Central Hospital, Hatton
Encyclopedia
Central Hospital was a psychiatric hospital
located in Hatton, Warwickshire
, England
. Building began in 1846 on a 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) site purchased from the Earl of Warwick
and was completed in 1852, the first patients moving in on 30 June. It was originally named the Warwick County Lunatic Asylum and from 1930-1948 the Warwickshire County Mental Hospital. A classic Victorian asylum built on a grand scale in the gothic style it at one point housed 1,600 patients.
Eventually gaining over 377 acres (1.5 km²) of land, the hospital patients provided most of their own food from three farms in the grounds and a spring supplied it with water. Many of the staff lived there too, it was more like a village than a hospital. It even had its own sports pitches, coffin maker and a chapel which was completed in 1862. The vicar
of Hatton was responsible for the religious life of the hospital. Nevertheless it was, in the early days, a reasonably hard place to be treated by modern standards. Mentally ill patients were subjected to, amongst other things, electric shock therapy
. It was later said that certain rooms were haunted by dead patients. However compared to contemporary poor house asylums and established public asylums like Bedlam
, Central treated their patients quite kindly with parties and drama productions regularly held for, and by, patients who were allowed a lot of freedom within the hospital grounds.
In the 1920's construction began on the King Edward VII Memorial Sanatorium on land adjoining the site. This later became the Hertford Hill Hospital and was used for the treatment of Tuberculosis
.
In 1933 the first voluntary admissions were allowed and outpatient clinics were opened in the neighbouring urban areas of Warwick
, Leamington and Coventry
. In 1948 the hospital joined the National Health Service
freeing up the patients to the outside world as never before. In the 1950s and 1960s the hospital evolved further. With the increasing population and understanding of mental illnesses the hospital was overcrowded for over 20 years between 1945 and the late 1960s. A step in the right direction during that time however was the building of Nuffield House in partnership with the Nuffield Foundation
. These were rehabilitation units which were in essence a halfway house between the wards of the main hospital and a typical suburban home and were supervised but not totally controlled by staff.
The farms were sold off about 1973 with only the walled-in property and buildings remaining. The hospital itself was officially closed on 31 July 1995 when it was decided a more modern and less imposing hospital was needed. Many of the buildings were razed to the ground and a housing estate, Hatton Park, was built there. However some of the old buildings are listed and remained, albeit as houses. The new purpose built St. Michael's Hospital
is located four miles (6 km) away in the town of Warwick
.
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
located in Hatton, Warwickshire
Hatton, Warwickshire
Hatton is a village and civil parish about north of Warwick, in the Warwick District of Warwickshire in England. It has a population of 1,078...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Building began in 1846 on a 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) site purchased from the Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
and was completed in 1852, the first patients moving in on 30 June. It was originally named the Warwick County Lunatic Asylum and from 1930-1948 the Warwickshire County Mental Hospital. A classic Victorian asylum built on a grand scale in the gothic style it at one point housed 1,600 patients.
Eventually gaining over 377 acres (1.5 km²) of land, the hospital patients provided most of their own food from three farms in the grounds and a spring supplied it with water. Many of the staff lived there too, it was more like a village than a hospital. It even had its own sports pitches, coffin maker and a chapel which was completed in 1862. The vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Hatton was responsible for the religious life of the hospital. Nevertheless it was, in the early days, a reasonably hard place to be treated by modern standards. Mentally ill patients were subjected to, amongst other things, electric shock therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
. It was later said that certain rooms were haunted by dead patients. However compared to contemporary poor house asylums and established public asylums like Bedlam
Bedlam
Bedlam may refer to:* Bethlem Royal Hospital, London hospital first to specialise in the mentally ill and origin of the word "bedlam" describing chaos or madness-Places:* Bedlam, North Yorkshire, a village in England...
, Central treated their patients quite kindly with parties and drama productions regularly held for, and by, patients who were allowed a lot of freedom within the hospital grounds.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
In 1933 the first voluntary admissions were allowed and outpatient clinics were opened in the neighbouring urban areas of Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, Leamington and Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. In 1948 the hospital joined the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
freeing up the patients to the outside world as never before. In the 1950s and 1960s the hospital evolved further. With the increasing population and understanding of mental illnesses the hospital was overcrowded for over 20 years between 1945 and the late 1960s. A step in the right direction during that time however was the building of Nuffield House in partnership with the Nuffield Foundation
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a British charitable trust, established in 1943 by William Morris , the founder of the Morris Motor Company. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage...
. These were rehabilitation units which were in essence a halfway house between the wards of the main hospital and a typical suburban home and were supervised but not totally controlled by staff.
The farms were sold off about 1973 with only the walled-in property and buildings remaining. The hospital itself was officially closed on 31 July 1995 when it was decided a more modern and less imposing hospital was needed. Many of the buildings were razed to the ground and a housing estate, Hatton Park, was built there. However some of the old buildings are listed and remained, albeit as houses. The new purpose built St. Michael's Hospital
St. Michael's Hospital, Warwick
St. Michael's Hospital is a National Health Service psychiatric hospital situated in Warwick, Warwickshire, England. It was founded in 1995, largely to replace the outdated Central Hospital in the nearby village of Hatton. The hospital was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 8 November 1996....
is located four miles (6 km) away in the town of Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
.