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London County Asylum
Claybury Hospital
Other names: Claybury asylum
Date founded: 1887
Date of Opening: 16th May 1893 (first patients admitted)
Date of Final Closure: 1997
Location: Woodford Bridge nr. Chigwell, Essex
Architect: George Thomas Hine
H.B. Horner (1964 - Campbell Centre) Layout: Compact Arrow Plan
Date of images: August - November 2004
Historical and development summary:
Originally planned as a Middlesex county asylum, planning and development for the Claybury site had been in progress for some time prior to the local government reorganisations.
As London grew, pressure of space at the existing three Middlesex asylums, despite expansion could no longer support the pressure of overcrowding. Claybury Hall, built in 1796, were purchased at Woodford Bridge and competition for designs for the new asylum was one by Nottingham architect, George Hine. Hine's design for Claybury pioneered the compact arrow plan, adapting and incorporating the components of the entire asylum complex on logical and accessible layout, concentrated over a smaller site than had been achieved effectively before. The existing mansion was also retained and extended for the use of private, fee paying patients.
The main entrance was sited to the north, on Manor road, with decorative gates and pillars and flanked by lodges. From here a drive led to via the woods to the official entrance and administration, with a branch providing service access to the working areas. At the southern tip of the main complex was placed the chapel, with superintendent's residence to the east and administrative department west. The central section heading north comprised of recreation hall, water tower, kitchens, stores, laundry, boiler house and works department. Framing these areas on either side stood the patient accomodation, which consisted of individual ward blocks of two and three storeys, specifically designed for a different criteria of illness and capabilities and identified by letters. A single storey isolation hospital, later known as Willow house, was placed to the north east of the complex for the segregation of patients with infectious diseases. On the lowest part of the site to the south east, adjoining Tomswood Hill, was located the asylum farm and gas works.
Under the Middlesex justices, the asylum was to be built to a high specification and in principal areas such stained glass windows and decorative and intricate ceilings indicated the pride with which the asylum had been provided. The exteriors, much akin to Hine's previous asylum work at the Nottingham borough asylum featured red brick, multipled-paned sash windows, white concrete lintels or mullions on the principal buildings and grey welsh slate rooves with distinctive roof caps above bays and small louvred ventilation towers. The grounds and airing courts were attractively landscaped and featured attractive shelters for patients.
With the transfer to the newly formed London county council, the work was completed and within three years the asylum reached a total capacity of 2,500 patients. The London county council was, however, unimpressed with the grandeur of the building and the costs incurred, but were not in a position to economise as work has progressed sufficiently to make this difficult. The LCC's attitude to frivolity in design was however expressed in the more restrained nature of the later asylums and temorary buildings provided elsewhere by them ensuring Claybury would remain the flagship institution.
Aside from it's ground breaking design, Claybury also provided one of the first asylum laboratories. Early investigation into the pathology of mental illness and physiology of the brain were to provide valuable research and insight into the causes of insanity.
Although London continued to increase in size, the development of the asylums at the Horton estate, Epsom, meant expansion was rarely necessary, because as the new institutions were created, the pressure for space was relieveed on the existing asylums. Few new building projects at Claybury took place until 1928-30 with the provision of admission and treatment facilities (later Forest House), new operating theatre and a nurse's home.
Following the transfer to the National health service in 1948, Claybury was the principal mental hospital serving the north-west London area. Patient services were further expanded with the addition of the Campbell social centre in 1964 and a nurse training school, flats and residences on Tomswood road improved facilities for staff in the 1970's. Sectorisation led to the reorganisation of patient accomodation, providing mixed gender wards and abolishing the division between male and female areas of the hospital.
During the 1980's both Claybury and Friern, the two largest mental hospitals serving North London, were targetted for resettlement and closure. Laundering facilities were put out to tender in 1988, leading to the removal of this service from the site and closure of the laundry. As fewer patients remained, services were concentrated toward the south of the main complex and the more distant buildings became closed and disused. Claybury Hall was maintained as Trust headquarters. On closure, the site was briefly unoccupied prior to it's sale for housing development.
Current status:
The site of the hospital has now been redeveloped for private residential use. As the main complex was listed Grade II, the majority of the buildings have been retained and converted for housing or associated purposes, although the central services area, laundry and workers residence and some patients blocks to the northern aspect have been demolished. The landmark water tower was retained and converted to one dwelling spread over six floors, the neighbouring recreation hall and chapel being converted to gymnasium and swimming pool respectively. Claybury Hall has been restored and converted to residences, as have both lodges. None of the newer buildings, isolation hospital, farm or gas works have survived redevelopment and are replaced by new houses. The main bulk of the site is now a gated community with limited public access.
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Main Gate and West Lodge
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Main Gate and East Lodge
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Gate Pillar and Crest of the London County Council |
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Driveway |
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Approach to Administration Block |
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