Lobotomies and Electric Shock Therapy The True Story Of The Asylum For The Mentally Ill in North Wales
On the outskirts of a small Medieval Town of Denbigh lies a derelict building with a dark history from Lobotomies and Electric Shock Treatment too extreme isolation.
About the Hospital
The Hospital for the Insane in Central or North Wales or more commonly known as Denbigh Asylum was a functioning Hospital till its closure in 1995.
Originally build in 1848 to house up to 200 patients although through a variety of extensions it held up to 1500 patients at one time.
The architecturally pleasing building with extensive land also comprised of a Bakery, Brewery, Morgue, Chapel and Turkish Baths used to help severe depression along with extra housing for patients. Gas replaced candle light in 1853 and a larger extension in 1897 led to a Laundry House, Boiler House, Engine Room and an Isolation Hospital.
Despite the Hospital being open for patients since 1848 no nursing staff were formally trained until 1915 and its first Psychiatrist wasn’t appointed until 1944 when the site was at its highest capacity wither another hospital opened 8 miles away in Ruthin – Pool Park for another 80 patients.
Since it’s closure in 1995 the building has become derelict with repair costs for the Grade II listed building soaring into the millions.
A place for people to explore it has become a hive for people urban exploring and has been set on fire at least 4 times in the last 5 years.
The Treatments and Procedures For The Mentally Insane
In the Victorian Era mental health was misunderstood and you could be locked inside an Asylum for depression, infidelity, addiction or for personal gain. It took only 2 signatures to declare someone mentally insane and family's plotted so that relatives would be detained under the Lunatic Act of 1890.
Treatment ranged from a gentle Turkish Bath to the more extreme Toxic Mercury Poisoning for the hysterical to Electric Shock Therapy which began in 1941.
The most shocking treatment here was the Lobotomies a treatment which began in 1942, a treatment you would think would have began a 100 years earlier. 24 patients were operated on in total as they failed to respond to other treatment of which one patient sadly passed away. Lobotomy procedures where phased out in the 1970’s when anti-psychotic medication was introduced
Define – Lobotomy
noun
a surgical operation involving incision into the prefrontal lobe of the brain, formerly used to treat mental illness.
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Despite its awful history, I find the building beautiful. I hope one day this building becomes a library or an extension of a University to help support the area where once so many patients were taken into demise.
The photos are my own
So sad to see such a majestic building fall into disrepair.
Are there any moves locally to save the building for some better use?
It is very sad. A private developer bought it to turn it into residential properties, however a compulsary purchase order by the local council has been raised as the private developer hasn't done much to protect the building.
Sadly the council want to see it put to residential purposes. I personally think that's a shame.
In North Wales a lot of colleges and main Universitys have joined up, so would be fantastic to see this used to train nurses in modern day techniques or a library of sorts. Something that can be used for everyone.
really really awesome!
you make me want go there to catch some supranatural experience haha
Its a very creepy place.
You can get in underneath the cellar and go down really old corridoors where the the old pipe works i couldnt go any further all I felt was oppression and dark horrible things.
Theres a lot of dark entities there for sure
Awesome post! :D