A History of London County Lunatic Asylums & Mental Hospitals

by Ed Brandon

From the Middle-Ages onwards, London’s notorious Bedlam lunatic hospital saw the city’s ‘mad’ locked away in dank cells, neglected and abused and without any real cure and little comfort. The unprecedented growth of the metropolis after the Industrial Revolution saw a perceived ‘epidemic’ of madness take hold, with ‘county asylums’ seen by those in power as the most humane or cost-effective way to offer the mass confinement and treatment believed necessary. The county of Middlesex – to which London once belonged – would build and open three huge county asylums from 1831, and when London became its own county in 1889 it would adopt all three and go on to build or run another eight such immense institutions. Each operated much like a self-contained town; home to thousands and often incorporating its own railway, laundries, farms, gardens, kitchens, ballroom, sports pitches, surgeries, wards, cells, chapel, mortuary, and more, in order to ensure the patients never needed to leave the asylum’s grounds. Between them, at their peak London’s eleven county asylums were home to around 25,000 patients and thousands more staff, and dominated the physical landscape as well as the public imagination from the 1830s right up to the 1990s. Several gained a legacy which lasted even beyond their closure, as their hulking, abandoned forms sat in overgrown sites around London, refusing to be forgotten and continuing to attract the attention of those with both curious and nefarious motives. Hanwell (St Bernard’s), Colney Hatch (Friern), Banstead, Cane Hill, Claybury, Bexley, Manor, Horton, St Ebba’s, Long Grove, and West Park went from being known as ‘county lunatic asylums’ to ‘mental hospitals’ and beyond. Reflecting on both the positive and negative aspects of their long and storied histories from their planning and construction to the treatments and regimes adopted at each, the lives of patients and staff through to their use during wartime, and the modernisation and changes of the 20th century, this book documents their stories from their opening up to their eventual closure, abandonment, redevelopment, or destruction.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2022

Reviews

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One name is synonymous in London with the thought of asylums & that is Bethlehem Hospital or as it became known "Bedlam". Although there is a chapter at the start which takes the reader through the history of how England attempted (& mostly failed) to look after those with mental heath issues, the vast majority of the book focuses on the hospitals built in the late nineteenth century. If you're looking to read specific stories about the patients' lives, this is not the book for you. It's very much about the buildings themselves; the planning, the architecture, & their history from the late nineteenth century to the closure of Hanwell, Colney Hatch, Banstead, Cane Hill, Claybury, Bexley, Manor, Horton, St Ebba’s, Long Grove, & West Park in the late twentieth century.

These large institutions are a divisive subject & there is evidence that there was many instances of mistreatment & outright torture when it came to some of treatments used. Patients were admitted that should never have been there in the first place,& they were often treated as numbers rather than individuals, however, some of the asylums were like mini towns with farms, churches, & some even had halls for holding dances. It was sad to read about the rush to implement the solution of 'Care in the Community' in the 1960s which failed to consider those whose needs should have been paramount - the patients. Things are little better now, in fact, England is struggling to cope with current mental health needs. There are nowhere near enough beds for people in crisis, & although institutions are not the solution, neither is abandoning people in situations without the proper care & support.

I thought it was an excellent read about a subject that I only know a little about. The author has obviously done large amounts of painstaking research & it shows in the level of detail. Some people may find it a little dry to read about the architecture of such places but I found it really interesting. As stated previously, it's not a book about individuals, it's about the system & the London institutions as a whole. Recommended if you are interested in London's social history.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've always been interested the history of mental hospitals and how mentally ill people were treated. It never surprises me to a lot how well a hospital "helped" depended on money and there were always staffing shortages. Wow, we haven't come very far.
The different asylums that were discussed in this book were similar so the author chose different issues to focus on for each one.
This isn't a book I'd ever sit down and read all of it again but it would make a good reference book.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Pen & Sword, the author, and NetGalley for my copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who works in psychiatric services and who, back in the days when these monstrosities were occuring, would have undoubtedly been flung into Bedlam or the like due to their own mental illness, I felt that it was important for me to read this book. In order to always better lives of the patients who come under the care of my service, I think that understanding the foundations that we base modern mental health care on is vital.

This book is rich and dense in information, covering any questions that one could possibly have about the old mental hospitals and "lunatic asylums" from back in the day.

All I can really say is wow, and marvel in a kind of disgusted wonder at how utterly wrong doctors and the general public were about mental health. I for one am deeply thankful to have been born in a time where we've moved on from that kind of treatment of ill people!

[Tissie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cover: Intriguing. The urbex feeling is eye-catching.

Oh dear. I went in with great expectations, which, my mistake. I should know better by now—I’m not really a green reader anymore, a cover doesn’t speak for the actual content of a book, and so on.

Still, A History of London County Lunatic Asylums & Mental Hospitals promised something in the blurb and then didn’t deliver, not fully. For example, I love architecture, but focusing too much on this aspect here is a bit odd. A general overview might be fine, but it should be left on the side: I’m not here for this, you know? On the other hand, I like the way Brandon describes the stories of some inpatients.

The grammar is good, while the flow stutters a little here and there. I’m willing to chalk it up to the nature of this book, though; nonfiction is a ponderous beast to tame. The graphic aspect doesn’t do it for me either.

Another complaint I have has to do with the formatting. Pen and Sword is a good publishing house, and I enjoyed many of their books before—I read 95% or so of them straight from the NetGalley app. I get the reasoning behind it, as Kindle is not great at handling pictures. It’s all good. Unfortunately, the app has its issues with written texts, sometimes. I had to zoom in the entire book, swiping left and right just to read a single line. Let’s just say it made for some serious eye-strain.

My suggestion? Make it available for Kindle, too, and let people choose if they prefer quality pictures or an easy read.

2.5 stars on GR.

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[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about the history of the lunatic asylums and mental hospitals that existed and some still exist today in London county, even if most do not remain at the same place where they once stood.

Mental health is something almost taboo to discuss, and in this book we hear stories of how some people where treated in this kind of places and the treatment they went through… I will just say it here… prepare yourself… some stories will make your skin prickle… (in some chapters the verbe went from the third person to the first and I don’t really understood why, maybe some sort of error edition that will surely be fixed upon book release).

The story of places, who lived there, who did something to change things or how this places where is mentioned here, actually some of the description of the place of how it was built, or how the architecture is, you’ll fell like your entering those doors and seeing what the author is depicting… this is a good book to start a study about these places, how they treated patients and eventually when things stated to change and treating the patients more humanly, each chapter will be a different asylum or hospital, if you’re like me you’ll feel the sadness that accompanies these stories… but letting them die would be even worse… we need to remember what was done wrong for in the future do not make the same mistakes…

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion…

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Industrial Revolution saw a sudden increase in those perceived as ‘mad. ‘County asylums’ were seen as the most humane or cost-effective way to offer mass confinement and treatment to the patients.

I really enjoyed reading this. It was very informative on a topic that I am interested in but know little about. This book breaks down the ‘county asylums’ that were built in the Victorian era into the Edwardian era. Each operated with everything needed to ensure the patients never needed to leave the asylum’s grounds.

The author details the architect of each place, when they were built, some ‘famous’ patients who stayed in the asylum, and some of the treatments that were used. I especially appreciated the pictures showing the buildings, and what happened to the buildings when the asylums were closed down.

Readers who have an interest in the history of mental hospitals or even just an interest in architecture will no doubt enjoy this book. I received a free copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Rae Nason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the history of mental health and the development of modern healthcare fascinating. It just is mind boggling what used to be considered mental illness and how large the class and gender disparities are with treatment. Women and the poor were treated so much more harshly. And people with developmental or physical disabilities were thrown in with the patients with suicidal or homicidal ideations. The staff weren't vetted or made to treat the patients with any sort of respect or dignity and were often abusive and neglectful if not downright sadistic. Thankfully, the world has come a long way.

[MizzyRed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this would be more about the stories of the patients that were in these asylums and mental hospitals. This is more about the buildings themselves and the system by which they were run, which while interesting were not what I was expecting and I did find it a little dry. You can really tell that the author did a lot of research though. So it was well done and I am glad I got the chance to peruse this book.

[James Doyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped that this would be an extremely fascinating read, but unfortunately I found it quite dry. The information given was very heavy in terms of floor plans etc, and I found it difficult to remain interested.

It may well just by my personal taste - I'm sure it'd be enjoyable for others, but not for me.

Many thanks to Ed Brandon, NetGalley, and Pen & Sword for this copy.

[Kitty Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed Brandon has created a well research and engrossing book. Written with a wonderful narrative i learned more about Asylums than i did before. Its a heavy topic and it a massive way a tragedy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

[Camilla Zahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea is really amazing and you have nice curiosities about England’s asylum but the author used a lot of space to talk about the architecture of all the buildings, something that might be amazing to some, but to me it was tiresome.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘At Bethlem in 1814, they discovered the tortured figure of James Norris, chained to a metal pipe, constricted in a straitjacket, and left in a cold, dingy cell in solitary confinement for almost a decade,’

This was an interesting read however, I felt like it lacked in learning about people’s stories. There was more detail on each asylum and how it was laid out etc and that just didn’t excite or interest me.