TURNER VILLAGE, COLCHESTER, ESSEX. OPENED 1935...............CLOSED 1990's

DATE OF VISIT: JUNE, 2006

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

TURNER VILLAGE, NAMED AFTER THE TURNER FAMILY WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH THE NEARBY ESSEX HALL ASYLUM, WAS OPENED IN 1935, AND CONSISTS OF 8 "VILLAS" LAID-OUT IN A CRESCENT PLAN, AROUND A RECREATION FIELD. TO THE SOUTH OF THE RECREATION FIELD, ALSO BUILT AROUND 1935, IS THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, WITH ASSEMBLY HALL, KITCHENS, LAUNDRY & WORKSHOPS, NOT FORGETTING THE ALL IMPORTANT WATER TOWER & BOILERHOUSE & ENGINEERING BUILDINGS! THE EIGHT VILLAS ARE NOT TOO DISSIMILAR TO SOME OF THE "SATELITE" VILLAS AT SEVERALLS HOSPITAL, WHICH LIES ABOUT 1 MILE TO THE NORTH OF TURNER VILLAGE. THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, WITH ASSEMBLY HALL IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN APPEARANCE, LOOKING MOST SIMILAR TO THE "ARTS & CRAFTS" STYLE OF THE LATE 1800's / EARLY 1900's, WITH THE BIG SWEEPING ROOFS, AND THE "COURTYARD" / "HORSESHOE" PLAN LAYOUT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT TURNER VILLAGE WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT FOR MALE PATIENTS. MORE MODERN ADDITIONS WERE BUILT IN THE 1960's / 1970's, AND WHEN ESSEX HALL ASYLUM, NEXT TO NORTH STATION, WAS CLOSED IN 1985, TURNER VILLAGE TOOK-IN SOME OF THESE PATIENTS. BY THIS TIME, TURNER VILLAGE WAS HOME TO JUST OVER 600 PATIENTS. JUST LIKE SEVERALLS HOSPITAL, NOW PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT CARED FOR IN SUCH PLACES, BUT ARE LOOKED AFTER UNDER THE "CARE IN THE COMMUNITY" GOVERNMENT SCHEME. IT IS LEFT UP TO THE READER TO DECIDE WHICH TYPE OF CARE GIVES THE BEST LEVEL & QUALITY. LIKE SO MANY OTHER SUCH SITES, THE DEVELOPMENT THREATENS TO ERASE THESE BUILDINGS FOREVER. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE VERY DIFFERENT BUILDING STYLES OF TURNER VILLAGE, AND THE NEW PRIMARY CARE TRUST CENTRE RIGHT NEXT DOOR. MY PERSONAL HOPE IS FOR THE DEVELOPER & PLANNERS TO SEE SENSE IN RETAINING THESE BUILDINGS, WHERE PRACTICAL, AS NOT ONLY ARE THESE PLEASENT TO LOOK AT, BUT ALSO WERE BUILT AT A TIME WHEN BUILDINGS WERE SOLIDLY CONSTRUCTED AND "BUILT TO LAST". AT THE TIME OF WRITING, (AUGUST, 2006), A FEW OF THE VILLAS APPEARED TO STILL BE IN USE, AND THE BUILDINGS SOUTH OF THE RECREATION FIELD EMPTY, BUT PRETTY SOLID & RELATIVELY UNSCAVED BY VANDALS.

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