Napsbury Hospital was a mental health facility near London Colney in Hertfordshire. It had two sister institutions, Harperbury Hospital and Shenley Hospital, within a few miles of its location.[1]
| Napsbury Hospital | |
|---|---|
 Napsbury Hospital | |
  Shown in Hertfordshire | |
| Geography | |
| Location | London Colney, England |
| Coordinates | 51°43′23″N 0°18′36″W / 51.723°N 0.310°W |
| Organisation | |
| Type | Mental health |
| History | |
| Opened | 1905 |
| Closed | 1998 |
| Links | |
History edit
The hospital was designed by Rowland Plumbe in the country estate style and was initially known as the Middlesex County Asylum.[2]
The hospital was designed for 1,205 residents,[3] and the grounds were designed by William Goldring.[3] Following the construction of the numerous buildings and extensive grounds, Napsbury opened on 3 June 1905.[4] According to the Middlesex County Record, the initial cost, including land and equipment, was £545,000, or £473 per bed. In 1908 Plumbe designed an extension to accommodate a further 600 patients.[5]
During the First World War, Napsbury was used for and known as the County of Middlesex War Hospital, which treated wounded soldiers.[3][6][7] Following the war, the hospital was returned to its original purpose.[8]
Although Napsbury suffered some bomb damage in the Blitz, it was in continuous use as a hospital until its official closure in 1998. However, until at least 2002 one building was still in use for psychiatric patients.[3]
Due to its largely untouched parkland, Napsbury was listed by English Heritage as a Grade II Historic Park and Garden in 2001.[9] The site has been redeveloped for residential use as Napsbury Park.[9]
Famous residents edit
Famous residents of the hospital included:
- Ivor Gurney, English poet and artist[10]
- Louis Wain, English artist[3]
- Opal Whiteley, American nature writer[11]
References edit
- ^ "Shenley Hospital". Lost hospitals of London. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ "Napsbury Park". Historic Hospitals. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Warwack, O. (2007). "A bit about Napsbury". Retrieved 21 June 2008.
- ^ "Middlesex County Asylum". Cracknell, P. 2005. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
- ^ "A History of Napsbury Park". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
- ^ "Napsbury". Genealogy in Hertfordshire. 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
- ^ Toms, J. (2006). "Review of Forgotten Lunatics of the Great War by Peter Barham". Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 21 June 2008.; Bill Pollard, email to Jamie Oliver, May 8, 2011.
- ^ Ted Banfield (1985), Remember London Colney, Barracuda Books
- ^ a b "Napsbury Park.com". Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ Boden, A (2007). "Ivor Gurney : A Biographical outline". Ivor Gurney Society. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ Dean, M (23 August 2012). "Opal Whiteley's Riddles". The New Yorker. Retrieved 20 January 2013.