quite good condition however it is very deceptive. Every room was soaking wet and all the celings were down or coming down. A quick glance outside shows the reason why - there are slates missing all over the place.
The view from the top floor down to the first floor wards...
...and finally, a fire escape which links all the floors. The internal staircases are gone, presumably with the demolition of the areas attached to this block. Now the two fire escapes at either end of the building provide the only route between floors.
So... a bad day at the office where Whittingham was concerned turned into a fun ex just 4 miles from home!
We hope you enjoyed our photos.
Best wishes from M and TJ...
.
