Hellingly Asylum, or East Sussex County Mental asylum was opened in 1903, another of the asylums to be attributed to the great G.T. Hine, which is evident as soon as you look at the facade of the buildings or the brown tiling in corridors etc. Built in woodlands nearby to Hellingly in the very south of England, the asylum offered retreat and escapism from the world outside, removed entirely from its surroundings by distance, trees and its own rail and supply links to maintain independence.

Built in a compact arrow design and to the fashion of the time the hospital is a sprawling collection of buildings most of which boast stunning exteriors, rooms impressively lit through massive windows which offer stunning vista’s beyond the grounds and what would have been quite the impressive main hall.

1994 saw the closure of the site, like many other asylums in the UK closed in the 1990′s amid sweeping change in the mental care industry, then changed to favour the ‘Care In The Community’ approach to treatment and support.

Sadly the years have not been kind to it and the site is a battered and broken shell of its former self, suffering several arson attacks in the 15 years since its closure and recently a spate of graffiti sadly there isn’t a huge lot left to see at the site, even the great hall has gaping holes in the floor offering to deposit anyone not being careful swiftly into the cellar below.

On with the pictures:

Discarded vacuum in the corridor at Hellingly Hospital

Discarded vacuum in the corridor at Hellingly Hospital

Treatment chair at Hellingly Hospital

Treatment chair at Hellingly Hospital

Rotting bathroom at Hellingly Hospital

Rotting bathroom at Hellingly Hospital

The rest of the album can be seen in my gallery by clicking here

~Shepy