Whitchurch Hospital

Whitchurch Psychiatric Hospital opened in 1908, after a long ten year construction. The site itself is set over 5 acres of ground, and could treat up to 750 patients. Some of these being permanent patients, whom would live out their lives on the site. Because of this the site was quite self-sufficient, having a bakers, butchers and two fields dedicated to crop growing and the raising of livestock. (Patients were often encouraged to take a role as part of their treatment). Patients were treated for a variety of psychological conditions, varying from Mania to Moral Imbecility (women having children out of wedlock), masturbatory insanity and many forms of Schizophrenia.

The first medical superintendent was Dr Goodall, whom championed the idea that all mental illness was the result of physical issues, that caused changes to the brain. Finding these causes therein would result in a cure. For example, Mosquitoes were used to induce malaria, which raised the patients body temperature, potentially killing the parasite that caused syphilis. (Known as the paralysis of the insane)
Elaine Paton, whom both parents and herself were treated at Whitchurch Hospital for depression is quoted as saying; "Edwin Goodall helped change the attitude - from locking people up in Victorian institutions, to trying to get them better during Edwardian times."

Elaine Paton was also the Artistic Director for the play Memento(s) that took place in the hospital after its closure in April 2016. The main reason for closure seems to be the date of the building, a lot of patients were being transferred to new, updated hospitals, more equipped for their needs. The site has planning permission for 150 houses and 180 flats, provisionally agreed as far back as 2001. It's unclear if these will go ahead.

This was a very exciting explore for ourselves, our first visit to a hospital. We meet quite a few other explorers in our journeys, it is quite a popular spot at the moment. A lot of the equipment has been stripped from the hospital, and only a few Hydro Baths and fittings remain. We spent a few hours on site, and still did not explore every room and corridor the site had to offer.