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History
Mostly everyone knows the History on this place so i'll keep it brief.
Runwell Hospital was mental health hospital located in Wickford, Essex, Just a few miles from Chelmsford.
It opened in June 1937 and finally closed its doors on the 23rd April 2010 with most of its services being moved to Rochford Hospital.
The main buildings were laid out to the west: villas for working patients, pavilions for the infirm, administrative buildings, recreation hall, kitchens, and stores blocks providing segregation of male and female blocks. Workshops were provided on either side for the employment of capable patients. To the rear a combined power house and water tower provided a central focal point, with the laundry constructed on the female side. Parole villas were built at the northernmost areas behind the main ranges, providing a degree of freedom to suitable occupants. A large sick hospital was provided directly opposite the administrative block, combining wards for physically sick patients, those with tuberculosis, an operating theatre and staff sick bay. Finally, farthest west, Boundary House, a large block for disruptive chronic patients was built, providing two male wards, four female wards and a separate dining hall. The former farm was relocated to the north of the main site
Today
Demolition on the site began in July 2012 after a housing company bought the land in February 2012.
The only buildings to now remain are the Administration block and the Chapel of St Luke (Grade II Listed).
The site has now been partly developed into a housing estate and there are people now living in the site.
There are plans in place to construct around 600 new homes on the site and also a full conversion of the administration block to be used for residential use.
The Chapel seems to have been left alone since closure and not a lot has been done to it! Some attempts have been made to secure the Chapel but vandals have hit.
The Explore
So after missing the bus on this place (Some 7 years late) we thought it might be worth a little look because of the remaining buildings.
We took the first trip there without doing much research and found ourselves on top of a sparkly new housing estate. We had thought we were lost and started to turn around but i noticed the chapel and also the clock of the admin building and realized we were in the right place! Shit, it looked like people were living here too, but never the less we were determined to see what was left.
So we hopped into the building site and headed for the admin building, which was pretty impressive from the outside but boring inside, i didn't even bother to take my camera out of the car! The contractors had started to develop the inside by putting up wooden boards sectioning off new rooms.
We then headed over to the water tower and we was amazed to see just a huge hole in the ground! A bit shocked, i shined my lenser around and couldn't see anything! I just thought it was because it was hammering it down with rain but it really had gone. (On a side note, if i am being stupid and it's still there someone please let me know!)
We then called it a night and decided to hit the Chapel another day! That day came about 3 weeks later and we were ready, being careful to not alert anyone living in the houses about 2ft away we snuck into the building site and made our way towards the chapel. Assuming it was going to be sealed shut we didn't have much hopes, but to our amazement one of the doors was swinging in the wind. Result!
The place has unfortunately been trashed and the beautiful organ has been smashed up a bit.
Now onto the pics, i was feeling really lazy and didn't really photograph much but what i did get came out ok-ish! Torches were a little bait considering it's a stones throw from houses but this didn't stop my torch happy friend @DRZ_Explorer who lit the place up like a firework show!
First pic isn't mine but i wanted to show you what it looked like in its hey day.
Enjoy.
Explored with DRZ_Explorer.
Mostly everyone knows the History on this place so i'll keep it brief.
Runwell Hospital was mental health hospital located in Wickford, Essex, Just a few miles from Chelmsford.
It opened in June 1937 and finally closed its doors on the 23rd April 2010 with most of its services being moved to Rochford Hospital.
The main buildings were laid out to the west: villas for working patients, pavilions for the infirm, administrative buildings, recreation hall, kitchens, and stores blocks providing segregation of male and female blocks. Workshops were provided on either side for the employment of capable patients. To the rear a combined power house and water tower provided a central focal point, with the laundry constructed on the female side. Parole villas were built at the northernmost areas behind the main ranges, providing a degree of freedom to suitable occupants. A large sick hospital was provided directly opposite the administrative block, combining wards for physically sick patients, those with tuberculosis, an operating theatre and staff sick bay. Finally, farthest west, Boundary House, a large block for disruptive chronic patients was built, providing two male wards, four female wards and a separate dining hall. The former farm was relocated to the north of the main site
Today
Demolition on the site began in July 2012 after a housing company bought the land in February 2012.
The only buildings to now remain are the Administration block and the Chapel of St Luke (Grade II Listed).
The site has now been partly developed into a housing estate and there are people now living in the site.
There are plans in place to construct around 600 new homes on the site and also a full conversion of the administration block to be used for residential use.
The Chapel seems to have been left alone since closure and not a lot has been done to it! Some attempts have been made to secure the Chapel but vandals have hit.
The Explore
So after missing the bus on this place (Some 7 years late) we thought it might be worth a little look because of the remaining buildings.
We took the first trip there without doing much research and found ourselves on top of a sparkly new housing estate. We had thought we were lost and started to turn around but i noticed the chapel and also the clock of the admin building and realized we were in the right place! Shit, it looked like people were living here too, but never the less we were determined to see what was left.
So we hopped into the building site and headed for the admin building, which was pretty impressive from the outside but boring inside, i didn't even bother to take my camera out of the car! The contractors had started to develop the inside by putting up wooden boards sectioning off new rooms.
We then headed over to the water tower and we was amazed to see just a huge hole in the ground! A bit shocked, i shined my lenser around and couldn't see anything! I just thought it was because it was hammering it down with rain but it really had gone. (On a side note, if i am being stupid and it's still there someone please let me know!)
We then called it a night and decided to hit the Chapel another day! That day came about 3 weeks later and we were ready, being careful to not alert anyone living in the houses about 2ft away we snuck into the building site and made our way towards the chapel. Assuming it was going to be sealed shut we didn't have much hopes, but to our amazement one of the doors was swinging in the wind. Result!
The place has unfortunately been trashed and the beautiful organ has been smashed up a bit.
Now onto the pics, i was feeling really lazy and didn't really photograph much but what i did get came out ok-ish! Torches were a little bait considering it's a stones throw from houses but this didn't stop my torch happy friend @DRZ_Explorer who lit the place up like a firework show!
First pic isn't mine but i wanted to show you what it looked like in its hey day.
Enjoy.
Explored with DRZ_Explorer.
