Demolition of Foster Flats

Activity at the St Lawrence's demolition site resumes with the razing of Foster Flats and day centre. Larger images here.

Snow

A collection of wintry photos taken around the hospital grounds by numerous staff. Most of these buildings no longer exist. Larger images here. Further detail here.

Foster Hall Christmas Party 1987

The Annual Children's Christmas Party held in Foster Hall on Saturday 19th December 1987.

Brass Buttons

Brass buttons from a scarlet waistcoat worn by attendants at the Cornwall County Lunatic Asylum. Further info  here.

Foster November 2013

Clearing the remains of Foster Hall and wards continues before the next stage of demolition, scheduled for completion in February 2014. Larger images here.

Foster Hall 1968

St Lawrence's Hospital Social Club bar in Foster Hall during 1968. This temporary bar was installed in the hall for various staff events and occasions including the annual St Lawrence's Staff Social Club Draw.

The St Lawrence's Hospital Social Club Draw was held every Christmas in Foster Hall.  Prizes to be won including turkeys, Christmas cakes, cigars, bottles of spirits, etc, are displayed here on hospital sheet covered tables in front of Foster Hall stage. Access to these photos courtesy of W. Jago. Further SLH images here

Foster Demolition November 2013

Recycling building debris prior to the next demolition phase of Foster. Larger images  here.

Foster Demolition: Tamar Ward October 2013

The final demolition phase of Tamar and Fal wards. Further related images here. 

Dining in Foster Hall

A George Ellis photograph; dining in Foster Hall, circa 50/60s? courtesy of M Atherton. Further detail and images can be accessed at: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Foster Hall and Pharmacy

Demolition of Foster hall and the Pharmacy, Related photos here.

Foster Demolition October 2013

The razing of Foster building, brick by brick.  Additional larger images here: Foster Buildings

Demolition

The demolition of Valency and Kensey wards, Sept 2013. SLH Videos

Foster Demolition September 2013

The demolition of Foster in full stride. Valency and Kensey wards are the first to go along with Foster corridors and the provisions store. For further images of the demolition in a larger format: Foster demolition

Bodmin and St Lawrence's Hospital 1987

Video footage from 1987 taken around Bodmin with a drive through St Lawrence's Hospital grounds. Further video here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Farewell St Lawrence's Social Club

St Lawrence's Social Club began its 57 year existence as the Rose and Shamrock in July 1956 and occupied four different buildings during its lifetime. The club closed its doors for the last time during September 2013. Larger images, further detail and staff photos snapped from the past six decades, many taken in the club, can be accessed here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Hospital grounds

The hospital grounds as photographed by staff over the past four decades. More from this collection can be viewed in greater detail at http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Foster buildings

A collection of photos taken around Foster block by staff over the past 35 years. More photos from this collection and further detail here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Foster Building 2013

External video footage taken around Foster building during May 2013, prior to demolition this summer. Further detail, video and images here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

East Cornwall Hospital

Built in 1910, demolished in 2008.  Larger images here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Examining Mental Illness in Cornwall

We are two post-doctoral researchers, Sam Rayne and Jo Esra, investigating the history of St. Lawrence’s Hospital and Elizabeth Barclay House in Bodmin, Cornwall, having both completed our studies at the University of Exeter. 

We want to find out as much as possible about the two sites in question, especially given that the Foster Building of St. Lawrence’s is, at the time of writing, under threat of demolition. However, we also want to put that exploration within the wider context of Cornish cultural history, as we feel that issues of marginalisation are relevant to both. We also hope to investigate the more general history of mental health in the Duchy which we feel is an under-explored aspect of Cornwall’s past. 

 This blog will share some of the history of St. Lawrence’s and Elizabeth Barclay House, so please feel free to comment, give feedback or ask questions.The blog can be accessed here: http://stlawrencesbodmin.wordpress.com

Townshend House

Townshend House was the medical superintendent's residence, built in 1838. Larger images here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Rashleigh 2003

Rashleigh building was erected between 1881 and 1884, occupied in 1887 and demolished in 2004. Larger images here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Harrison Clinic

Harrison Clinic started out as an isolation hospital. Built in 1898, closed in 2003 and demolished during 2012. Larger images here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Foster Corridors

Images of Foster building's corridors here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Kendall 2003

Images of Kendall building in 2003, prior to demolition. Larger images and further detail here:http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Kendall

This building was opened in 1872, housed 100 patients and was referred to as the long building before being named after the Chairman of the Committee, Nicholas Kendall. The building was destroyed by a fire in 2001 and demolished in 2008. Further images can be viewed on the website here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Radial

Radial Building, opened in 1820 at a cost of £16000, was known as the Asylum and admitted its first patient on 25th October of that year. Large images can be viewed on the website located here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html

Foster Wards & Departments

Wards and departments within Foster building. Further images located here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html 

Rashleigh

Rashleigh building, erected between 1881-1884 and occupied in 1887, was demolished in 2007. Further images can be viewed here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html 

Sports Day

Sports day, captured on a reel of 8mm cine film during the 1960s on the cricket pitch, now a housing estate. Film courtesy of Lyn & Gerald Paul.

Williams House

Williams House, named after Mary Francis Williams, a Chairman of the Health Committee. The building housed two wards; Delank on the ground floor and St Germans above. View further images here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html 

Radial 1988

Video shot in and around Radial and Foster on the 26th February 1988 for a Social Club evening, entitled " Night of the Heroes." The hospital as it was a quarter of a century ago!  The images that appear on these pages can be viewed larger here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html 

Corridors

Foster block corridor with numerous entrances on the left leading into Foster Hall. At the end of this corridor, the entrances to Kensey, Tamar, Fal and Valency Wards. The pharmacy was located further down on the right next to the cigarette machine. Images on these pages can be viewed larger on the website relocated here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html 

Another view of Foster corridor containing entrances to the staff dining room and hospital kitchens. In the foreground and to the left, fire panels, where nurses on fire duty gathered after the fire alarm sounded.

 The staff dining room was situated on the left, past the notice boards, along this Foster corridor. Opposite the dining area were the kitchens, which served the entire hospital.

A floor polishing machine stands idle along this Foster corridor view, looking towards Kensey Ward.

Foster corridor, looking down from Kensey Ward, towards the entrance on the right for staff showers and changing rooms. Images on these pages can be viewed larger on the website relocated here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html 

'Top End' 1991

The 'top end' of the hospital, videod in 1991 including Radial, Kendall and Rashleigh. The images that appear on these pages can be viewed larger here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html 

St Lawrence's Hospital Website

The images that appear on these pages can be viewed larger here: http://slhphotos.atspace.com/index.html