Barrow Gurney Mental Colony, Bristol Sept 08

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silverstealth

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Location
Pembrokeshire
Bristol City Mental Hospital

An early start saturday morning to meet Tumbles then off to barrow, Its located in the middle of the woods and stands isolated and to be honest pretty grim.

Big thanks to Tumbles For The Tour...

Barrow Hospital

Date opened: 3rd May 1939

Location: Wild Country Lane, Barrow Gurney,
nr. Long Ashton, Somerset

Architect: Sir George Oatley, of Bristol

Layout: Colony Plan

Used During The War By The Military.

Planned & built just prior to WW2 to provide the necessary number of beds for Greater Bristol, as Glenside had become increasingly overcrowded, it was not actually used for transferred patients to ease this pressure until after the end of the war.

It is understood that it was 'commandeered' for servicemen who had been injured during the war, especially those suffering from psychological distress and conditions with a stress related component - which we might now term Post-Traumatic Stress, given the horrific nature of conflicts and the harrowing impact such profound experiences had over time.

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An early start saturday morning to meet Tumbles then off to barrow, Its located in the middle of the woods and stands isolated and to be honest pretty grim.

You think? I think it's lovely around there, it's just a bit spooky being so quiet.
 
I just have memories of the last time I went in the middle of a thunder storm through the blair witch woods..

Bah, wimp! :)

The woods would have been lovely at one point in time, there's wheelchair accessible pathways weaving through them all, all severely overgrown these days though.
 
Bah, wimp! :)

The woods would have been lovely at one point in time, there's wheelchair accessible pathways weaving through them all, all severely overgrown these days though.

Its always the way, once the people leave these places soon take on a whole new perspective..

Are there any old pictures of this place whilst in operation.?
 
The only ones I know of are in bristol records office and I havent got around to going there for them yet.

There's some here too but the site was mostly closed when these were taken.

It wasn't the kind of place for photographs, the wardens were pretty hot on people who werent supposed to be there, stuck in the middle of nowhere snoopers were kinda noticed.
 
Most of the leftover nutters from Barrow went to Bristol General hospital which is closing in 2009. I wandered in there when I broke my foot to have a look around but the closed wards were blocked off with big padlocks. That place will be epic when it's fully shut.
 
Most of the leftover nutters from Barrow went to Bristol General hospital which is closing in 2009. I wandered in there when I broke my foot to have a look around but the closed wards were blocked off with big padlocks. That place will be epic when it's fully shut.

No they didn't, the majority of them went to the new psychiatric health unit on Callington Road in Brislington... it was purpose built to replace barrow gurney.
 
And the odd one or two were totally inappropriately placed in Bristol Council EPHs, where the staff aren't trained to deal with them. Smaaaart.
 
No they didn't, the majority of them went to the new psychiatric health unit on Callington Road in Brislington... it was purpose built to replace barrow gurney.

My mistake, I just heard that from the caretaker of the place. Maybe he meant only the old folk.
 
My mistake, I just heard that from the caretaker of the place. Maybe he meant only the old folk.

Yes a ward full of elderly with severe senile dementia may have been moved there, I'll try and find out as my best friends fiance is a nurse in Bristol General. Might be able to pump her for more information on the site too ;)
 
BG

Nice to see these pics, when I was in Part two training at Haslar,one of my instructors told me that he used to work here when it was the Royal Naval Hospital Barrow Gurney

G
 
No they didn't, the majority of them went to the new psychiatric health unit on Callington Road in Brislington... it was purpose built to replace barrow gurney.

purpose built with reduced beds and next to a 24hr tesco
 
Bah, wimp! :)

The woods would have been lovely at one point in time, there's wheelchair accessible pathways weaving through them all, all severely overgrown these days though.

He means the woods leading on from the back of the southside wing, that come out on the A38.. they were fun at 1am in the morning with howling march winds and the odd unexplained noise :mrgreen:

I think one more visit will complete the site.. the Northside residential wing, the mother and toddler unit and finally that bloody elusive rec hall :)
 
Looks like a lovely building, and inside very clean, and bright. Don't know where it's grim tho :confused: Apart from the Dentists :mrgreen:

The woods surrounding it look great too, if a little more overgrown. All in all a lovely building in a lovely setting.

Nice pics,

:) Sal
 
Looks like a lovely building, and inside very clean, and bright. Don't know where it's grim tho :confused: Apart from the Dentists :mrgreen:

The woods surrounding it look great too, if a little more overgrown. All in all a lovely building in a lovely setting.

Nice pics,

:) Sal

Trust me, Barrow is grim in places.. such as the Southside Sick ward

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and the OT wing that joins up with the female administration block

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Still a good little explore though, best done sooner rather than later due to the rapid destruction of the place.
 
What a great place! All pics, bar the three put on by tomarse, show the place as being in suprisingly good nick. Great pics, looks like a good explore! :):)
 
Lovely pictures mate, this is what I like! :)

In an earlier report, someone mentioned that this place is infested with bats, was this a problem for you?

Also, anyone know on the status of this place? When's it due for demolition/conversion or any sort of building work?

Thanks,
Phil.
 
Lovely pictures mate, this is what I like! :)

In an earlier report, someone mentioned that this place is infested with bats, was this a problem for you?

Also, anyone know on the status of this place? When's it due for demolition/conversion or any sort of building work?

Thanks,
Phil.


I only saw one bat in the room where the dentists chair is, so no real problems there..

Not sure of the status though mate.
 

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