St Margarets asylum, Great Barr

**yamahapaul** · 8th November 2008, 19:32

First heard about this from one of my new flickr chums

So after a couple of emails were exchanged and directions obtained I checked it out a couple of times whilst at work and after several aborted attempts to get there, haven't felt well lately etc etc, finally got my arse into gear today.... I spoke to enrashid about it and he said it was just a shell, which to be fair, it is, but as I never knew it existed thought it would be cool to take a few snaps for posterity and had the intention of spending an hour there then checking out another couple of places but things don't always go to plan.....

This must've been the main entrance/ driveway...

The view from the churchyard

some photos from around and about.....

the rain duly stopped so being an inquisitive sort of fella I decided to walk down the driveway (?) and found what I guess was a substation or something like that at some point...

a couple of 400 flash shots inside it....

looking back up the drive towards the gates with the building to the left...

now the most curious thing.... I had the intention of following the drive to the end, but spied something in the distance which I thought was some kind of ornate stonework from the original hospital, however this was not the case as it was brand new!

it was some kind of bridge type affair and the drive carried on round to what looked like a construction site of somekind, but as the light was rapidly disappearing and I wanted some shots of the church next door I retreated, but definitely something interesting further on for another day.....

**Emmaj** · 9th November 2008, 19:41

great pics

thanks for the invite

**BereniceUK** · 9th November 2008, 19:45

Oooh! A church next door? Sounds interesting,was the graveyard for the asylum or is there a village nearby?

**yamahapaul** · 9th November 2008, 19:47

Originally Posted by Emmaj

great pics

thanks for the invite

You had your chance, its not my fault you were having your hair done

**Emmaj** · 9th November 2008, 19:50

Originally Posted by yamahapaul

You had your chance, its not my fault you were having your hair done

A girl has to look after her appearence

**yamahapaul** · 9th November 2008, 19:55

Originally Posted by BereniceUK

Oooh! A church next door? Sounds interesting,was the graveyard for the asylum or is there a village nearby?

Its funny that you should say that... the village is nearby and in fact the asylum would've been just off it and maybe an integral part?? Looking around the buildings in the village its reminiscent of Highfields in Brum (ie all the buildings look similar...) I did intend to take some pics of the surrounding village but spent more time there than I intended so the light was against me...I need to revisit and do some digging around.....

**BereniceUK** · 9th November 2008, 20:09

Originally Posted by yamahapaul

You had your chance, its not my fault you were having your hair done

At least some of us still have hair to get done.

Eh?

**Derelict-UK** · 10th November 2008, 20:13

Originally Posted by yamahapaul

it was some kind of bridge type affair and the drive carried on round to what looked like a construction site of somekind, but as the light was rapidly disappearing and I wanted some shots of the church next door I retreated, but definitely something interesting further on for another day.....

You will be kicking yourself now, to the right of that bridge (which has been renovated since I have last visited) was this building (Great Barr Hall)...

and inside it...

That is all that is left of St Margarets hospital, everything else has been demolished to make way for new housing.

2 years ago I visited the site when it was still standing and documented the site, I revisited when they were just completing demolition, check my before and after pics below...

Continued in the next post...