Report - St John’s Hospital, Bracebridge Heath. March 2019

[Ferox]

We had a look at this spot in the latter half of 2016 with no luck unfortunately. This time round we thankfully got in. Been on the list for a while so was really happy to see it. Very stripped out in here by this visit but with enough left behind to make it interesting and photogenic. I liked the corridors, which are made even better by the cool honey comb effect on the ceilings. Probably the main feature in here I'd say. The main hall was nice also, as they tend to be in these places. Cool to see the cat is still there as well. Visited with Paul.

The hospital was designed by John Hamilton and James Medland in the Italianate style as the Lincolnshire County Lunatic Asylum and opened in 1852. It became Bracebridge Pauper Lunatic Asylum in 1898 and Bracebridge Mental Hospital in 1919. It served as an Emergency Hospital during the Second World War and, having been renamed Bracebridge Heath Hospital in 1939, joined the National Health Service in 1948. It went on to become St John's Hospital, Bracebridge Heath in 1961.
The hospital closed in December 1989 and the site has been sold to a property developer who has built 183 luxury homes and apartments there. The original hospital buildings are classified as Grade II listed buildings.







































Thanks For Looking

St John’s Hospital | Flickr

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nicely done, I never tire of this place

 

[Ferox]

Nicely done, I never tire of this place

Thanks mate. One I was glad to see for sure

 

[Mikeymutt]

Done a nice job there. I really liked it here. Went about seven years ago.

 

[Ferox]

Done a nice job there. I really liked it here. Went about seven years ago.

Thank you Mikey. Round about when we first tried it. Doesn't time fly

 

[HughieD]

Nice one mate. Never tire of this place. Reminds me that I need to go back as I got into a totally different bit and didn't see the main part!

 

[Mikeymutt]

Thank you Mikey. Round about when we first tried it. Doesn't time fly

Yeah far too quickly ha ha.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Quite a few features I like here. The ceiling definitely, but also the old brick glass tiles, and the peeling & the lovely brick walkway with lovely designed walls, windows and iron work. A fav for sure

 

[Ferox]

Nice one mate. Never tire of this place. Reminds me that I need to go back as I got into a totally different bit and didn't see the main part!

Thanks Hughie I'm glad the report has jogged your memory mate. Worth another look for sure.

 

[Ferox]

Quite a few features I like here. The ceiling definitely, but also the old brick glass tiles, and the peeling & the lovely brick walkway with lovely designed walls, windows and iron work. A fav for sure

Yep, the ceiling was really nice. Not something I had seen before. I liked the brick glass as well mate. Here's a pic of some more that was still in there

 

[Calamity Jane]

Yep, the ceiling was really nice. Not something I had seen before. I liked the brick glass as well mate. Here's a pic of some more that was still in there

So 60s/70s great to see. Thanks

 

[Bazza74]

Deffo got that asylum style to it. Very nice report, loving the pics

 

[ASOM]

The honeycomb ceiling was supposed to be a fire retardant. Not sure what the thinking was but presumably it was a bit of a swindle since they'd already stopped installing them by the end of the 1850s. Can also be seen (or could once have been seen) at Colney Hatch and Warley asylums.

 

[Ferox]

Deffo got that asylum style to it. Very nice report, loving the pics

Thank You @Bazza74

The honeycomb ceiling was supposed to be a fire retardant. Not sure what the thinking was but presumably it was a bit of a swindle since they'd already stopped installing them by the end of the 1850s. Can also be seen (or could once have been seen) at Colney Hatch and Warley asylums.

Thanks for the info @ASOM, very interesting. Did not realize that there was other examples in different asylums.

 

[Wally_urbex]

Good report mate nicely done