Winterton Hospital
Encyclopedia
Winterton Hospital was a psychiatric hospital
in County Durham
, England and was one of the biggest in Europe.
and Sedgefield
. The hospital was to be designed by the architect John Howison, the surveyor for the county of Durham. It would consist of a three story corridor plan asylum built in the Elizabethan style with 300 beds for inmates, along with a chapel and superintendent's quarters.
Between 1875 and 1880, a major extension of the hospital was undertaken by the architect William Crozier Jr. The new extension was based around the pavilion style creating space for an extra 400 inmates as well as adding a new chapel, water tower
, stables and cottages.
Further major additions were made in the 1930s, providing new admission and administration blocks.
The hospital was very much self sufficient, having its own farm and water supply. Town gas was supplied from the nearby Fishburn coke ovens. The hospital also had its own fire service, social club, cricket team and breed of pig.
and became Sedgefield General Hospital.
When services were moved to North Tees General Hospital
in Stockton
in the 1960s the site became a cottage or community hospital providing services such as x-rays and respite care
. Following the closure of the hospital services were moved to a new purpose built hospital near Sedgefield which was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair
in 2003.
and changing attitudes towards mental health the decision was made to close the hospital in 1996 after nearly 140 years.
The site was later cleared of all buildings apart from some privately owned cottages and lodges on the site and the grade II listed St. Lukes chapel. Many of the mature tree lines were also preserved and incorporated into the new developments on the site.
During demolition contractors working on the site broke through into previously forgotten basement tunnels and rooms and discovered various preserved specimens taken from inmates.
s while the middle section has been used for various high-tech
startup companies
collectively known as Netpark
.
The former Sedgefield General site to the north has planning permission for a secure residential centre to house people with low and medium risk mental health problems.
worked at the hospital as an engineer. Gatiss has stated that his time spent growing up around the hospital has served as inspiration for some of the dark themes in the series.
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...
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England and was one of the biggest in Europe.
History
A site for the Durham County Asylum was purchased in 1855 on land between the villages of FishburnFishburn
Fishburn is a village and civil parish in County Durham, in England. It is situated a few miles to the west of Hartlepool. It has a population of 2,454.-Location:...
and Sedgefield
Sedgefield
Sedgefield is a small town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It has a population of 4,534.Sedgefield has attracted particular attention as the Member of Parliament for the wider Sedgefield constituency was the former Prime Minister Tony Blair; he was the area's MP from 1983 to 2008,...
. The hospital was to be designed by the architect John Howison, the surveyor for the county of Durham. It would consist of a three story corridor plan asylum built in the Elizabethan style with 300 beds for inmates, along with a chapel and superintendent's quarters.
Between 1875 and 1880, a major extension of the hospital was undertaken by the architect William Crozier Jr. The new extension was based around the pavilion style creating space for an extra 400 inmates as well as adding a new chapel, water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
, stables and cottages.
Further major additions were made in the 1930s, providing new admission and administration blocks.
The hospital was very much self sufficient, having its own farm and water supply. Town gas was supplied from the nearby Fishburn coke ovens. The hospital also had its own fire service, social club, cricket team and breed of pig.
Sedgefield General Hospital
With the outbreak of war in 1939 an emergency military hospital was built to the north of the site. This was built only as a temporary measure to last the duration of the war however with the end of the war in 1946 the hospital was handed over to the newly formed NHSNational Health Service (England)
The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
and became Sedgefield General Hospital.
When services were moved to North Tees General Hospital
University Hospital of North Tees
The University Hospital of North Tees is a general hospital in Stockton, England. It is part of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS foundation Trust and provides healthcare to people living in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and south and east Durham....
in Stockton
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
in the 1960s the site became a cottage or community hospital providing services such as x-rays and respite care
Respite care
Respite care is the provision of short-term, temporary relief to those who are caring for family members who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home....
. Following the closure of the hospital services were moved to a new purpose built hospital near Sedgefield which was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in 2003.
Closure
With the onset of care in the communityCare in the Community
Care in the Community is the British policy of deinstitutionalization, treating and caring for physically and mentally disabled people in their homes rather than in an institution...
and changing attitudes towards mental health the decision was made to close the hospital in 1996 after nearly 140 years.
The site was later cleared of all buildings apart from some privately owned cottages and lodges on the site and the grade II listed St. Lukes chapel. Many of the mature tree lines were also preserved and incorporated into the new developments on the site.
During demolition contractors working on the site broke through into previously forgotten basement tunnels and rooms and discovered various preserved specimens taken from inmates.
Present
New homes have been built to the south of the site in the style of townhouseTownhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s while the middle section has been used for various high-tech
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
startup companies
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
collectively known as Netpark
Netpark
NETPark or North East Technology Park is a science park in County Durham, England.The park is built the site of the former Winterton Hospital and is home to several high-tech companies specialising in fields such as nanotechnology, X-Ray technology, forensics and semiconductor technology...
.
The former Sedgefield General site to the north has planning permission for a secure residential centre to house people with low and medium risk mental health problems.
League of Gentlemen
The father of League of Gentlemen performer and writer Mark GatissMark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock....
worked at the hospital as an engineer. Gatiss has stated that his time spent growing up around the hospital has served as inspiration for some of the dark themes in the series.
External links
- http://web.archive.org/web/20071007084255/www.countyasylums.com/mentalasylums/winterton01.htm Photos and history (Retrieved from Wayback Machine)
- http://www.muthergrumble.co.uk/issue06/mg0622.htm Two Views On A Mental Hospital, life in Winterton
- http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=26632 Urban Exploration of Winterton site
- http://www.winterton-hospital.co.uk/ Winterton hospital website
- http://www.thetimechamber.co.uk/Sites/Hospital/History/Layout.php Guide to asylum building styles and architecture