Warley Hospital
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Warley Hospital was a hospital for the mentally ill located in Brentwood, Essex, England.
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[edit] History
The hospital was originally destined for Chelmsford and plans were drawn up as early as 1819, for a hospital for the mentally ill, serving south Essex.
Warley Hospital was built in Victorian High Gothic style using red and black bricks, had stone mullion windows, and octagonal towers. It has a medieval appearance.
[edit] Opening
Warley Hospital was opened in on the 1853[1] (believed to be on 23 September) as the Essex County Lunatic Asylum serving the whole county.
[edit] Renaming
By 1858 the hospital had 450 patients and in 1920 it became known as Brentwood Mental Hospital, being renamed again in 1953 as Warley Hospital. It was used as a long-stay psychiatric hospital, but in its later years most patients seemed to be ordinary people who had suffered breakdowns. It was closed in 2001, with the patients and staff moving to other areas.
[edit] Underground tunnel
It is an ubran myth that in order to provide discreet access to and from the hospital the builders included an underground tunnel from the town's railway station up the hill to the hospital; this tunnel was alleged to be accessible to hospital staff as recently as 1990 although the railway end had long been closed down. In truth, no such tunnel ever existed.
However there are disused tunnels under the hospital, what purpose these serve is still a mystery.
[edit] Closure
The institution was finally closed down in June 2001.
[edit] Current usage of site
Much of the area has now been redeveloped as a residential area with 300 homes, although some of the architecture of the original asylum still stands.
