Sunday, September 20, 2009

Victorian Era Asylum Nursery - UK

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Mental Asylum Nursery - London

© JP Godwin - Photographer

This is a picture from the children's nursery of a derelict mental asylum. The mental asylum has been derelict for decades, but most of it is in excellent condition, it was one of London's last great Victorian mental asylums, and was completed in 1903. The derelict complex is guarded by security, and strictly, nobody is allowed casual entry.

The children's ward, located inside the same building as the padded cells, housed those born while their mothers were behind the walls of the asylum. The room is actually just a converted prison cell.

The asylum is massive, around 100,000 sq ft, and walking around it is a nerve testing experience. You leave with images that stay in your mind for days. I've visited seven times and have documented most of the rooms inside the 20 large buildings that make up the complex. From the mortuary, to the padded cells, to the dentists operating room, everything remains almost as the same as the day it was left. — JPG