free hit counter
St Bernard's Hospital - London, May 2015 / July 2017 | Oblivion State Urban Exploration

Post a thread

Post a thread in one of the forums

Browse the forums

Browse threads and contribute to reports

Contact Staff

Contact the team

St Bernard's Hospital - London, May 2015 / July 2017

The_Raw

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
3,931
Reaction score
2,183
Points
113
This place really should have been looked at a long time ago, the history behind the place is literally insane. Thanks to zombizza for putting the lead up, it was still just about worth a look inside although practically everything has been stripped already. I went inside with workers present which made it a fairly tense explore, lots of patiently hiding around corners and sneaking around expecting to get seen at any moment, eventually that moment came and I had to scarper quick sharp. I decided to go back at night and finish off seeing the place assuming there would be nobody present. Surprisingly this turned out to be an impossible mission due to previously unlocked doors being locked and an annoyingly active pair of torch waving security guards with way too much energy. During the day was better. Onto the lengthy history, take a deep breath, there's a lot to read if you can be arsed.

Originally known as the Middlesex County Asylum, this was the first pauper lunatic asylum built in England following the Madhouse Act of 1828, which allowed the building of purpose-built asylums. It went on to become the largest asylum in the world at it's peak.

When it opened in 1831 the Asylum accommodated up to only 300 patients. The building was enlarged in November of the same year and by 1841 90 staff were looking after 1302 patients. Extensions were added in 1879 and by 1888 there were 1891 patients and the Asylum had become the largest in Europe. Patients were looked after by members of their own sex and there were two gatehouses at the entrance - one for males and one for females.

It achieved great prominence in the field of psychiatric care because of two people, Dr William Ellis and Dr John Connolly. Dr (later Sir) William Ellis encouraged patients to use their skills and trades in the Asylum. This 'therapy of employment' benefitted both the Asylum and the patients themselves and was a precursor to occupational therapy. Dr John Conolly became Medical Superintendent in 1839. He abolished mechanical restraints to control patients. This was a great success and encouraged other asylums also to do so. Padded cells, solitary confinement and sedatives were used instead.

The extensive grounds were cultivated for produce. The Asylum became self-sufficient, with a farm, a laundry, a bakery and a brewery. Local artisans - tailors, shoemakers - worked at the asylum. There was a gasworks and a fire brigade and even a burial ground for those patients whose relatives had not claimed their bodies. Water was taken from the nearby Grand Union Canal and the Asylum had its own dock for barges delivering coal and for taking away produce for sale.

Several name changes took place over the years. In 1889 the Asylum was renamed the London County Asylum, Hanwell. In 1918 it became known as the London County Mental Hospital. In 1929 it was renamed Hanwell Mental Hospital. In 1937 its name changed again, to St Bernard's Hospital, Southall.

During WW2 the Emergency Medical Services commandeered one ward for war casualties. The Hospital and grounds received some bomb damage and later the laundry was destroyed by a V1 flying bomb, which caused many casualties. A gatehouse was also damaged. It joined the NHS in 1948 as part of the North West Metropolitan Region, with its own Hospital Management Committee.

By the 1960s the Hospital in its 74 acre site held 2200 patients.

St Bernard's Hospital was merged with the adjacent Ealing Hospital in 1980 and became the Psychiatric Unit. It was then known as the St Bernard's Wing of the Ealing Hospital. By this time it had 950 beds for psychiatric and psychogeriatric patients. In 1992 the Ealing Hospital General Unit and Maternity Unit split off to form a new Trust and the St Bernard's Wing regained its previous name of St Bernard's Hospital. The Hospital underwent a major refurbishment in 1998. The exterior of the buildings still in use were cleaned, revealing the yellow colouring of the bricks.

Scenes from Porridge were filmed in the courtyard here and also scenes from the 1989 Batman movie with Jack Nicholson.

Much of the site has been demolished already, and other parts converted into flats. The current hospital has decided that the asylum buildings can no longer be refurbished in such a way as to support a modern hospital so the remainder of the asylum buildings are being refurbished for private housing. The extensive modern buildings at the back (canal-side) of the hospital will remain in use and will be supplemented by further new buildings away from the historical asylum.

I didn't know it at the time but the screws on my wide angle were completely loose so the majority of my shots were out of focus unfortunately. These are the shots that came out good enough.



1. How the exterior of all the buildings looked....

17395485111_fbd60bfda2_c.jpg


2.

16775581553_835f0f80ce_c.jpg


3. I spotted this stuck onto the skirting board in a corridor, I assume this was the adolescents ward...

17208070778_c83d2b6912_c.jpg


4. Most rooms had cartoon characters painted on the walls in here

17208262970_82fa2173f6_c.jpg


5.

17208289370_fef86ba0ca_c.jpg


6.

17208069658_d362852cf8_c.jpg


7. Not sure what this old hall might have been used for

16773328104_056a3515f9_c.jpg


8.

17395497831_f54e292f70_c.jpg


9. At this point the place became a little more interesting, this was the busiest area of work so I didn't hang about long

17208063618_8be425ecc2_c.jpg


10.

17208065148_db82d0e2f5_c.jpg


11.

17395477931_c320f04d2a_c.jpg


12.

17395492941_2c085493e8_c.jpg


13. The last few shots were all taken on the top floor

17208269000_2204109924_c.jpg


14. The ceiling in here was one of the only remaining features left

17208047728_22ac156d61_c.jpg


15.

17393872162_5f8fa05786_c.jpg


16.

17395856145_157f36d0af_z.jpg


17.

17395849965_1a259b4604_c.jpg


18.

17373655605_74b13532ec_c.jpg


EDIT: July 2017 revisit ....

19. Chapel and Hall, the only two buildings that haven't been converted yet. The chapel was locked and appears to be in use as a site office. 

35648796996_66769f003a_c.jpg


20. Large backstage area behind the hall, difficult to capture the size of it due to the scaffolding and temporary flooring above.

35688138915_a0a0862f27_c.jpg


21. Some glimpses of former grandeur with these columns.

35301119650_18ac0c6124_c.jpg


22. 

35301121720_9133a73697_c.jpg


23. Temporary flooring below the ceiling 

35648852566_10775cbf95_c.jpg


24.

34879102463_6207b17055_c.jpg


25.

35557802801_05abdab108_c.jpg


26. The Hall, amazingly still untouched despite the remainder of the buildings being completely stripped or converted. 

35301089800_443a734f55_c.jpg


27. 

35688188205_2747c44450_c.jpg


28.

34879208803_05ed795662_c.jpg


29.

35557861051_b3b76699ab_c.jpg


30.

35519535662_2dda971675_c.jpg


Thanks for looking (y)

 
Last edited by a moderator:

hamtagger

OS Full member
OS Full member
Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
3,517
Reaction score
1,062
Points
113
Location
Lincoln
That's quality mate, one I haven't seen pop up before (y)

 

Urbexbandoned

Full Member
OS Full member
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
2,218
Reaction score
855
Points
113
Location
Lincoln
Haha, wicked! 20 is a winner for me! History is pretty interesting, shame a bit of it has gone already!

Hope you enjoyed your beer (y)

:comp

 
Last edited by a moderator:

skeleton key

Full Member
OS Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
4,213
Reaction score
31
Points
48
Thats good to see and sounds like was fun.

Pretty stripped which is a shame but you can still pick out the old features and worth a look

fair play on getting around the place (y) .

 

The_Raw

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
3,931
Reaction score
2,183
Points
113
Wish I could have got round a bit more but it wasn't my night when I went back, security were ON IT!!

 

hamtagger

OS Full member
OS Full member
Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
3,517
Reaction score
1,062
Points
113
Location
Lincoln
Mofos. Well by the looks of it you done not too bad on covering the place mate :)

 

The_Raw

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
3,931
Reaction score
2,183
Points
113
Cheers, there were much more cartoons but my camera failed on me unfortunately. Here's the rug rat room, was kind of weird hiding in there while a worker walked past.... :p

16775847623_8bafe99a30_z.jpg


 

PROJ3CTM4YH3M

OS Member
OS Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
477
Reaction score
137
Points
43
Very stripped and I dont know why but reminds me a little of st johns in lincoln minus the honeycomb ceilings... Nicely covered mate

 

DirtyJigsaw

Full Member
OS Full member
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
676
Reaction score
409
Points
63
Location
London
Love pic 3!! I saw it on FB and wondered where it was from. Nice one

 

Merryprankster

Full Member
OS Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Messages
387
Reaction score
187
Points
43
very cool history for this one!, shame so much has been ripped out, captured it nicely nether the less, i cant work out how youre holding the can of stripe, the call line card and a camera?!? arre you a magician??

 
Top