1842 – Dr Samuel Hitch writes to The Times about the plight of the Welsh Paupers
First meeting of the Denbigh Philanthropists
1843 – £4,600 raised from public subscriptions for the construction if a purely Welsh Asylum
1844 – Building of the Asylum Commences
1848 – Hospital opens for its first patients
George Turner Jones appointed as Superintendent
1849 – 70 Patients
1852 – First Annual Ball Held
1857 – A Steam Engine was installed to pump water to the asylum
1860 – First night attendants employed, only one per side
1862 – Chapel Constructed towards the rear of the hospital, the original below the Clock Tower
1864 – Increased entertainment throughout the hospital, weekly balls held.
1865 – Further wards were constructed to house an extra 150 patients
1870 – Brass Band formed
1871 – Turkish Baths introduced to treat Insanity with Melancholia, Scrofula and Rhuematism
1874 – Dr G. T. Jones Retires, Dr William Williams replaces him
1878 – 100 patients taken to town for entertainment
1881 – Over Crowding. Extension for a male ward, dining hall and chapel expansion started
1882 – Dr llewelyn Cox replaces Dr Williams, over crowding still a problem
First training offered to Attendents, 42 staff passed the St Johns Ambulance exam
1895 – After years of debate, the Secretary of State ordered another extension to the hospital,
the extension consisted of a complete new steam heating and water system, wards,
Staff accommodation, dining hall, kitchen, central bathroom, boiler & engine houses
and an isolation hospital. The whole project cost £80,000
1897 – Building of the extension commenced, temporary buildings erected to ease crowding
1902 – Dr Frank Jones employed as Assistant Medical officer with Dr Herbert
1905 – Extension works completed
1908 – Two further ward blocks constructed, male and female
1910 – Dr Cox replaced by Dr W. S. Hughes
1913 – Dr Frank Jones replaced Dr Hughes. Female work room converted to female ward
1915 – First nurses passed their Preliminary Medico-Psychological exams
1916 – Epileptics treated with a vegetarian diet
1919 – Experimental Cerebral Galvanism carried out on Epileptics
1923 – X-Ray installed
1924 – First patients sent to Upton Hospital for malarial treatment for General Paralysis if the Insane
Dentist first visits hospital, Mr Charles. These were weekly visits
Entertainment increased, a car was purchased to take patients on day trips
1926 – Gwynfryn house brought to house 30 useful female patients
Pathologist, Dr Ceinwen Evans, employed to eradicate infectious dieseases
1927 – Trefeirain house was used to accommodate 20 convalescent male patients
Lunacy Commission reported on the ‘Homely Nature’ of the hospital
1930 – Malarial Treatment available at Denbigh
1934 – Occupational Therapy introduced after Dr Roberts visited a demonstration in Holland
1937 – First Occupational Nurse trained
1939 – Patients won the National Eisteddfod in Denbigh, Occupational Therapy thriving
1940 – Dr Frank Retires after 39 years of service, Dr Roberts appointed.
Wards reclassified to house similar patients together
1941 – Electro-convulsive therapy introduced, along with other treatments such as Sleep Therapy
1942 – First nurses passed their General Nursing Council finals
Mrs Chisholm employed as dispenser
1944 – Psychologist employed, Dr Martha Vidor
1945 – Psychiatric Social Worker employed, Miss Dorothy Thomas. Department grew quickly.
1946 – Holistic approach adopted to treatment.
1948 – Denbigh renamed to North Wales Mental Hospital
1953 – First psychiatric drugs used, Largactil and Stelazine
1955 – Patient population exceeds 1500. Doors around the hospital unlocked to allow extra
Freedom. Only chronic wards remained closed. TV introduced to wards
1958 – Hospital farm sold
Sports recreation officer employed
1960 – Sports pavilion erected and annual events were organised, notably exchange holidays
The Right Honourable Enoch Powell visited Denbigh and announced his hospital plan
1963 – Dr Roberts retired, being replaced by Dr T. Gwynne1968 Williams
Patient numbers began to decline, allowing for a major upgrade programme to begin
1967 – New kitchen and Cafeteria for staff built
1968 – First Community Psychiatric Nurse employed
1969 – Nurse training school opened. Employment of patients began to be wound down
1980 – Activities for both staff and patients ceased
1987 – Ten year strategy started
1995 – Final closure of hospital
2004 – Prince of Wales visits, hospital put into the Phoenix Trust
2008 – Future Unknown, Main Hall burns to the ground, two weeks after a listing protest is made
2009 – Demolition Commences
Modified: 23rd May 2022