Hospital Name: St Lawrence’s Hospital
Previous Names: Cornwall County Asylum, Cornwall County Mental Hospital, Hospital of St Lawrence
Location: Westheath Avenue, Bodmin
Principal Architect John Foulston (Radial Buildings), Silvanus Trevail (Foster Annex)
Layout: Radial & Compact Arrow (Extension)
Status: Radial Buildings converted, Compact Arrow (Extension) demolished
Opened: Radial Buildings 1815, Compact Arrow Extension 1903
Closed: 2002

Following images taken July 2007:

Foster Hall Annex, 2008

Records

Hospital records are currently held with Kresen Kernow (Cornwall Records Office) – https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13530781

Other links of interest:

Examining Mental Health Illness in Cornwall

Burials/Cemetery

In the book about the hospital, The Dark Awakening, it is noted that hospital had its own onsite burial ground from 1850 to 1859 at which point it was full and an arrangement was made for future burials to take place at the nearby Bodmin Cemetery.

At this time we are unable to identify where the original burial ground was located.

Postcards

Books

Dark Awakening: A History of St. Lawrence’s Hospital, Bodmin, Cornwall – Charles Thomas Andrews
ISBN 10: 0950472212  ISBN 13: 9780950472218

One response to “St Lawrence’s”

1. A wonderful place, although some things have changed for the better, moved with the times, others have not. It was like a big family, everyone knew everyone. Patients were treated well and cared for. They were safe!
   Sadly now, many more choose suicide as an option because that safety net is now no more! The building, the beds, the ‘family of nurses and carers’ are no more😥💔

   Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.