Report - Digby Hospital Female Mortuary, Exeter - Jan 2020

[Seffy]

Female Mortuary at the former Digby Hospital, Exeter (City of Exeter Lunatic Asylum)

Some history of the hospital itself, shamelessly stolen from County Asylums:

In addition to the Devonshire County Asylum located to the south of the city, Exeter was also home to a subscription lunatic asylum at St. Thomas’ hospital, Bowhill house, replaced in 1865 by Wonford House Asylum, taking patients across the southwest. However neither institution ensured accommodation for paupers of Exeter.

By the 1880s the City invited designs for a new asylum to be built at Digby. The chosen design was that of local architect, Robert Stark Wilkinson also responsible for the Doulton Co. pottery works at Lambeth. As at Lambeth, Wilkinson made extensive use of decoration, although utilising faience and Queen Anne styling in place of high gothic for Doultons.

The structure comprised of two principal ranges, the northernmost comprising of service areas, administrative facilities and accommodation for the laundry workers. The principal facade to the south overlooked open land and comprised of a series of wards with male and female areas separated by a central recreation hall. At the end of each block was placed a substantial tower, the design and height differing between north and south ranges. Cross passageways linked both ranges and also the superintendent’s residence. A detached chapel and lodge flanked the approached to the administrative block from Woodwater lane. The asylum farm stood to the south east providing occupation for male inmates. The complex opened for admissions in 1886.

Closure took place just after the hospital’s centenary in 1987, the year after Exminster. Early plans for the site anticipated the construction a supermarket and new housing through the site, however the building was Listed Grade II and the building sympathetically converted to housing. The site of the Russell clinic is now occupied by an access road.

The whole site was converted to housing, as mentioned above. That is, with the exception of the two mortuaries. One for male patients and one for female. Sitting at one end of the site, the male mortuary lies empty and neglected. At the other end you have the female mortuary, which whilst being just as neglected, is certainly not empty. Oh no. To find a slab like this is rarer than ever these days, so when one popped up down the road from us how could we not?

This place is the definition of curtain twitchers and nosey dog walkers (who apparently all walk their dogs at antisocial hours) so wasn't as easy as I was hoping. But hey, still had fun. I found it very interesting that the hospital had a mortuary for each gender. Even @tumbles and the County Asylum lot struggled to think of another example of this set up.

Thanks to @END-PROC and @wellingtonian for the fine company.

This was the only photo I got from the entrance section, so apologies that it's a phone pic

Now for some mildly wider angles:

Not bad Exeter.​

 

[Yorrick]

That is totally off the slab mate! Top notch as usual from you guys!

 

[dweeb]

Wow thats a beaut!

 

[mockney reject]

Lovely!!!

 

[tumbles]

Very very nice. Sad not been in good health to see the place but captured it well. I think we’ve got maybe one other example possibly weve seen plans of two mortuaries but it’s hens teeth rare alongside the likes of fire stations (cane hill only from memory) and the odd split gateway lodge.

 

[Camera Shy]

Yep it's corker.

 

[Ojay]

Best pics I've seen of this so far

 

[host]

That’s a cracker.

 

[Cloth Head]

Lovely

 

[DirtyJigsaw]

Me likey! Nice one

 

[raisinwing]

Belting for sure, quality stuff.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Nicely done. Love the old features.

 

[Lenston]

Nice this mate and some good company there.

 

[Brewtal]

Lovely stuff mate!

 

[obscurity]

proper nice that. Good find mate