Information - The Asylum List - 2018

[samla89]

Did any of these asylums have anti suicide grills on the stairs? Looked through several reports of the big abandoned asylums (cane hill, high royds, west park, mid wales, denbigh etc) and none of them appeared to have this feature. Seems quite odd to me

 

[zombizza]

Did any of these asylums have anti suicide grills on the stairs? Looked through several reports of the big abandoned asylums (cane hill, high royds, west park, mid wales, denbigh etc) and none of them appeared to have this feature. Seems quite odd to me

The ones I visited all had staircases with quarter turns and no obvious drop to launch onse self down due to the structure. St Bernards did have such cages on the outside fire escapes though.

 

[mookster]

Stratheden also has caged fire escapes if I remember correct. Most staircases in asylums I've seen were enclosed and not open, the exception being in the admin blocks.

 

[samla89]

The ones I visited all had staircases with quarter turns and no obvious drop to launch onse self down due to the structure. St Bernards did have such cages on the outside fire escapes though.

Denbigh had caged fire escapes and glass panes on the inside stairs now that I remember. Mid Wales however looked to have open staircases

 

[raisinwing]

St George's in Stafford had them on the main internal staircase.

 

[Brewtal]

Did any of these asylums have anti suicide grills on the stairs? Looked through several reports of the big abandoned asylums (cane hill, high royds, west park, mid wales, denbigh etc) and none of them appeared to have this feature. Seems quite odd to me

Yes, some of them do.

 

[tumbles]

Did any of these asylums have anti suicide grills on the stairs? Looked through several reports of the big abandoned asylums (cane hill, high royds, west park, mid wales, denbigh etc) and none of them appeared to have this feature. Seems quite odd to me

A lot of them tended to only be 2 story wards at best. But think people above have highlighted a few. The outdoor bits at Stratheden are a great example you can still see to this day as Brewtal mentions

 

[samla89]

Yes, some of them do.

Which asylum is this from?

 

[samla89]

St George's in Stafford had them on the main internal staircase.

So it did! Looked at some pics, classic style!

 

[Pammyj]

Stratheden also has caged fire escapes if I remember correct. Most staircases in asylums I've seen were enclosed and not open, the exception being in the admin blocks.

You are correct stratheden does have caged fire escapes.

 

[samla89]

Stratheden also has caged fire escapes if I remember correct. Most staircases in asylums I've seen were enclosed and not open, the exception being in the admin blocks.

Purpose built asylums seem to mostly have enclosed staircases, while buildings that became psychiatric hospitals later have grills on the indoor stairs

 

[mookster]

Purpose built asylums seem to mostly have enclosed staircases, while buildings that became psychiatric hospitals later have grills on the indoor stairs

It tended to depend on the architect. For instance I believe all of G. T. Hine's asylums had enclosed staircases, both through safety and the limitations of whatever budget he was constrained by from the council of the time as well as to maintain a sense of consistency across his buildings.