Creepy Images Reveal Hidden Secrets of Abandoned Yorkshire Asylum
Photographs from Storthes Hall Hospital expose its eerie decay and haunting history
Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Storthes Hall Hospital, Asylum, Mental Health
Huddersfield: Over a century ago, Storthes Hall Hospital opened its doors, but now it’s just a crumbling shell. It closed in 1992 after 88 years of service, leaving only the administration building standing.
The Tourist Historian recently explored the site and snapped some haunting photos. Inside, everything is covered in dust and grime. The walls are bare, with graffiti taking over the once-pristine spaces.
Old light switches are rusty, and control panels are left behind, showing signs of the many eras the hospital endured. It’s a real trip back in time, seeing how it survived through the ups and downs of the 20th century.
Most of the hospital was demolished to make way for the Storthes Hall Student Village, but even that has seen better days, having closed last summer.
When Storthes Hall first opened in 1904, King Edward VII was on the throne, and the British Empire was at its peak. It weathered two World Wars and closed just after the Cold War ended.
Originally called a ‘lunatic asylum,’ it was renamed in 1929 and became part of the NHS in 1948. Sadly, it wasn’t without its controversies, facing investigations in 1967 for alleged violence against patients by some staff.
June Rawlinson, a former nurse from the 1970s, shared her memories of the patients, saying many had become institutionalized and had nowhere else to go. It was a tough situation, but she noted that they had some good times too, with parties and music on the wards.
However, when Margaret Thatcher’s Care in the Community policy came into play, the hospital’s fate was sealed, leading to its closure in the early ’90s. Now, it stands as a ghostly reminder of the past and the lives intertwined with its history.
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