Denbigh Mental asylum

History

The North Wales Lunatic Asylum was the first psychiatric institution built in Wales; construction began in 1844 and completed in 1848 in the town of Denbigh. The U-shaped Tudorbethain style hospital was built due 

to the spreading word of mistreatment of Welsh people in English asylums; The North Wales Hospital would be a haven for welsh speaking residents to seek treatment without prejudice or a language barrier.

Renovations and extensions were made at the hospital from 1867 until 1956, when the hospital reached its maximum capacity at 1,500 patients living inside her walls and 1,000 staff at hand. Physical treatments such as Cardiazol, malarial treatment, insulin shock treatment, and sulphur based drugs were used and developed in the 1920s and 1930s, and 1941-1942 saw the advent of electro convulsive therapy (ECT) and prefrontal leucotomy (lobotomy) treatments. 

In 1960, Enoch Powell visited the North Wales Hospital, and later announced the "Hospital Plan" for England and Wales, which proposed that psychiatric care facilities be attached to general hospitals and favoured community care over institutional settings. This was the beginning of the end for the North Wales Hospital and others like it; in 1987 a ten year strategy to close the hospital was formed. The North Wales Hospital was closed in sections from 1991 to 2002; most notable was the closure of the main hospital building in 1995.

On July 12, 2004, The Prince of Wales visited the hospital and administered a speech detailing his Phoenix Trust, a historic building trust that prevented the structure from being demolished. The hospital is currently slated to be converted into private homes. Asbestos removal started in October 2008. Also in 2008 there was a paranormal investigation run over a week by the television show Most Haunted the show got bad reviews after some remarks from the television crew and hosts. A few weeks after the show was broadcasted the main hall was burned down. The site now as of 2010 has stood abandoned for eight years.

Explore

Visited May 2010

Got to Denbigh about nine at night after an eventful time packing the car and other things, by the time We got there and decided on the location to set up the camp it was virtually dark and setting up the tents wasn’t much fun.  But when the tents were out and the fire was roaring and barbeques nicely cooking and the ever so important beer was flowing the mood in camp was brilliant.

Waking up at around half seven in the morning hung over and freezing cold to find the local sheep outside the tents was an experience to say the least. So We had breakfast and put the camping gear back in the car and mapped the best way into the hospital.

Wow what a place Denbigh Hospital is its absolutely huge, We were there over six hours exploring the building and still didn’t manage to complete it all. Some of the rooms are beautiful and some are suicide if You step in the wrong place. There are loads of things to see old relics of the hospitals former glory, files on the patients even a morgue and church. Denbigh Hospital is a wonderful and beautiful place full of character even in the state it’s in now, and is a must for any fellow Urban Explorers.