Hellingleeeeeee, or is it Hellinglie? Of course the locals will tell you the later. Visited this place twice in space of a month or so. First time a full day roam with Fiendicus, Lula, Sinnerman & Highriselights. Security seemed to have gone at this point which was kinda pointless as the place was absolutely trashed to an inch of its life. However despite being so trashed it still seemed so much more enjoyable than a comparitable level of trashed at, say, Cherry Knowle. Work had me not too far from here shortly after the first visit and finishing early I stopped by for another quick explore - the second time mainly focused on Park House which was an acute villa outside of the main compact arrow. Treating acute patients it still had the remains of the frame of a padded cell.
History:
Originally known as the East Sussex County Asylum, Hellingly Hospital lies on the hills of East Sussex just outside Hailsham. The complex was built on 400 acres of land that was formally the Park Farm near Hellingly Village. The East Sussex County constructed their own Asylum after they ended their joint ownership of the First Sussex County Asylum, St Francis, in Haywards Heath. St Francis was subsequently owned and operated by the Brighton Borough Authority. Concurrently, the West Sussex County constructed a similar complex at Graylingwell Farm in Chichester.
In order to construct their Asylum, East Sussex purchased 400 acres of land known as Park Farm from the earl of Chichester for £16,000. Hellingly Hospital was to be one of the most advanced Asylum designs of its time and was designed by the prominent architect George Thomas Hine, Consultant Architect to the Lunacy Commissioners. Planning for the building began in 1898 and GT Hine designed the hospital in his trade mark compact arrow form, with the male wards to the west of the site. An Acute Hospital, known as Park House, was built on the site and designed to hold approximately 15% of the total patient population. A number of villas and a separate isolation hospital were also constructed on the grounds. The buildings opened on July 20th, 1903, with a final cost of £353,400. Hellingly was to become a very large hospital, accommodating just under 2000 patients at its peak. The hospital finally closed its doors 1994 and has lain abandoned and derelict since. In mid-2010, work started to clear the site and develop the land into a housing estate, the chapel, villas and a small section of the main building were retained and converted.
Pics:
History:
Originally known as the East Sussex County Asylum, Hellingly Hospital lies on the hills of East Sussex just outside Hailsham. The complex was built on 400 acres of land that was formally the Park Farm near Hellingly Village. The East Sussex County constructed their own Asylum after they ended their joint ownership of the First Sussex County Asylum, St Francis, in Haywards Heath. St Francis was subsequently owned and operated by the Brighton Borough Authority. Concurrently, the West Sussex County constructed a similar complex at Graylingwell Farm in Chichester.
In order to construct their Asylum, East Sussex purchased 400 acres of land known as Park Farm from the earl of Chichester for £16,000. Hellingly Hospital was to be one of the most advanced Asylum designs of its time and was designed by the prominent architect George Thomas Hine, Consultant Architect to the Lunacy Commissioners. Planning for the building began in 1898 and GT Hine designed the hospital in his trade mark compact arrow form, with the male wards to the west of the site. An Acute Hospital, known as Park House, was built on the site and designed to hold approximately 15% of the total patient population. A number of villas and a separate isolation hospital were also constructed on the grounds. The buildings opened on July 20th, 1903, with a final cost of £353,400. Hellingly was to become a very large hospital, accommodating just under 2000 patients at its peak. The hospital finally closed its doors 1994 and has lain abandoned and derelict since. In mid-2010, work started to clear the site and develop the land into a housing estate, the chapel, villas and a small section of the main building were retained and converted.
Pics: