West Park is the eleventh and last great insane's hospital deserving London. Located in Epsom, it was built between 1912 and 1914 and opened in 1921.
This asylum was a real independent village. Isolated in the greater London suburbs, it accommodated up to 2000 patients in the 1960's.
The hospital is built on a model imported from the USA: lot of smaller buildings, mainly patient wards, all connected together through closed corridors crossing the gardens to prevent any escape attempt.
"Care in the Community": this Margaret Thatcher's policy marked the closing down of many asylums all over the country.
Many patients were set free and allowed to go back home, or wherever they may go.
West Park Mental Institute was one of them, and from 2000 patients in the 60's, the hospital emptied little by little, to definitely close its doors mid of the 1990's.
The abandoned asylum was then only visited by nostalgic patients, urban explorers.
But unfortunately also by vandals and arsonists. The great theatre burnt in 2002...
Early 2006, the last not used hospital belonging to the famous Epsom cluster is being reconverted into "affordable houses".
Hi, I live close to the site. It is nearly all gone, and there are now a few hundred new houses there. There is also a small modern hospital still in use. There really isn't anything to see apart from a few original buildings but even these have been, or are being converted into residential property.
There is a heavy presence of construction workers on site and also many residents. If you're coming from any distance then it's probably not worth the effort. Unless you like building sites of course! It's a great shame as I have lived around the area all my life but only became aware of the site well after redevelopment work had begun.
Luckily, lots of people got there before any work began, so there are hundreds of fascinating photos on the internet.
Hi guys has any1 been here recently as would love to explore it but don't want 2 travel if been knocked down
Hey I live in the town of Hinchley Wood, about 8 miles from this site. First time urban explorer, want to go check this out. Anyone know what its current status is like? Security? Dogs? Gates? Thanks
Thanks Amy for the precious information. I was hoping to get in the complex too but won't travel there if I can't have access.
i went to west park on the 10th of may and was unable to go in. there were huge fences around the entire complex as it is now being pulled down which sucked because these buildings are beautiful. its sucha shame all that istory is being destroyed to make boaring generic houses. we asked a builder if we could go in and look at some of the buildings which were not yet being pulled down. and were told no it was not safe. still we walked around the outside of the fence and could see in some windows. we could see one building that was full of filing cabinates, with the files still in them. i was so gutted we could not get to them to have a look. then further around the complex was a huge pile of twisted metel which we could make out as bed frames and wheel chairs. beautiful sites and buildings even from out side a wire fence.
Does anyone know of any abandoned buildings that are accessible in the Oxfordshire area? I'm looking to get some pictures for a project I am working on. Let me know?
Yeah its still there, but only just. Its currently being demolished but there is still alot left to walk around. Your best bet is to go on a sunday to avoid builders.
me and my friend wanted to walk up there and take some pictures do you know if they've demolished it yet? It would totally suck if its gone now :/ and if so does anyone know any other places to do urban exploration that are very close to london?
After having a look at Hollywood Lodge, I decided to walk up to West Park Mental Hospital with my camera in hand. Unfortunately I got stopped at the security checkpoint (for the builders?) and was told I couldn't take any pictures which was irritating because I'd walked up from my flat near Epsom high street mainly for the Asylum. I'm not sure whether they've started building or demolishing yet because I couldn't see very far down the road but if it's still standing, is there another way into the building?
Hi, i mentioned earlier that demolision aint happening until the St Ebbas site is finished, just head from where i work part time that development upon West park is due to start at the beggining of next year. So unfortunately this fascinating site doesnt have much time left, work is being carried out by the same developers at St ebbas (Elements). So more than likely water tower, admin and a few wards will be spared.
Went there yesterday with loads of friends but some stupid fun ruining residents saw us and called the police, we got in, saw police cars, ran away, played a game of what seemed like cops and robbers but then they threatened us wth the dogs so had to hand ourselves in. It was sooo fun though, turns out police arent allowed on the site just dogs :L .. Was a good site and the buildings and mental chairs left were good, just got caught beacsue security is so high now.. no more point trying there.
went hellingly last nite and its pretty fucked in there every thing is destroed, water tower is still acessable which is rare, but hard to get to the wood around it are so dense and were not amatures trust me, but we got there in the end and im glad to say ive been but wasnt what i thought it was gona be, will go back and do it all and gota go back to west park again to rip that 1 2, sadie severalls is in colchester and it defently the best look it up
Shit man that dont sound to good lol i tripped over that was the worst thats happened to me felt luke a right idiot i hurt my knee haha. Theres boards inside to, not alot though theyve been taken down so u can basicly roam around, i havnt been since i was like 16/17 and im 20 now lol u can see the tower from like...basicly ages away haha if i go there anytime soon or i know anyone going soon il let u know what the plans for demolition are! I know its stupid but if u have facebook join a group on there lol i really wish i could of gone to cane hill it looked so good to visit! Where abouts is severalls?
nice one, ill be carfull coz im paranoid now as i went thro a floor at severalls asylum and busted my self lol, fractured my tooth and it hurt but shit happens and it teaches u to be carefull next time i spose lol, me own fault, so theres boardes inside then ?? ive heard its being knocked down to thats why i never went before, as im 80 odd miles away, but im coming now lol, gota be the best looking one left even tho my favorite is always gona be severalls
Also mates told me they drove right up b the building past security, they didnt check em out either until when they left an got near the village after explorin the building...when u go ul know what i mean coz theres a village and u go up a road to the hospital. Like a sacluded area
Its pretty much boarded up all over but there are some windows that have had the boards removed unoticed by security. Theres a dog van but never seen or heard any dogs when iv gone. Iv also seen on other sites that hellingly is being demolited at the moment...load of crap lol its still there people are still getting in lol i need to go again to!! By the if ur planning to go again be very careful apparently the wholes in the floors are more unsteady and bigger. So be careful
thanks sadie, do u no if its boarded like west park coz its all inside 2?? even tho ill still get in lol, defently gona try very soon 2 not miss it,....
Hey dude hellingly is right near me, havnt been in a few years but iv heard the security is really tight, but cant be too sure, i have mates who still go and can get inside so bet chance is to just go round thr back where a burnt car is, theres a window u go in and somebody has left a pillow to fall on lol its a good place part from ppl have ruined the majority of it so iv heard!! Its still standing though!
i went west park last nite and was supprized to find no fence to stop u getting in the grounds just a 5ft wooden fence with holes everywere in it, its inviting u in, couldnt be rude and say no lol , but once in we found nothing but boards on all the windows on the ground floor, so we walked around it till we came to a vent in the wall and just pulled it out and straight in, sweet, i was amazed to still find wheel chairs, beds, curtains, coats hanging up etc. deffently had a weird ery feel to it and the smell in the front building was horrible, never forget that smell, we walked the long black corridiors and did about half of the asylum, if ur persisdent ur get in and into the building at the end of the corridiors as there all boarded inside 2, but when there a will theres a way ay lol will go back to see more next time as we only went just to see if its still possible to get in and explore, and it is so sweet, but the best asylum ive been 2 is defently severalls in colchester, easy to get in and no boards and every door is unlocked as they removed all the locks, and its easily the biggest asylum left in england, only west park and cherry knowles comes close, so anyone whos intreasted deffently take a look at severalls u wont be dissaponted, plus severalls underground walk ways are sumthing else they go the hole length of the asylum, gutted i missed cane hill and hellingly, ? is there anything left at hellingly does any one no plz ?
Visited here yesterday, what an amazing place. Have been many times before but without my camera as I have a friend who was a patient in another part many years ago. We went for a good explore and took many pictures. We didnt enter any buildings and didnt plan to and the security guard was quite happy with that.
Love this place. Have been going regularly over the last couple of months. Was an instant explore until about three months ago when the security upped and the boarding started. Love reading all these comments suggesting the security guards have dogs and demolition is about to occur - urm no.
Found out about this place recently. Live quite local to it so i went for a drive around the grounds. god its eerie. Then i found the admin block..........very creepy. Amazing when you think that there were five of these in epsom at one point. All now housing estates, with some of the origional buildings now flats!!!! Heard rumors about demolition....sadly now St Ebbas is almost demolished. Crest Nicholson the developers are building on St. Ebbas, which is due to take about 2-3 years. I'd say about 25% complete at the moment, so they may not start demolision at West Park until their nearly finished with that, as West Park now belongs to Crest Nicholson.
I went there yesterday. they've sercured alot of the building. after hunting round for an hour we found a tunnel guarded by a gate with a gap big enough to squeeze through, but it was pitch black and we only had flash guns to light the way. so I'm not sure if you can get in there. That was near the admin building. we did see a fence that you could possibly get over to get in but we could try it because 2 members of our group, who were trying to get in another way, accidently smashed a window and got escorted off the premises. I spoke to a guy there who said it's going to be flattened pretty soon.
Ive been to hellingly few years ago, obviously to late in going to cane hill which is a right piss take so have west park to visit!! Anyobe know if theres any future demolition or whatever planned on this site so i make it befor?? And whats the security like round there as hellingly has increased theres quite alot in the past few years!! Even though its still easy to get in when u know how lol anyway yeah somebody help!!
me and 2 mates went there (west park) two saturdays ago we walked past front up a muddy path in the rain through a hole, through the main front garden and stopped by the main admin building, we heard some whistling and someone sawing wood from the front building after decided not to turn around we went all the way round to the left following the building through creppy garden round to the back walkways to an opening and once inside explored 1/4 of the buldings up to the main burned out hall (once inside it didnt feel creepy) we also went into the building where we heard the whistling and sawing and guess what nothing completly empty, very strange ! ! ! we had google earth running on a mobile which helped alot in finding where on the site we were only thing to watch out for is the site up from the main hall is active with contractors taking down the building and is also waterlogged, one of the walkways has started to be blocked up with cinderblocks. There is a lot of damage inside and is obvious of kids messing around there but kids will be kids and I wished i took my video camera instead of leaving it in the car(it was very wet and raining dint fancy running with a camera down my sleeve ) This building was fucking amazing to walk round and i wish to go back about dusk time to catch some good pics/videos and have no intention of smashing up a wonderfull building and also took great care walking around(asbestos warnings and nearly collapsable floors)
My friend who took me there has been to Hellinly lots of times b4 security was there and also has been to Caine hill with its 10ft fence round the whole site where he had a good 30 min convosation with security (nothing bad just a chat) its a shame places like this with lots of heritage,victorian/gothic archetect are being demolished (all 3 caine hill,hellingly and west park built by the same person)
I now want to see some more places like this(there used to be an abondened mansion in Worthing(we called it the white house) but that has been leveled
but most places like this only exist up north now, the 3 mental asylums were the last great abonaded place left down south
good luck with whatever u do and take care x
ps any security who reads this if u bump into me or i bump into u plz keep ur dog under control im not going to mug u or ataack u or cause a nusiance im just intrested in these sites and will respect your desision if told to get the fuck off our property
I know I've been to a few abandoned psych centers in New York and I have found the blueprints lying around in either the attic or in a random office. Ya never know, the blueprints might just be inside the building!
The 'blueprints' in the photo on this page, can be seen in the car parks around West Park. Also on Flickr groups. If you want actual blueprints, you need to speak to Surrey Council, who hold all records.
Hi how can i get hold of the blueprints for West Park or any of the "Epsom cluster hospitals" Thanks
again does anyone know how i can get my hands on the westpark hospital blueprints
I love exploring old mental asylums with my partner in crime Rooney and have been to many, except this place! 2 questions......... does anyone know where i can find a copy of the blue prints for West Park Mental Asylum and does anyone know any abandoned places that are haunted in Britain? Cheers P.S - Love the site!
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