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...
they have put up a new fence @ the front of the biulding. it is spiked with 3 prongs.
i went to the asylum today and what an amazing place. it was very easy to get in and no security guards were around. a few guys were filming a low budget horror film and a some other explorers were spotted as well. well worth a visit!!!!!
i went to hellingly hospital today found a way in but did eventually get in by security as we were workin on the outskirts needed access to the grounds,i got in looked around and got out before security got thier they were not around all day either so its pretty easy,check out my pics on my facebook add me if ya like andy maplesden london network
Hey been hellingly a few times now its awesome! me and 4 mates went last night and was by far the scariest time we have been there! the first thing that freaked us out was we was looking out one of the windows then when we got are heads back in there we saw 2 white doves and they was flapping around hitting the celling walls and comeing towards us!!!!! then the 2nd thing that by far we was freaked out by was... we was walking towads the main hall we was in a line me and someone else was at the back and the others was abit ahead they went to go into the hall when they startid shouting and running we didont know what the hell was happening so we ran like hell! but then we thought sod it we will go back and have a look so we all went back and saw it! it was the devil sign on the floor with candles at all the points! didnot expect that!!!!! click this link to check it out! after we saw it we decided to leave!!!
comment back what you think!click this link to check it out!
i have been twice this week, on both times i parked in a layby and followed a nature walk around the whole site untill i was right round the back of the main building, then i just climbed through a gap in the fence and through a downstairs window, saw no security, and alos found sevral other groups walking around
hope this helps
We went in yesterday but it was really tricky to get in, managed to get in under a fence in the end but ended up getting attacked by lots of holly bushes. Didn't see any security but we only managed to get into one building, the nearest to the main security gate, and in there a lot of the floors had fallen through so we didn't manage to get to see much at all. What looked like the main building had another metal fence around it, and a walk around the whole perimeter of the fence offered no obvious openings so we turned back. Disappointing!
I went to the hospital today as I wanted to show my grilfreind how big the place is. Could not believe that the whole place was fenced off. I remember the place when it was open as my mum used to work there, so I have been in the wards when they where open. Used to spend alot of time at the social club there, also i think I used to go to a cresh there. Does anybody know what it is going to be made into. Can you still access any of the grounds, I used to love playing in them as a child. Also used to love the tennis courts.
Visited the site yesterday. Access was straightforward since the fence right at the front of the admin block had been pushed competely over and we were able to walk straight in. We were there for a couple of hours and managed to explore some of the site downstairs to the left of the ballroom and then spent quite a while longer looking around the upstairs wards and classrooms. However the ever present threat of being caught by security (whom we could see gearing up for the next patrol from the upstairs windows) was a little unnerving. Added to the generally oppressive nature of the place, we decided to vacate before we'd had time to explore the downstairs corridors in more detail. We emerged into daylight to find that the fence had been put back up (security are very clearly still active within the grounds especially at the front of the site) and had to lift the fence and crawl underneath in order to get out!!
I guess we got lucky yesterday with access. Been up to the site a few times before and sometimes the fences are all up and there is no obvious way in from the front.
Given the huge amount of genuine interest in this site from urban explorers and photographers, I can't see why the developers, Charles Church, don't grant official access to those wanting to tour and document a fantastic building with true historical worth before it is completely destroyed by vandals and the elements (or the wrecking ball!). It is quickly disintegrating now an it can only be a matter of time before all of it's character is lost forever.
I'm planning a photo trip to Hellingly in the near future, it'd be my first time so if anyone else is going in the next couple of weeks (would help if you've been before), let me know and maybe we can sort a meet-up. If anyone has any information on gaining access/best times to go etc I'd be grateful bluemidget42@hotmail.com Cheers
I am keen to learn more about this asylum if anybody ihas any interresting information about it i am fascinated with the history behind ir and would be greatfull, email me at harry-1990@live.co.uk
Went there yesterday very blustry day .. rather scary actually hearing doors slam behind you the best time to go if you can is during the week. The first time we went was on a sunday, got some beautifull photos the weather was stunning and hot but yesterday was by far more interesting, we managed to explor a lot more than we did on our first visit. I am very unsure about the security - the two times we have been there we haven't seen any but the new building which is on the far north side of the building has a lot of cars outside it and id say thats what you have to look out for
me n some friends have been there twice in the last week, havent seen any security, just a few fellow photographers and explorers. but i guess its just down to luck. sunday seems to be the best day though?
OMG be careful they have really stepped up security recently!
They got all sorts of stuff up there saw some with riot gear on the other day
Didn't think the NHS was that tough
Great pic's on ere though
For anybody planning to visit soon security has been non-existense recently. The fence round the outside has been broken and we managed to walk straight in without any problems - even the doors into the building are unlocked
Watch the floors - we climbed up inside the water tower and part of the wooden staircase collapsed......
omg i went there like ages ago now with loadz of other people but it was still well scary my mates mum used to work there an apparently ther was some right nut jobs who were the!!!!!
its so good there so if u aint been u gotta go there!!!
Hi guys first visit to this site can't beleieve what a sorry state Hellingly is now in having worked there between 1981-1989 on a ward called southview villa, which i think is still open although not sure what it's function in my time it was a ward for 18 male patients with learning disabilities, I do beleive these patients were at one time on the wards in the main building. I have lots of found memories working and living at Hellingly both in Tennyson House nice and handy for the social club and then the big move to the female nusres home were we occupied the whole of the top floor. And playing the grand piano in the main with no one but myself. I remember with a mate steve spending the afternoon in the hall raising up the silver screen which was on a roll laid accross the front part of the stage lowering the pullys and hoisting the screen to the top of the ceiling there was no real reason why as there was no projection equipment. Then to our horror we could not lower it, there was lots of questions at the time but we denied it. but it was really funny at the time Ps I still have my origional male pass key.
go onto google maps and search hellingly, change the terrain to one that just shows the road markings. look at hellingly village compared to were the actual site and look at driving down new road by crossing straight over the two way crossing then take the first right. this leads to the back entrance of the building, go round the gate or over and carry on up the path until you see the building, there is no security that side when we went in as they stay around the front. from here you can go where ever you want. we weven went around the front and did not get confronted. go in the morning and its nto freaky, also you will end up staying all day and not worry at all
Any information about sec u rity would be greatly appreciated: alexanderroycarr@hotmail.com
i'd love to get in for my A2 photography project on discord, it would be perfect.
Hi, i went to hellignly yesterday, with loadsa people, jamie fitzsimmons, rosie phipps, james clark, baz hunt, sam locks, sarah holland. we got there at about half 11 and stayed until around 4pm. it was a well good day, and surprisingly the only time that we were scared was when we first entered as it was all of our first time. Most of us were doign this trip as a photography project and we all got some great shots. we firstly got lost a bit because of the lengthy corridoors and the persisitance to make sure we covered as much ground as possible. sdoem parts are dark but what i foudn most interestign was how well the place was kept considering this place is pretty much open to anyone and yet there was not a lot of new rubbish and was interestignt to see all of the old technology left or broken up but still in its semi right place. the winding corridoors got confuising as they all seemed tro lead to the what looked liek the same place.
we alos went to the the side buildign that sits just down the road, this part was pitch black because most of the boards on the groudn floor where still fixed on. but upstairs the windows ahve been pulled out. watch out for the missing floor boards as a lot of them have fallen through and we foudn we had to jump between solid parts.
we were also fixated in seeing the great hall, so we went back to explore and determinly find it. eventaully we did and foudn the burnt out floors, the stage was covered with brilliant graffiti. sam locks also decided to drop a boudler of conrete that he found from the top of the main hall, accessible by a scarily steep flight of wooden stairs. he dropped it and it still didnt break the floor!
overall it was a great experience and we are definetly thinking of doign an all nighter in the great hall, or even just coem back fro another visit. we did nto have any toruble with guards and police but i would suggest beign prepared to hide because it is easy to get for them as well.
The last security check is around 7:30pm and the best place to get in is right at the front of the admin building.There's a new-ish building called woodside right near it but the staff leave around the same time as security. the fences are down and you can walk round to a sort of archway and from there on there's loads of broken windows to climb through. After that the whole place is your playground!!
hi guys im in a paranormal team called tpi in staffordshire, looking to investigate an asylum. Do you know who owns hellingly asylum . could you please mail me as much info about getting access ect. would really apreciate it.
regards nicky
Hi guys,
Me and my friend have been there once to scout out the grounds (as is normal practice for his shoots) and whilst there we parked in the lay-by for the dog walkers.
We must have been there towards the mid/end of Nov and we followed the path of the dog walkers, who seemed all to relaxed and friendly towards two 20 year olds casually walking around the muddy paths (the only ones without the proper shoes). Whilst walking along me and my friend found the sec urity very lax and half way down the fence even stopped! Alas on closer inspection it turned out this part was still in use/refurbished.
Never the less we carried on walking the outskirts of this part of the grounds all the way down to the river at the bottom by the field and decided this was the wrong approach to the hospital.
Unfortunately after this scout there were a few complications and uncertainty if the project was even going to stop and not be finished. Anyway, all that has now been sorted and we're heading back in due course but im now hunting around trying to dig up as much recent information on a ent rance and any sec urity we should be worried about.
I would be really grateful for any of this information that you might have asap, so if you do can you please email me at closerthangod@hotmail.co.uk.
Any advice or other relevant information is also greatly appreciated!
Thanks guys!
we're trying to get into hellingly hosp, was driving around for about four hours trying to find it. can anyone describe what it looks like from the outside please? we went past a place with two huge stone eagles and big black gates and thought that might've been it but it wasnt. then we got to a run down old pub by a railway type bridge where we heard footsteps and chains.
if you can help can you e-mail me - clean.young.mess@hotmail.co.uk thankyouu.
I have been visiting the grounds of hellingly since 1995, i first went in the hospital in 1999, i still go down there to this day, It was in far better condition back then some parts were still pretty mint, i wish i had taken pictures back then, sad the state it is in now but it is still great fun to visit now, im thinking of visiting various other asylums around the country fairly soon.
went up yesterday to take sum snaps way.. easy to get in round the back there is fences trodden down.. oh and try to get up the tower... we only got o the forth set of steps... would love to see pics of the grounds from the highest point..
Hello all,
I'm heading there to take photographs, any tips on entr ance and sec urity (excuse the spaces) would be greatly appreciated.
jamesandrewbateman@hotmail.com
Hey guys, us and our mates (about 10 of us) have visited the hospital about 4 times now, havent been that far (we was scared ok lol), we went there last nite about 9ish, we where all kitted out with our warm clothes and touches etc!!! thought it would be wicked as the last few times we had been freeeezing!!! so we got round the side and was just about to climb though a window, ( we was going to head to the tower! ) anyways we all stopped and heard car doors closing so we creaped around the wall and saw a couple of blokes, then we saw there reflective jackets, then saw the dogs, we shat outself LOL, so we throught no dont run !!!! lol so we slowly walked out to the little road bit back to out cars and the secuity/police walked up to us and you know said there little speach about not aloud to be hear and tresspassing bla bla, he let us off thank god lol!!!
but we was just wondering the best days 2 go when the sercuity people aint gunna be there, and where are there other entrances apart from the main entrance. (the admin building!)
Thanks if you could WRITE BACK on here that would be great
x x x
My friend Simon Griffiths was an inmate (or at least frequent visitor) in the early 70's and 80's. I would really love to know more about this period of his life and so if anyone remembers him please contact me. You can e mail me at unseated@hotmail.com.
hey guys i live in hellingly just around the corner from the hospital iv lost count of the amount of times i have been in there now!! i used to go in all the time when it didnt have the fence round it but that doesnt stop me now im just doing my gcse and i chose to do hellingly hospital as my final piece in art witch is what im ment to be doing now lol. all i will say is if you go be carefull the floors are very unsound as i found out lol. i will be going again soon so if any one wants to come let me no and i will take you round iv been in nearly all of it email me at joey.matthews@ymail.com thanks .joey.
Wen't there last night and stayed there till about 4am, was my first time there ... andrew foster < Talked about a scream mask ... funny you should say that we found that mast ... and i was wearing it .. how cool. its quite scarey about 1-3am when your only with one other person hiding from your mates and you have no light ..
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