Report - Barrow Gurney Hospital, Bristol. April '14.

[ALB4]

By a stroke of sheer fortune and timing, I managed to slip in here in the nick of time! Demolition is well under way, all of the different buildings having already been gutted by a combination of workmen and locals. Spent a good few hours in one of the few buildings that still stand! All thought there is nothing physical left there are a few nice details!

Apologies for the picture heavy report, sadly they are all taken on my iphone due to technical problems when i arrived at the site! ( i normally shoot purely in analogue so not that knowledgeable!!)

This is my first report so feedback is appreciated!!

History: In order to prevent over crowding at the existing Victorian lunatic asylums in Somerset in the 1930s it was decided that a new mental hospital would have to be constructed. Work began on Barrow Gurney Mental Hospital in 1934 to the design of the Bristol architect Sir George Oatley. Final completion was late in 1937 however it was not officially opened for more than a year. Sir Lawrence Brock CBE, of the Hospital Board of Control, cut the ribbon.

Closed in 2005, a year earlier than planned after being officially dammed the 'dirtiest hospital in Britain' it certainly is now!

Susies Room!

Solitary confinement room?!

Hope you enjoyed my first report! More photos if anyone wants!!

 

[Seffy]

Drove practically in there today on the way home from work, and they've flattened another entire building since I last went! This really IS the end this time IMO.

Nicely done btw

 

[tumbles]

Which bits gone now mate?

 

[ALB4]

The builders, although working fast don't seem too bothered!!

 

[tumbles]

The builders, although working fast don't seem too bothered!!

They started knocking down stuff in 2008, it's not as if they are in a rush. It's stopped and started more times than my car driving through central London. There is no plans for anything on the site really anyway, so once the buildings are gone it's probably just going to end up being reclaimed by the woodland/wildlife

 

[ALB4]

Why do they have to knock it down then? Its infuriating!

 

[tumbles]

Why do they have to knock it down then? Its infuriating!

Because there is no use for the buildings and the owners still hope to do something with the site. The access roads are so pathetic everything generally gets knocked back.

They were pretty rotten when it closed, they decayed through till 2008 then it started getting demo'd and lots of vandalism/fires etc. It's better of being flattened now, its a shit derp.

 

[ALB4]

ah thats fair enough those reasons make sense!!

 

[WhoDerpsWins]

Which bits gone now mate?

Molitor house I believe.

 

[Will Knot]

Nice one, great report and fab pics. I really like the place but never been.

 

[sentinel]

Tried this place a month ago, but builders everywhere,

 

[ALB4]

Thankyou so much!! There's not much left but what's there is cool!!

 

[kazza]

went today , very trashed , but still a cool cupple off hours wandering about

 

[Shona]

Nice pictures! It would be lovely to see some pics of when it was first closed down and before the vandalism and graffiti takes over.... has anyone got some pics of barrow from 2010 or before?

 

[tumbles]

Nice pictures! It would be lovely to see some pics of when it was first closed down and before the vandalism and graffiti takes over.... has anyone got some pics of barrow from 2010 or before?

Barrow Gurney | Whatevers Left