It is very hard to convey the size of the old Victorian Asylums in a single image; these were vast and complex buildings covering hundreds of acres and numerous structures and buildings. The other aspect that is hard to convey is the splendid isolation the Asylums originally held, as the buildings are now surrounded by the urban sprawl of the last 100 years. Consequently, the easiest was to understand their size is to either look through the original architectural plans, or to look at historical aerial photographs. Luckily, aerial photographs are now easy to come by.
As a result of the UK company Aerofilms donating their entire back catalogue, that dates from 1906 until 2006, to Historic England, it is now possible to view most of the country from the air.? Over a four year period, the Britain from Above project digitised the most important images of the UK, dating from 1919 until 1953, and made the images available online through their website,?Britain from Above. As part of this project they have allowed personal websites & blogs to use these images for free. Good news for County Asylums as it allows use to provide further information to each Asylum covered on this website. We have used this blog post to compile them into a single list for your viewing pleasure.
Finally, if you happen to have images of any of the Asylums missing an aerial view identified below please do get in touch, we would love to be able to use them on the site.
All Saints Hospital, Birmingham, Warwickshire -? First Birmingham Borough Asylum
All Saints Hospital, Birmingham (right hand side of photo)?(Britain from above)Banstead Hospital, Belmont, Middlesex – Third? Middlesex County Asylum
Banstead Hospital (County Asylums Collection)Barnsley Hall Hospital, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire -? Worcester County Asylum
Aerial view of Barnsley Hall HospitalBarrow Mental Hospital, Barrow Gurney, Gloucestershire -? Bristol City Mental Hospital
Barrow Hospital (County Asylums Collection)Bedford Asylum, Bedfordshire
No photography available
Bexley Hospital, Dartford – London Seventh London County Asylum
No photography available
Broadgate Hospital, Beverley, Yorkshire -? East Riding County Asylum
Broadgate Hospital (County Asylums Collection)Brookwood Hospital, Woking, Surrey -? Second Surrey County Asylum
No photography available
Calderstones Hospital, Clitheroe, Lancashire – Sixth Lancashire Asylum/ Calderstones Institution
Calderstones Hospital, Whalley (County Asylums Collecition)Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon, Surrey – Third (old) Surrey County Asylum
Cane Hill Hospital (County Asylums Collection)Carlton Hayes Hospital, Narborough, Leicestershire – Leicestershire and Rutland Asylum
Carlton Hayes Hospital (County Asylums Collection)Caterham Hospital, Caterham, Surrey -? London Metropolitan Asylums Board ? Caterham Imbecile Asylum
St. Lawrence’s Hospital, Caterham (County Asylums Collection)Cefn Coed Hospital, Swansea, Glamorgan – Swansea Borough Asylum
No photograph available
Central Hospital, Hatton, Warwickshire -? Warwickshire County Lunatic Asylum
Warwick County Asylum, (County Asylums Collectin)Cherry Knowle Hospital, Ryhope, County Durham – Sunderland Borough Asylum
No photograph available
Claybury Hospital, Redbridge -? London Fifth LCC Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Claybury Hospital (County Asylums Collection)Clifton Hospital, York, Yorkshire – City of York and North and East Ridings Joint Asylum
No photograph available
Coney Hill Hospital, Gloucester, Gloucestershire – Second Gloucestershire County Asylum
Coney Hill Hospital, Gloucester (Britain from above)Darenth Park Hospital, Dartford, Kent – Metropolitan Asylums Board ? Darenth Asylum and Schools
No photograph available
De La Pole, Hull, Yorkshire – Kingston upon Hull Borough Asylum
De La Pole Hospital (Britain from above)Deva Hospital, Chester, Cheshire – First Cheshire County Lunatic Asylum
Deva, Chester Country Hospital (Britain from above)Digby, Exeter, Devon -?Exeter City Lunatic Asylum
Digby Hospital, ExeterExminster Hospital, Exeter, Devon – Devon County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
Three Counties Hospitals, Stotfold, Bedfordshire – Three Counties Asylum
Fairfield Hospital – Three Counties Asylum, BedfordshireFair Mile Hospital, Cholsey, Berkshire – Berkshire Newbury and Reading Joint (Moulsford) Asylum
No photograph available
Forston Hospital, Charminster, Dorset – First Dorsetshire County Asylum
No photograph available
Friern Hospital, Barnet, Middlesex – Middlesex County Pauper Asylum, Colney Hatch
Friern Barnet Hospital (Britain from above)Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge ,Cambridgeshire – Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Joint Counties Asylum
Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge (Couty Asylums Collection)GarlandsHospital, Carleton, Cumberland – Cumberland and Westmorland Joint Counties Asylum
No photograph available
Glanrhyd Hospital, Bridgend, Glamorgan – First Glamorgan County Asylum, Angleton
No photograph available
Glenside, Bristol, Gloucestershire – Bristol City Asylum
Glenside Hospital, Bristol (Britain from above)Goodmayes Hospital, Chadwell, Essex – West Ham Borough Lunatic Asylum
Goodmayes Hospital, West Ham (Britain from above)Graylingwell Hospital, Chichester, Sussex – West Sussex County Asylum
Graylingwell Hospital, Chichester – http://www.graylingwellheritage.co.uk/Haverfordwest Hospital, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire – Havefordwest Borough Asylum
No photograph available
Hellingly Hellingly Sussex East Sussex Asylum
Hellingly Hospital, Sussex (Britain from above)Hellesdon Hospital, Norfolk – Norfolk Second Norwich Borough Asylum
Hellesdon Hopsital, Norfolk (Britain from above)Herrison Hospital, Dorchester ,Dorset – Second Dorset County Lunatic Asylum
Herrison Hospital, Dorset (County Asylum Collection)High Royds Menston Yorkshire West Riding Asylum
High Royds Hospital, Menston (Britain from above)Hill End Hosptial, St Albans, Hertfordshire – Hertfordshire County Asylum
Hill End Hospital, St Albans (Britain from above)
Hollymoor Hospital, Birmingham, Warwickshire – Third Birmingham City Asylum
Hollymoor Hospital, Birmingham (Britain from above)Horton Epsom London Seventh London County Council Asylum
Horton Hospital, Epsom (County Asylums Collection)Horton Road Hospital, Gloucester, Gloucestershire – First Gloucestershire County Asylum
Horton Road Hospital, Gloucester (Britain from above)Hull, Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire – Hull and East Riding Refuge
No photography available
Kingsway Hospital, Derby, Derbyshire – Derby Borough Lunatic Asylum
Kingsway Hospital, Derbyshire (County Asylums Collection)Knowle Hospital, Fareham, Hampshire – First Hampshire County Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
Lancaster Moor Hospital, Lancaster -?Lancashire First Lancashire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Lancaster Moor Hospital (Britain from Above)Leavesden Hospital, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire – Metropolitan Asylums Board ? Leavesden Imbecile Asylum
Leavesden Hospital (Britain from Above)Leicestershire Asylum, Leicester – Leicestershire First Leicestershire Asylum
First Leicestershire Asylum?(Britain from Above)Littlemore Hospital, Oxford, Oxfordshire – Oxfordshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Littlemore Hospital, Oxford (Britain from Above)Long Grove Hospital, Epsom – London Tenth London County Asylum
Long Grove Hospital, Epsom (County Asylum Collection)Manor Hospital, Epsom – London Sixth London County Asylum
Manor Hospital, Epsom (County Asylum Collection)Mapperley Hospital, Nottingham – Nottinghamshire Nottingham Borough Asylum
No photography available
Maudsley Hospital, Camberwell, London – The Maudsley Neurological Clearing Hospital
No photography available
Mendip Hospital, Wells, Somerset – Somerset And Bath County Asylum
Mendip Hospital, Wells, (Britain fro Above)Mid Wales Hospital, Talgarth, Breconshire – Mid Wales Counties Mental Hospital
No photograph available.
Middlewood Hospital, Wadsley, Yorkshire – Second West Riding of Yorkshire County Asylum
Middlewood Hospital, Mapperly (County Asylum Collection)Moorhaven Hospital, Plymouth – Devon Plymouth Borough Asylum
No photograph available
Naburn Hospital, Fulford – Yorkshire York City Asylum
From the air, before WWII. – Image kindly donated by the family of Arthur William Stannard (worked at Naburn 1918-1938)Napsbury Hospital, St Albans – Middlesex Second Middlesex County Asylum
Napsbury Hospital (County Asylums Collection)Netherne Hooley Surrey Surrey County Asylum
Netherne Hospital, Hooley (County Asylums Collection)
North Wales Hospital, Denbigh, Denbighshire – North Wales Counties Lunatic Asylum
No Photograph available
Norwich Asylum, Norwich – First Norwich Borough Asylum
No Photograph available
Oakwood Hospital, Maidstone, Kent – First Kent County Asylum
Oakwood Hospital, Maidstone (Britain from Above)Parc Hospital, Bridgend, Glamorgan – Second Glamorganshire Asylum, Parc Gwyllt
Parc Hospital, BridgendPark Prewett Hospital, Sherborne St.John, Hampshire – Second Hampshire County Lunatic Asylum
Park Prewitt Hospital (Flickr)Parkside Hospital, Macclesfield, Cheshire – Second Cheshire County Asylum
No photograph available
Pastures Hospital, Derby, Derbyshire, Derbyshire County Asylum
Pastures Hospital, Derbyshire (Britain from Above)Pen-Y-Fal Abergavenny Monmouthshire Joint Counties Lunatic Asylum
No photography available
Powick Hospital, Powic,k Worcestershire – First Worcestershire County Lunatic Asylum
Powick Hospital (Britain from Above)Prestwich Hospital, Manchester – Lancashire Second Lancashire County Asylum
Prestwich Hospital, Manchester (Britain from Above)Rainhill Hospital, Prescot, Lancashire – Third Lancashire County Asylum
Rainhill Hospital Annexe (Britain from Above)Rauceby Sleaford Lincolnshire Kesteven County Asylum
No photograph available
Roundway Hospital, Devizes, Wiltshire – Wiltshire County Asylum
No photographs available
Rubery Hill Hospital, Birmingham, Warwickshire – Second Birmingham Borough Asylum
No photograph available
Runwell Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex – Runwell Mental Hospital
Runwell Hospital, WickfordSaxondale Hospital, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire – Second Nottinghamshire County Asylum
Saxondale Hospital, Radcliffe on TrentScalebor Park Hospital Burley In Wharfedale, Yorkshire – West Riding Private Asylum
No photograph available
Severalls Hospital, Colchester, Essex – Second Essex County Asylum
Severalls Hospital, ColchesterShelton Hospital, Shrewsbury,? Shropshire – Shropshire and Wenlock Borough Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
Shenley Hospital, Radlett – Middlesex Third Middlesex County Mental Hospital
Shenley Hospital, Radlett (Britain from Above)Sneinton Hospital, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire – Nottingham Asylum
No photograph available
Springfield Hospital, Wandsworth, Surrey – Surrey County Asylum
Springfield HospitalSt Andrew?s Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk – Norfolk County Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
St Audry?s Hospital, Melton, Suffolk – Suffolk County Asylum for Pauper Lunatics
St. Audry’s Hospital, WoodbridgeSt Augustine?s Hospital, Canterbury, Kent – Second Kent County Asylum
No photograph available
St Bernard?s Hospital, Ealing, Middlesex – Middlesex County Asylum/Hanwell Asylum
St Bernard?s HospitalSt Cadoc?s Hoapital, Newport, Monmouthshire – Newport Borough Mental Hospital
St Cadoc’s Hospital (Britain from Above)St Clement?s Hospital, Ipswich, Suffolk -? Ipswich Borough Mental Hospital
No photograph available
St Crispin Duston Northamptonshire Northampton County Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
St David?s Hospital, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire – The United Lunatic Asylum for Cardigan, Carmarthen, Glamorgan and Pembroke
St David’s Hospital, CarmarthenSt Ebba?s Hospital, Epsom – London Ewell Epileptic Colony
St Ebba’s Hospital, EpsomSt Edward?s Hospital, Cheddleton, Staffordshire – Third Staffordshire County Asylum
St Edwards Hospital, Cheddleton (Britain from Above)St Francis Hospital, Haywards Heath, Sussex – Sussex County Asylum
St Francis Hospital, Sussex (Britain from Above)St George?s Hospital, Stafford, Staffordshire – First Staffordshire County Lunatic Asylum
St Georges, Stafford (Britain from Above) – to the read of the prisonSt George?s Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland – County Pauper Lunatic Asylum for Northumberland
St Georges Hospital, Morpeth (Britain from Above)St James? Hospital, Portsmouth, Hampshire – Portsmouth Borough Asylum
No photograph available
St John?s Hospital, Bracebridge Heath, Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
St John?s Hospital, Stone, Buckinghamshire – Buckinghamshire County Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
St Lawrence?s Hospital, Bodmin, Cornwall – Cornwall County Lunatic Asylum
St Lawerence’s, BodminSt Luke?s Hospital, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire – Middlesbrough Borough Asylum
No photograph available
St Martin?s Hospital, Canterbury, Kent – Canterbury Borough Asylum
St Martins Hospital, CanterburySt Mary?s Hospital, Burghill, Herefordshire – Herefordshire County Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
St Mary?s Hospital, Stannington, County Durham – Gateshead Borough Asylum
No photograph available
St Matthew?s Hospital, Burntwood, Staffordshire – Second Staffordshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
St Nicholas?s Hospital, Coxlodge, Northumberland – Newcastle upon Tyne Borough Lunatic Asylum
St Nicholas’s Hospital, Newcastle (Britain from Above)Stanley Royd Hospital, Wakefield, Yorkshire – West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Stanley Royd Hospital, Wakefield (Britain from Above)Stone House Hospital, Dartford, Kent – City of London Lunatic Asylum
Stone House HospitalStorthes Hall Hospital, Kirkburton, Yorkshire – Fourth West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Storthes Hall Hospital (Britain from Above)The Towers Hospital, Humberstone – Leicestershire Leicester Borough Lunatic Asylum
No photograph available
Tone Vale Hospital, Taunton, Somerset – Somerset County Asylum
No photograph available
Tooting Bec Hospital, Tooting, London – Metropolitan Asylums Board ? Tooting Bec Asylum
No Photograph available
Warley Hospital, Brentwood, Essex – Essex County Lunatic Asylum
Warley HospitalWarlingham Park Hospital, Chelsham, Surrey – Croydon Borough Asylum
Warlingham Park HospitalWest Park Hospital, Epsom, London – Eleventh London County Mental Hospital
West Park Hospital, EpsomWhitchurch Hospital, Whitchurch, Glamorgan – Cardiff City Mental Hospital
Whitchurch Hospital, CardiffWhitecroft Hospital, Newport, Hampshire – Isle of Wight County Asylum
No image available
Whittingham Hospital, Preston, Lancashire – Fourth Lancashire County Asylum
Whttingham HospitalWinterton Hospital, Sedgefield, County Durham – Durham County Asylum
Winnerton HospitalWinwick Hospital, Warrington, Lancashire – Fifth Lancashire County Asylum
Winwick Hospital, Warrington (Britain from Above)