THE HISTORY
Cefn Coed Hospital was one of the very last purpose-built hospitals, to treat Mental Health patients.
It was opened by the daughter of King George V, the Princess Royal in December 1932 and today, in new buildings on the same site, it still serves the population of Swansea and wider.
The hospitals, then known as ‘Asylums’ were built to serve as a tranquil retreat for people within the county who were unable to pay for their treatment.
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 County Asylum Act 1845 made it compulsory for all counties to build an Asylum.
Their purpose was to provide safety for both patients and the local community by keeping the two separate, but also offered a large means of employment for local people.
Before the 19th Century, care was paid for by charitable bodies. Patients, or ‘lunatics’ as they were called then, were housed in Workhouses or within private ‘Madhouses’.
This often led to the mistreatment of many ‘lunatics’ as there was little understanding of their condition and due to over-crowding, lunatics may have been shackled in the early madhouses.
In Swansea, it took a long time for a suitable site to be found; Townhill was thought to be the best site until 1908, when Cefn Coed site was chosen.
The foundations were laid, but due to the Great War 1914-1918, there was a lack of labour and materials and the building was halted.
Building work restarted in 1928; it was reported that the queue for daily employment on the site stretched down almost as far as Gors Avenue.
The first 250 patients to the new ‘Swansea Mental Hospital’ were transferred from other hospitals far afield including Talgarth Hospital, some 55 miles from Swansea.
Besides the mentally ill, at first Cefn Coed also accommodated persons with learning disabilities, who needed permanent care.
In 2009, work started to build modern replacement mental health accommodation and facilities which saw the phased closure of the original hospital buildings in 2015.
THE EXPLORE
After a busy weekend in south Wales, I headed here as my last stop of a 3 day trip.
A few cars dotted around the rear carpark, but overall pretty quiet, I made my way to the proposed access (very fun indeed)
The decay in here is lovely and very little graffiti made for a very splendid explore indeed.
Unfortunately one of my friends didn't fancy to climb in so time spent exploring was limited, as not to leave him alone for too long.
a revisit will defiantly happen soon.
ON TO THE PICTURES
Cefn Coed Hospital was one of the very last purpose-built hospitals, to treat Mental Health patients.
It was opened by the daughter of King George V, the Princess Royal in December 1932 and today, in new buildings on the same site, it still serves the population of Swansea and wider.
The hospitals, then known as ‘Asylums’ were built to serve as a tranquil retreat for people within the county who were unable to pay for their treatment.
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 County Asylum Act 1845 made it compulsory for all counties to build an Asylum.
Their purpose was to provide safety for both patients and the local community by keeping the two separate, but also offered a large means of employment for local people.
Before the 19th Century, care was paid for by charitable bodies. Patients, or ‘lunatics’ as they were called then, were housed in Workhouses or within private ‘Madhouses’.
This often led to the mistreatment of many ‘lunatics’ as there was little understanding of their condition and due to over-crowding, lunatics may have been shackled in the early madhouses.
In Swansea, it took a long time for a suitable site to be found; Townhill was thought to be the best site until 1908, when Cefn Coed site was chosen.
The foundations were laid, but due to the Great War 1914-1918, there was a lack of labour and materials and the building was halted.
Building work restarted in 1928; it was reported that the queue for daily employment on the site stretched down almost as far as Gors Avenue.
The first 250 patients to the new ‘Swansea Mental Hospital’ were transferred from other hospitals far afield including Talgarth Hospital, some 55 miles from Swansea.
Besides the mentally ill, at first Cefn Coed also accommodated persons with learning disabilities, who needed permanent care.
In 2009, work started to build modern replacement mental health accommodation and facilities which saw the phased closure of the original hospital buildings in 2015.
THE EXPLORE
After a busy weekend in south Wales, I headed here as my last stop of a 3 day trip.
A few cars dotted around the rear carpark, but overall pretty quiet, I made my way to the proposed access (very fun indeed)
The decay in here is lovely and very little graffiti made for a very splendid explore indeed.
Unfortunately one of my friends didn't fancy to climb in so time spent exploring was limited, as not to leave him alone for too long.
a revisit will defiantly happen soon.
ON TO THE PICTURES
THANKS FOR LOOKING
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