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©2009 *KellyJane
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Artist's Comments

The title page for my West Park urban explore uploads.

To quote from [link]:

"Relevant history:
West Park was the last mental hospital to be developed on the Horton Estate, having been planned since 1906, prior to the opening of neighbouring Long Grove asylum. Initial development to have been completed for opening in 1916. From 1917 the main hospital was largely complete and utilised by Canadian Military, and subsequently handed back to London county council. The complete hospital was anticipated to hold approximately 2,000 patients of mixed class.
The Horton Light Railway, which was extended to convey materials to the site during development, remained in place for goods traffic and entered the grounds from the north terminating at a building close to the water tower. The railway was later closed and removed around 1960. A large detached residence, Hollywood Lodge, was also previously part of the Horton Estate was later used as part of the hospital.
Site development:
WWI and military use caused the postponement of opening (1921) and villa development (complete 1924). Buildings are red brick or pebble-dashed with large sash windows and grey slate roofs. The principal buildings are embellished with window surrounds and quoins, with other buildings plain, with attractive features limitred to door surrounds on main ward blocks and columns on some two storey blocks. The water tower and integral chimney are contructed from grey brick with red brick banding, round headed windows and a steep slate roof giving a Germanic appearance.
Main building typical of later compact arrow plan with & female block and 5 male blocks, administration building and offices, recreation hall with male and female staff blocks flanking, kitchens, main stores placed centrally, boiler house, water tower and workshops on male side and laundry, sewing room and additional nurses block on female side. A porter's lodge, mortuary and large detached chapel occupied the area around the main gate. An acute hospital was constructed facing the admin block with separate male, female and staff entrances. To the rear of the main block the isolation hospital was flanked by male and female sanatoria. A pair of single storey infirmary blocks separated by a two storey villa stands west of the male wards with a similar set to the north for parole villas for working patients. A third pair of single storey convalescent blocks (without the two storey villa), stand in front of a landscaped pond area to the east of the female wards. The medical superintendent's residence was constructed away from the main complex, onto West Park Road , with two sets of semi detached senior staff cottages. Two detached houses were constructed for the matron and steward on the main drive to the admin block.
Later additions to the site included a large nurses home between the isolation hospital and female sanatorium around 1950. Further additions have been limited to temporary structures such as the patients social club, and various small units in grounds. Staff residences were constructed close to the parole villas during the mid 1970's with additional units close by in the mid- late 1980's.
Current status:
Main hospital disused with exception of some male wards, the acute hospital, staff residences, parole villas and a few other villas in grounds. The site also contains Epsom and Ewell cottage hospital unit. The Chapel has been demolished. Arsonists have damaged the site with fires in 2003 in Honiton ward (female epileptic ward), on 30th September 2003 in the recreation hall, and Hollywood lodge on 16 th February 2005. Proposals for the site include a new hospital and development of mixed residential use. (2005)"

Anyone asking questions which are answered in the above quotation will not be replied to :)


The image used for the title page is of the Main Hall.
The sections of the hospital we visited were closed down in 1996. Indeed, much of the items we found left behind there are dated Dec 1996. I was then informed that the areas were shut down just after Xmas in '96.


I will not reveal how to enter this building, nor any other. Urban exploration is a dangerous hobby. Unsafe flooring, collapsing ceilings, asbestos, needles and decay are all present in these environments. Please exercise extreme caution if you choose to go urban exploring yourself.

Comments


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:iconxinder5:
Mental Hospital? Sounds fun....I guess...

--
"There's no happy ending. So they say. Well not for me anyway... (Should I) Stop pretending, take the chance to build a brand new day!"

Avvie totally stolen from ~ZouilleTMF
:icon00-yaoiluver-00:
Oooo. Looks cool. :)

--
"I think I love you, I know I like you, I want to tell you; but I do not want my heart to weep.
~Kitten
:iconchildofpassion:
Sounds so cool..*__*

--
I need a M i r a c l e, and not someone's C h a r i t y.
:iconbloodyrainbowponies:
Whoa...
Did you ever get scared?


--
"Today's show was brought to you by the letter-OMFGULQUIORRASNAKE!!!!!!!!!\"-Pear

I am =AxelFantasy's Jack Sparrow~!
And she is my Undead Ninja Monkey~. <3

Icon by =rocknbecky/=pockypixels
:iconcharliehypno:
So, you got checked in?

--
Hearts are important. If you don't have one, take mine.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm a Blue Lantern and proud of it.
:iconxxcupidxstuntxx:
Urban exploring? Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun, actually, if potentially dangerous and illegal...Shame Oxfordshire doesn't really have any of these...

That's one damn fine photograph too, the carcasses of these old buildings really are beautiful (Still think Brighton's old pier is prettier, but that's personal opinion).

--
I don't know what I want, but I know how to get it.

“It is convenient that there be gods, and, as it is convenient, let us believe there are.” - Ovid.
:icontomasfourhorns:
There's one around New Castle here in Indiana that has a plethora of urban legends surrounding it, like the story of a man who escaped and killed two teens beneath a nearby tree and hung their organs in it like streamers. A lot of places around here are abandoned factories and asylums. I've made my own exploration plans, but I need proper boots for it so I don't get stabbed.

--
\"DO NOT TOUCH!!!\"
Vexen (Demyx Time! XD)

"Well, what do you know? I like pie!"

"Bloody bodies inthe bathtub, for over two whole weeks and it smells deadly, peices of their flesh fall right off the bone and float up on the water like confetti." Twiztid
:icontomoyo-hime:
Wow, it really is all about the confidence to go in there, looks creepy xD

--
Oh, YAOI :love: Such Faggotry! ( Yaoism ftw :w00t: )

"I'll tell you two things: First, any human on the surface will be completely annihilated by our Human Eradication Army.
Second, that is my dinner - give it back!" ~ Viral (TTGL)
:icondancing-in-firelight:
ooohhh!!! Cool!!!
Urban Exploring sounds like fun... there's an old manor in the woods behind my house I really want to check out....

--
A certain hermit once said, “There is one thing that even I, who have no worldly entanglements, would be sorry to give up, the beauty of the sky.”
:iconharlequin-massacre:
Asylum. Asylummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. /creepyobsession
I really need help. xD

I'd love to poke around an asylum. Unfortunately, I'm fifteen and can't really do much on my own. >< Also, there aren't any that I know of in Houston. Because Houston sucks.

Details

November 2
4.2 MB
203 KB
900×598

Statistics

100
168 [who?]
2,421 (14 today)
12 (0 today)

Camera Data

NIKON CORPORATION
NIKON D40
10/5000 second
F/4.0
18 mm
400
Oct 31, 2009, 2:28:24 PM

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