Denbigh Asylum
History of Denbigh
Built: 1844 Closed: 1995
Opened: 1848 Demolished / Renovated: currently under redevelopment
Location Age: 164 years old Abandonment: main building - 1995, complete site -
2002
Location Genre: Psychiatric
Current Status: Being demolished or renovated
Located In: Denbigh, DenbighshireWL
Alternate Names: North Wales Lunatic Asylum
Denbigh Asylum was the first psychiatric institution built in Wales under the
name The North Wales Lunatic Asylum. Constuction started in 1844 and it took
four years to complete.
The hospital had many renovations and was extended from 1867 until 1956, by
which time the hospital has 1500 live-in patients and 1000 staff.
Many drugs and treatments were developed at this hospital, including malarial
treaments, insulin shock treatments and sulpher based drugs during the 1920's
and '30's. The early '40's saw the introduction of electro convulsive therapy (ECT)
and prefrontal lobotomy treatments.
The end was in sight for Denbigh when in 1960 Enoch Powell visited the site.
Soon after the visit, he announced the "hospital plan" for England and wales,
which would see psychiatric care facilities being attached to general hospitals
and the introduction of "care in the community".
In 1987 a ten year plan was in place to facilitate the closure of the site. it
closed in sections starting in 1991, the main hospital building closed in 1995
and the last of the building were vacated in 2002.
In July 2004, The Prince of Wales visited the hospital and delivered a speech
detailing his Phoenix Trust, a historic building trust that prevented the
structure from being demolished.
The site is currently awaiting partial demolishtion however, and will then be
converted into houses.
The first phase is to build 220 three-bedroom and nearly 100 four-bedroom
dwellings.
Phase two, in the main hospital site, will see the creation of apartments,
office space and a community facility.
At least some of this site will be saved and it will not suffer the same fate as
Bracebridge Heath.
Visited 2004