We recently embarked on a roadtrip across Scotland, focused on abandoned asylums and other hospitals. We photographed a total of eight, six of those being former asylums. The variations and similarities in their architecture was most interesting, with changes to asylum design being apparent. This varied from the streamlined design of the Georgian Royal Murray…
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Lennox Castle Hospital lies in ruins in Lennoxtown, north of Glasgow. The large three-story building was designed by architect David Hamilton in 1837, not as a hospital but as a grand castle. The neo-Norman style building took four years to complete and featured a five storey-high tower. The building remained as a home until the…
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The Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, south Glasgow, is one of the cities main hospitals and has existed since 1786 when it opened as a general dispensary. The current, modern hospital building was officially opened in 1988 by Princess Alexandra which saw the previous building close. The previous hospital was designed by the Paisley architect…
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Lancaster was the fourth county to establish an asylum following the 1808 County Asylums Act and a site to the west of the town at Lancaster was chosen, on the edge of Lancaster Moor. The hospital expanded throughout the next century and at the turn of the 1900’s new villas were added, including the Ladies…
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Located near the village of Dailly on the western coast of Scotland, Dalquharran Castle is a category A listed building which was completed in 1790. Two castles actually exist on the site, an older one which was abandoned in the 19th Century and this one which was in use until the 1960’s. The estate, including…
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Grain Fort was constructed in the 1860s to defend the mouth of the River Medway and Thames against the threat of French naval attack. It was designed to support both Grain Tower out at sea, built from 1848-55, and Garrison Point Fort at Sheerness. It was altered and upgraded during proceeding conflicts, including the First…
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Sutton Hospital opened as a cottage hospital in 1899, split across two semi-detached houses with just 6 beds between them. Just 3 years later it was moved to a new site with 12 beds across 4 wards and in 1930 moved again to its current location, which was named Sutton and Cheam District Hospital. As…
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Also known as ‘Curtis & Harvey’s Explosive Factory’ this massive site feels somewhat like the Wild West and is accompanied by loads of sheep. It covers an enormous area of the southern Thames Estuary once threatened by Boris Johnson’s plans for an airport, but now remains as a private farm known for its historical significance….
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Established in 2012, the Slough Fort Preservation Trust (SFPT) was formed from a group of volunteers who all had an interest in history, and the fort. Forming a trust, the group work tirelessly to care for the fort by maintaining it and restoring it to become a public museum. In 2016, Beyond the Point attended…
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St Martin’s Hospital in Kent has been described as being “truly remnant of the asylums of the early nineteen hundreds” and walking around this 129 year old building you can see why. With Victorian corridors spanning tens of metres and old wards with the original sashed windows, this building has reached the end of its…
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