Severalls Hospital: UK 2012/2013

Severalls Hospital was built in in 1910 and opened in 1913.

The design by architect Frank Whitmore was based on the Echelon plan. The whole site was arranged so all buildings were in within easy reach of each other by a network of interconnecting corridors to save staff going outside in bad weather. The instantly recognisable corridors are definitely a highlight of this large abandoned hospital.

Construction continued on the site until 1935 and by the end there was capacity for 2000 patients who were separated by gender on this 300 acre site.

Experimentation of new treatments was common practice at Severalls. Psychiatrists using such techniques such as frontal lobotomy and electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). This ended in the 1960s due to a change in management and social acceptance. Much more humain therapy programs were introduced like art and music therapy.

Psychiatric treatments stopped at Severaalls in the early 1990s and most of the hospital closed. Just a small part remained open caring for elderly patients which eventually ceased operation in 1997.

There is a lot of development going on around the site and some of the buildings have been demolished. I am unsure if any of the original buildings will remain at the site after the project has been completed.