I cover a lot of miles travelling to car shows every year and have always wanted to tie a bit of exploring in with it but never found time before. Last weekend however, while down in Northampton for Retro Show at Santa Pod, me and a mate managed to get over to the village of Duston and check out St Crispin’s.
Building of St Crispin’s psychiatric hospital commenced in 1873 and in 1876, it opened as Berrywood Asylum. It was designed by Robert Griffiths whom we also thank for Hereford County and City Lunatic Asylum (St Mary’s Hospital, Burghill), Cheshire County Asylum (Parkside Hospital, Macclesfield) and Stafford County Lunatic Asylum (St George’s Hospital, Stafford) amongst other architectural beauties. Following the second world war, ownership passed to the NHS who renamed the site. The hospital closed for good in 1995 and has lain derelict since with the usual threats of demolition, promises of development, bits of building work and plenty of vandalism all befalling it.
We weren’t dressed for an explore as we only really went for a quick look round the outside to see if it was do-able and with my mate’s girlfriend waiting outside, we didn’t have much time to play with. Unfortunately for her, I can’t resist a clock tower! So in we went, looking mighty fine in t-shirts, trainers, shorts and aviators!
Scaling this ladder, past the water tank...
...lead to these views...
Up another level...
Where we came across some fascinating marks from workers throughout the years: the engraved initials being my personal favourites.
The next stage was to get up this pitch black climb. The diameter of that pipe (which I'd guess at being 20ft or so long) is little more than the width of my shoulders and I'm not entirely over my claustrophobia.
Still, iPhone acting as torch in one hand I tackled it, coming out on another floor, well and truly carpeted with bird mess. A more flimsy wooden ladder lead off it with daylight at the top. And as it turned out, two pigeon eggs. Glad to have made it to the bell though! You can see the bell is dated 1876...
Looking down on the remains of the fire ravaged main hall.
What I would've given for some gloves, a face mask and some clothes I didn't mind getting all kinds of mess on though!
Building of St Crispin’s psychiatric hospital commenced in 1873 and in 1876, it opened as Berrywood Asylum. It was designed by Robert Griffiths whom we also thank for Hereford County and City Lunatic Asylum (St Mary’s Hospital, Burghill), Cheshire County Asylum (Parkside Hospital, Macclesfield) and Stafford County Lunatic Asylum (St George’s Hospital, Stafford) amongst other architectural beauties. Following the second world war, ownership passed to the NHS who renamed the site. The hospital closed for good in 1995 and has lain derelict since with the usual threats of demolition, promises of development, bits of building work and plenty of vandalism all befalling it.
We weren’t dressed for an explore as we only really went for a quick look round the outside to see if it was do-able and with my mate’s girlfriend waiting outside, we didn’t have much time to play with. Unfortunately for her, I can’t resist a clock tower! So in we went, looking mighty fine in t-shirts, trainers, shorts and aviators!
Scaling this ladder, past the water tank...
...lead to these views...
Up another level...
Where we came across some fascinating marks from workers throughout the years: the engraved initials being my personal favourites.
The next stage was to get up this pitch black climb. The diameter of that pipe (which I'd guess at being 20ft or so long) is little more than the width of my shoulders and I'm not entirely over my claustrophobia.
Still, iPhone acting as torch in one hand I tackled it, coming out on another floor, well and truly carpeted with bird mess. A more flimsy wooden ladder lead off it with daylight at the top. And as it turned out, two pigeon eggs. Glad to have made it to the bell though! You can see the bell is dated 1876...
Looking down on the remains of the fire ravaged main hall.
What I would've given for some gloves, a face mask and some clothes I didn't mind getting all kinds of mess on though!
