old school laughing academies

Tonight’s top ten: abandoned asylums, with suitably sombre photography. I chose this pictire because it's of a place called Hellingly. Via.

 

Comments

[ejh]

There's this about Colney Hatch being turned into flats, but it's behind a paywall. Still, if you can't get in, it's better than them not being able to get out.

[Richard J]

High Royds has recently become the Northern equivalent of Lower Earley. The marketing seems to make very little reference to its historic past.

[ajay]

I recently learned that the Imperial War Museum building in south London used to be Bedlam Hospital.

[Guano]

What is "the Northern equivalent of Lower Earley"? I haven't been in Reading for many years but what I remember was that

- it was all gradually sliding down the slope into the River Loddon

- it was the kind of suburb that many aspired to but that I really, really would not like to live in.

[Gareth]

Hellingly is amazing, vast complex and some awesome architecture. Apparently you don't even have to sneak in anymore...

[Richard J]

"Massive middle-class exurb created ab initio on the edge of a smallish commuter village near a large town."

[Richard J]

but that I really, really would not like to live in.

From first hand-experience, it's a good place to live as a small child, but I was lucky enough to move before adolescence hit. No desire to ever go back, mind.

[Phil]

More on one of the London Green Belt mental hospitals here, from personal experience. More of the same may be coming - writing that post has brought back approximately two novels' worth of memories. Not particularly good ones, though, so I may just shove the lid back on.