COPYRIGHT ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

HISTORY & INTRODUCTION.........

SEVERALLS HOSPITAL, DESIGNED BY WHITMORE & TOWN, WAS OPENED IN 1913, WITH THE FOUNDATION STONE AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING SHOWING THAT THE MAIN BUILDING WORK STARTED IN 1910. THE HOSPITAL WAS BUILT WITH A PATIENT CAPACITY OF 1,800. LATER BUILDING WORKS TOOK PLACE, WITH THE ADDITIONS OF SOME OF THE "SATELLITE" VILLAS, SUCH AS "GAMMA". DESIGNED IN THE LATE EDWARDIAN STYLE OF FACING BRICKWORK, LARGE WINDOWS, BIG ROOF OVERHANGS, LIGHT & AIRY WARDS WITH HIGH CEILINGS AND SIMPLE YET SOMEHOW ELEGANT LINES, THE MAIN HOSPITAL COMPLEX IS LAID-OUT BASED ON THE "ECHELON" ASYLUM FLOOR PLAN, BASICALLY MEANING A SYMMETRICAL LAYOUT OF BUILDINGS, CONNECTED BY "LINK CORRIDORS", SO THAT PATIENTS, STAFF & VISITORS COULD MOVE BETWEEN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE HOSPITAL, WITHOUT STEPPING OUTSIDE. AS YOU WILL SEE, SEVERALLS IS NOT LACKING IN THE ABOVE, WITH SEEMINGLY ENDLESS CORRIDORS. LOOSING ALL SENSE OF DIRECTION WHILST ROAMING THESE CORRIDORS WOULD BE A REAL POSSIBILITY, EXCEPT FOR THE MIGHTY WATER TOWER, WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM ALMOST ANYWHERE. CENTRAL TO THIS NETWORK OF CORRIDORS & WARDS WAS THE GRAND MAIN HALL, SADLY NOW ONLY VISIBLE IN PEOPLE'S MEMORIES & PHOTO ALBUMS, DESTROYED DUE TO ACTS OF MINDLESS VANDALISM. AS DESCRIBED BY A FORMER STAFF MEMBER, SEVERALLS "WAS LIKE A SMALL TOWN", SELF-SUFFICIENT WITH IT'S OWN KITCHENS, STORES, ENGINEERING & WORKSHOPS, NOT FORGETTING THE MAGNIFICENT CHAPEL, WHICH STILL STANDS TO THIS VERY DAY. IN FACT, DESPITE NUMEROUS ARSON ATTACKS, THIS HOSPITAL STANDS MAINLY IN COMPLETE & ORIGINAL CONDITION, DEFIANT TO THE YEARS OF NEGLECT & THE REPEATED ONSLAUGHT FROM MINDLESS IDOITS. HOWEVER, THE GREATEST THREAT TO THIS MAGNIFICENT HOSPITAL & SURROUNDING GROUNDS IS YET TO COME. AT THE TIME OF WRITING, SEVERALLS HAS BEEN SOLD FOR MAJOR RE-DEVELOPMENT, WHICH ALMOST CERTAINLY WILL MEAN THIS HISTORICALLY / ARCHITECTURALLY IMPORTANT SITE WILL BE LOST FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS -FOREVER. THIS WEBSITE AIMS TO RECORD & DOCUMENT BUILDINGS FOR THE FUTURE, SUCH AS SEVERALLS HOSPITAL, AND HOPEFULLY TO EDUCATE WHILST BEING INTERSTING!! STILL INTERSTED? -THEN LET THE TOUR BEGIN!!!......................