Thought I'd post this in the noob section as
1) it's my first report since signing back up after a few years out.
2) it's been done to DEATH! and everyone is probably sick of seeing the place.
Aaaaaanyways.
Been out of the game for a fair few years, and my girlfriend seemed interested in all my old exploring pics so thought we'd go out and have a bash. She's proper interested in the healthcare and especially mental health so thought we'd give Whittingham a go.
Drove the 30 odd miles one afternoon this weekend when the weather looked like it was going to be a royal pain, but we persiverred and then the blue skies came out as we approached Whittingham.
The bit everybody will know, the history: (blatant steal off google etc)
The hospital was founded in 1869 and grew to be the largest mental hospital in Britain, and pioneered the use of electroencephalograms (EEGs). During its time it had its own church, farms, railway, telephone exchange, post office, reservoirs, gas works, brewery, orchestra, brass band, ballroom and butchers. It closed in 1995.
In 1866, the three Lancashire lunatic asylums at Prestwich, Rainhill and Lancaster were deemed to be full. Extra accommodation was urgently needed and to this end the building of Whittingham Asylum began in 1869. The hospital was designed by Henry Littler of Manchester, Architect to the Lancashire Asylums Board and built of red brick made from clay dug on site. The buildings followed a plan of multiple quadrangles with inter-connecting corridors radiating from a long axial corridor section
During the 1970s and 1980s, new drugs and therapies were introduced to treat people suffering from mental illnesses. Long-stay patients were returned to the community or dispersed to smaller units around Preston. The hospital closed in 1995. and the site subsequently became known as "Guild Park". In 1999, Guild Lodge was opened on the edge of Guild Park, providing secure mental healthcare services to a small number of patients, followed the next year by purpose-built rehabilitation cottages close by.
We parked the car up and mooched over various fields to the old hospital which could be seen poking through the trees. such a shame to see such a vast site just sat there beyond the trees left to rot.
we wandered around the grounds seeing if there was any access to any of the out houses scattered around the site but to no avail. So we made our way past the water tower towards the main building.
Had a good wander around for a few hours but only managed about %70 as security started doing the rounds so we played cat and mouse with them for a short while as we plotted our exit.
somebody else was there whilst we were there as the fences had all been moved on our way out.
Also does anybody know what the buildings near to the sports centre are? they look older and far worse than the rest of the hospital but are very secure.
few pics (been an absolute age since ive used my dslr so the pics are pretty shocking to be fair.) so apologies, but i thought id just get something up to show im active haha.
1) it's my first report since signing back up after a few years out.
2) it's been done to DEATH! and everyone is probably sick of seeing the place.
Aaaaaanyways.
Been out of the game for a fair few years, and my girlfriend seemed interested in all my old exploring pics so thought we'd go out and have a bash. She's proper interested in the healthcare and especially mental health so thought we'd give Whittingham a go.
Drove the 30 odd miles one afternoon this weekend when the weather looked like it was going to be a royal pain, but we persiverred and then the blue skies came out as we approached Whittingham.
The bit everybody will know, the history: (blatant steal off google etc)
The hospital was founded in 1869 and grew to be the largest mental hospital in Britain, and pioneered the use of electroencephalograms (EEGs). During its time it had its own church, farms, railway, telephone exchange, post office, reservoirs, gas works, brewery, orchestra, brass band, ballroom and butchers. It closed in 1995.
In 1866, the three Lancashire lunatic asylums at Prestwich, Rainhill and Lancaster were deemed to be full. Extra accommodation was urgently needed and to this end the building of Whittingham Asylum began in 1869. The hospital was designed by Henry Littler of Manchester, Architect to the Lancashire Asylums Board and built of red brick made from clay dug on site. The buildings followed a plan of multiple quadrangles with inter-connecting corridors radiating from a long axial corridor section
During the 1970s and 1980s, new drugs and therapies were introduced to treat people suffering from mental illnesses. Long-stay patients were returned to the community or dispersed to smaller units around Preston. The hospital closed in 1995. and the site subsequently became known as "Guild Park". In 1999, Guild Lodge was opened on the edge of Guild Park, providing secure mental healthcare services to a small number of patients, followed the next year by purpose-built rehabilitation cottages close by.
We parked the car up and mooched over various fields to the old hospital which could be seen poking through the trees. such a shame to see such a vast site just sat there beyond the trees left to rot.
we wandered around the grounds seeing if there was any access to any of the out houses scattered around the site but to no avail. So we made our way past the water tower towards the main building.
Had a good wander around for a few hours but only managed about %70 as security started doing the rounds so we played cat and mouse with them for a short while as we plotted our exit.
somebody else was there whilst we were there as the fences had all been moved on our way out.
Also does anybody know what the buildings near to the sports centre are? they look older and far worse than the rest of the hospital but are very secure.
few pics (been an absolute age since ive used my dslr so the pics are pretty shocking to be fair.) so apologies, but i thought id just get something up to show im active haha.
