hellingly-asylum
The East Essex County Mental Asylum opened its doors in 1903. It is built close to the small village of Hellingly, in South West England. The architect G.T. Hine designed the Victorian hospital on a very large scale, spreading the many buildings on a huge campus.
Isolated from everything, having only one single road and its own train line, the psychatric asylum remained self-sufficient for years.
Patients & staff used to live under the same roof in the many red bricks buildings linked by closed hallways, and offering "therapeutic" and relaxing views onthe surrounding quiet and green countryside.
The asylum closed its doors in 1994; since then it is decaying, forgotten and rotting in the middle of nowhere...
Hey guys
Just thought i'd let you know - some comments from here have made front page of the Sussex Express on an article on people trespassing the place. Seems they picked the last comment left (as many lazy journalists do!)
I was in there for over 3 hours within the last week - the only other person I saw was another photographer.
No visible sign of any security guards. And I made 2 trips up the drive and back in a car + 1 on foot before going in (at around midday during the week.
If you are observant it is very easy to get in without disturbing any of the fences.
I sincerely hope the demolition doesn't go ahead in September as I would really like the opportunity to go back - so for me, fingers crossed they postpone it till October.
@thesoph - the derelict buildings obviously do not still house patients, but you do have Ashen hill secure unit (and maybe others) practically on the same site.
whats all this stuff about patients escaping and how it still houses patients? seriously please explain i dont understand.
i went twice last year and the place is completly deralict, was amazing though. i was so scared walking through, it was the middle of the night and we had one torch between 5 people, shining the torch down one corridor and then the others being pitch black, we all had a feeling we were being watched. we went into the childrens nursery and theres kids drawings all over the walls, we heard a massive rumble and we all ran out.
Sadly Hellingly is getting demolished in September, you will find it very hard to get in now. They DO have 24 hours gaurds (with dogs), the gaurds are freindly enough if you do decide to go and get cought. We got cought at 2am in the morning in the pissing rain.
I have been there 6 or 7 times, only up until the beggining of August it was easy to get in.
FYI the gaurd office is the area with the big blue fence, if you do go DON'T explore the smaller hospital as it is on lock down, you may get away with getting into the bigger hospital if you don't mind a trek through some woods (and a marsh) to get there.
i am planning to go there this week. does anybody know how to get there? i am from london. i have got a train ticket to polegate, but where to go from polegate? cheers
Hellingly Hospital is being knocked down and replaced by 400 homes in the very near future so I thought I would let you know incase any of you wanted to go and visit it before this happens!
i camped in the grounds the past two nights, it easier to get in the back way through a gap in the metal fence and following the path through a forest till you reach a burnt out car then cross a field until you reach another fence. There was some security and they do patrol all around the site as a few time i had to hide when they drove past the windows. Me and a few mates were in there for hours and its massive, also we saw a security man in the building and just ran off. If you have a walkie talkie you can listen in to the security, also its sooo much easier getting in the back.
Been followed by a plain black van wiith a vent on the roof. probably an attempt at a subtle security dog unit? Also found these minutes from the local council, clicky dated march 09. of interest is paragraph 26.09 :
The Council noted the draft Minutes of the Planning Committee Meeting of 23rd February. including the dangerous situation of the former Golden Martlett pub and that Cllr Hughes had drawn attention, at the previous Council meeting, to the danger of the Hellingly hospital site since the security guards had been withdrawn. The Council also noted that these matters were being dealt with by the Planning and Environment Committee.
Does anyone have extra info on the state of the security contract?
Oop, just checked out google maps.... we were in the little building to the left of the main one XD That was big enough to get lost in, but deffo going back to explore the main area. Need up to date info about security tho, post if ya been there recently guys!
I was there last night... didnt see anyone else or any security.... was about 9.30-11.00pm
Also, is it split up into lots of buildings, we explored the one right by the road, on the other side of the fence, and didnt see/hear anyone, or security. Also, we couldnt find half the stuff in the pictures, including the huge main hall lol... I have no idea how we missed it unless its in another seperate building.
Also, that place is insane! got lost so easily, and when we were heading for the window we came in through, i thought it was not only on the left side of the corridor (it was on the right) but also that we were heading for it in the opposite direction we were actually going.. that place spins you out, its all those diagonal corridors.
Also, be on the lookout for a hole in the wall that leads you out of a wardrobe... or into narnia!
has anyone got a floor plan for it?
I went there last night! was amazing atmoshere heard a few spooky unexplainable noises but nothing major!..was such a beautiful place, but be warned the security were watching us in there and as soon as we came out we got caught and a few of us did get arrested as they called the police. So be warned the place is beautiful and very amazing but wasnt nice when we got caught we were in there a good few hours! Police even told us that it will guarded 24hours a day now and they are getting a unit there to hold dogs. But if they do that thats another matter. But a marvellous site! i have also seen the bowl with the bone, think it was definately put there by some pranksters...but sadly the room where that was has been badly damaged now by a recent fire, The graffiti is just superb up there really amazing artwork.
I first went here with my mum, brother and my step dad and i was about 13, so it was about 5 years ago possibly longer. i was naive? when i first went as i believed that it was in still working order. It was not difficult to get in the first time which is good because i am small. i just rember walking around in such oar of the place it was amazing, i have been there a couple of times since, but refused to go in one day as had a bad feeling about the place and since then never been back. i think it is because i had a recurring dream of old floor boards falling away. When we went we took things we found like a souviners, we had a jug which is in my mums bedroom. we also found loads of docuemnts that we looked at, so interesting. my brother has recently been in there and found a bone in a bowl which was full of red liquid, which he said was blood, they have a photo to prove it. im guessing pranksters? also he was sick all of that night when he got home not sure why. just thought that i would share my experinece with you all Wish i could go back but my feet wont go there
next week were of well excited been there once before been there 1 before but got a bit freaked by a painting on the wall of a mentall patient scary stuff!!
Would suggest caution when going to site as private land and security dogs about. Also remember it still houses mentally ill patients who roam the grounds. The buildings are beautiful but derelict and dangerous. If you are injured it willbe your own fault and if on your own, could lie injured for weeks without being found!
I was planning to go to Hellingly asylum with a few friends to get some good photo snaps for my portfolio, but I was wondering does anyone know when it is going to get knocked down? And is it easy to avoid security? Thanks
Does anyone know how to get into the tower?
I went there today for the first time and it looks amazing! (Even though we only went in one building ) Some of it has certainly changed since these photos were taken on here. It looks so surreal!
i went to hellingly hostpital first time about a month ago now and we found away in but only had a quick look as it was getting dark we returned another day and explored for 6 hours and manged to aqwire a body bag ,a dinner suit and some very fire damaged clothes and paper work which my friend quite happly dragged all the way home . it was so beautifull it was defentley worth it .unfortantly next time we went to go back we got half way there and crashed our car luckly we all lived to tell the tale but we killed the car so we cant go back for some time .but so glad i went it was trully amazing.
me an a few mates made trip up to see the sights was just getting foggy and dark looked very inpresive only found one way in though was about to go in but some mates got freacked must do it in day light as well.
any tips or any other place to visit in area??
Tried to access Hellingly Hospital but got stopped by security with dogs. Not best pleased as it looks like a great place to explore. I will have to try again some other time. Any tips about getting access much appreciated.
Also, If anyone has suggestions of derelict places to visit in the East Sussex area I would be very grateful. Already done the Mill in Hailsham.
Went there yesterday for the first time, absolutely brilliant i suggest everyone takes the time to experience this building. no security whatsoever and a few groups of people walking round, someone had in fact sawn down the front steel fence so it was very very easy to get in. I got a bit freaked out in places but overall, what an awesome place!
10 of us made the mission of visiting this place we managed to explore the upper rooms, the hall, tunnels and tower and all i can say isDON'T MISS OUT GRAB YOUR CHANCE TO SEE IT BEFORE ITS RE-DEVELOPED. But take into account the structure of the building, it has weak floors visable from the holes everywhere and roofs which are collapsing in so my advice would be see it but stay safe & sensible & enjoy it's amazing creppy atmosphere.
"Cake awaits" was a pretty good one. I also quite liked "Frea K" and "MY ROOM". Although I agree in principle with the Urbex 'don't damage anything' motto, without prior visits from those with saw and axe, you would not be able to access much of the building, as the wards were gradually sealed off while the hospital was being wound down. If you stop off at Hailsham library on your next visit they have a special file of newspaper clippings of Hellingly which is really fascinating. I'd be quick, as the land has been acquired for re-development. But like Netherne Asylum they intend to keep as many of the buildings as possible (which is probably how they obtained planning permission).
Aquemini, you need to find the base of the tower in order to access the tunnels. Some tunnels are easily navigable, however, some are full of large pipes and various plumbing and can be difficult to get through. Make sure there are plenty of batteries for your torch - if you get too far and run out, you might not make it back. Really.
Hellingly is a special, timeless place. There's no real sense of past or future, and all that remains is the lawless now. You can't really blame the vandals and souveneir hunters; at Hellingly destruction is a form of creation. And the territorial pissings you refer to is even more strongly felt here. I guess whoever goes there needs to satisfy their obsession by leaving something behind or taking something away. I certainly did.
On a side note, I'd be keen to know if anyone explored The Albion Hotel on the Eastbourne seafront circa 1992 before it was renovated. The last time I was there, my friend and I were on the forth or fith floor when a hammering sound started from somewhere below. In our panic we got horribly, wonderfully, lost down these devastated corridors and unlikely staircases. Maybe twenty minutes later we found the entrance/exit, and five council workers with hammers and plywood come to seal up the building. So I get to say I was the last person to explore The Albion. I doubt I will get to say the same about Hellingly.
Was also there on Friday 22nd, same day as Cazpoo - didn't see you either - great snaps you've taken
Went in around the back; not one security guard and fence conveniently already broken. Found it harder to get out of the place.
Its a shame some of the best spectacles happen to be the Graffiti.
I'd be interested to know about the underground tunnels you can access from Hellingly, anyone have snaps or details on these?
has anyone seen or had ay scary unexplainable experiences here?
Went there on Friday 22nd, spent five hours there and never saw a sole, had a fantastic time. Have a look at my pics www.flickr.com
iv taken about sixty pics of the hospital went up in the tower aswell which is a bit dangerous now , if any1 wants to see the pictures thier all on facebook add me im andy maplesden london network .. nicole did u find out much info about the low budget horror??
I live almost on top of the Hospital and go there everyday, its the most magnificent place with astounding architecture. Sadly it has been purchased by a developer and is due to all be flatened soon to make way for 600 houses, it's criminal and how the hell they got permission is beyond me. Access is very easy, there are signs up warning of security etc but in 3 years I have only ever spotted one guard and he didn't even look twice at me. Yes it is guarded by fences but they are in a very bad state of repair and constantly falling down in bad weather and not repaired for weeks on end. I admit it is a little concerning when one of the patients escape but hey it keeps life exciting I guess and if you live life worrying about what might happen then you wont ever do anything. If anyone is thinking about paying a visit then my advice is do it now before it all gets lost in history, the security guards cant do anything apart from ask you to leave if they do bother to patrol, and even if the police were called all your going to get is a slap on the wrist for trespassing I guess. I have loads of pictures of the outside of the site but admit I never have been in myself, does anyone know who owns the hi resolution images on this site of the interior as I would be interested in having copies myself.
i would not go up there tomorrow or for a week or so will be loads of police as some1 has escaped.... its all over the news!
Does anyone know if you can still access, I was planning to go to take photos tomorrow
1998-2018 (c) - www.Forbidden-Places.net - Contact