Cefn Coed Hospital, Swansea
History (short but sweet, and maybe stolen from a legendary source):
The first Welsh asylum for the mentally ill was opened in Swansea at May Hill in 1815, followed in 1844 by Vernon House in Briton Ferry. The Glamorgan County Asylum in Bridgend opened twenty years later to serve the whole of the county of Glamorgan. But with the 1891 Public Health Act required each County Borough to build its own asylum . This took a long time to implement, for initially Townhill was thought to be the place to build an asylum, until in 1908 the Cefn Coed site was considered. Nearly 250 mentally ill persons from the Swansea area were being treated elsewhere. Eventually land was purchased, and the foundations were nearly complete when during the First World War shortage of labour and materials caused a halt. Building work began in 1928, utilising Unemployment Relief schemes, as with the erection of the Guildhall and Tir John Power Station. The Swansea Mental Hospital was opened in December 1932 by the Princess Royal (the daughter of King George V).
Recently Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board has announced that Cefn Coed Hospital will close within four years, to be replaced by specialist units, such as the new 60-bed unit Ysbryd y Coed which provides care for older people with dementia.
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Origianlly having planned to look at Whitchurch on this day, plans changed when this was mentioned. We'd heard mixed rumours of it's sealed/it's open and it's a walk in/it's nigh on impossible etc etc, you know how it works. Safe to say we got there, parked up, walked right up to the building and sauntered in. We literally had the privilege a textbook walk in. Had free reign of the place all day too and didn't see a single soul until we were walking down the drive at the end of the day; turned around to see a rather puzzled security guard staring us down from the front door of admin. LOL
The one part we didn't do was the hall as someone's previous creative access had led to every single door being padlocked with at least one lock and we weren't prepared for that...
Part of the site is still in use as the Central and West Regional HQ of the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS trust, so we saw the odd person milling around (particularly from the tower) but other than that it was eerily quiet. Woop. I personally didn't take too many photos in the wards so sorry for that! Excuse the 8mm but it's all I took with me so had to make do. Works well for some bits though I thought.
Had the pleasant company of @WhoDaresWins and @tallginge (thanks for the lend of the camera battery and lens cleaner guys) #bristolontour
This was as close to the hall as we got
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Cont...
History (short but sweet, and maybe stolen from a legendary source):
The first Welsh asylum for the mentally ill was opened in Swansea at May Hill in 1815, followed in 1844 by Vernon House in Briton Ferry. The Glamorgan County Asylum in Bridgend opened twenty years later to serve the whole of the county of Glamorgan. But with the 1891 Public Health Act required each County Borough to build its own asylum . This took a long time to implement, for initially Townhill was thought to be the place to build an asylum, until in 1908 the Cefn Coed site was considered. Nearly 250 mentally ill persons from the Swansea area were being treated elsewhere. Eventually land was purchased, and the foundations were nearly complete when during the First World War shortage of labour and materials caused a halt. Building work began in 1928, utilising Unemployment Relief schemes, as with the erection of the Guildhall and Tir John Power Station. The Swansea Mental Hospital was opened in December 1932 by the Princess Royal (the daughter of King George V).
Recently Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board has announced that Cefn Coed Hospital will close within four years, to be replaced by specialist units, such as the new 60-bed unit Ysbryd y Coed which provides care for older people with dementia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Origianlly having planned to look at Whitchurch on this day, plans changed when this was mentioned. We'd heard mixed rumours of it's sealed/it's open and it's a walk in/it's nigh on impossible etc etc, you know how it works. Safe to say we got there, parked up, walked right up to the building and sauntered in. We literally had the privilege a textbook walk in. Had free reign of the place all day too and didn't see a single soul until we were walking down the drive at the end of the day; turned around to see a rather puzzled security guard staring us down from the front door of admin. LOL
The one part we didn't do was the hall as someone's previous creative access had led to every single door being padlocked with at least one lock and we weren't prepared for that...
Part of the site is still in use as the Central and West Regional HQ of the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS trust, so we saw the odd person milling around (particularly from the tower) but other than that it was eerily quiet. Woop. I personally didn't take too many photos in the wards so sorry for that! Excuse the 8mm but it's all I took with me so had to make do. Works well for some bits though I thought.
Had the pleasant company of @WhoDaresWins and @tallginge (thanks for the lend of the camera battery and lens cleaner guys) #bristolontour
This was as close to the hall as we got
Cont...
