With our fascination of the old Victorian Asylum system, we have compiled and collected a wealth of information. Within this section, you will find an archive of it all.
History of the Asylum
This section has been reworked to update the previous Asylum history pages contained within this website, which were in desperate need of revision, and to provide a further background reading to the specific histories of each Asylum we have visited. Conceived during the reign of King George the Third (1760 - 1820) under the County...
The Padded Cell
As infamous as the Asylums themselves, the Padded Cell was an essential piece of equipment within the wards. They were a special room and it was not intended that patients were housed in them for long periods of time; it was used so that patients did not harm themselves when suffering from an epileptic or...
Asylum Architecture
The current ideals of the Asylum layout can be attributed to Peter Cracknell who carried out a study in 2004. There are five main styles of Asylum design, they are Radial Plan Corridor Plan Pavilion Plan Echelon Plan Colony Plan Radial Plan The Radial Plan saw the long wings of the Asylum radiate outwards from...
The Asylums List
In 1914 there were over one hundred thousand patients within over one hundred mental institutions around the United Kingdom, the majority of these institutions were built since the passing of the 1845 Act. With the passing of the care in the community act in the 1980's, many of these institutions have since closed; only a...