St Cadocs Hospital - Caerleon - Wales - Dec 16

[hamtagger]

@John Hello and thanks for your comments. Like you've stated above, and i can't speak for everyone unfortunately, but people interested in this hobby are mostly interested in documenting old buildings photographically and not to cause any damage or inconvenience. Whether the hospital is closing or not, it is an example of an early 1900's Asylum and the unused parts will draw great interest to people like us I'm pretty sure that i CAN speak for everyone here that if an 'Urban Explorer' was to witness some little chav's attempting to wreck a piece of history we'd be dragging them by the ear out of the place ourselves so at least we've got some common ground here  

Bottom line is unfortunately (for you) people will attempt to photograph the place, it's inevitable. The fact that photographs are achieved from places like this only highlight the holes in preventative measures taken by the owners/users of the location  

Take care and happy new year John, maybe see you there someday   

 

[John]

Hello, and thank YOU very much for your for your kind comments!!!

Glad you like "my" hospital!! It is such a wonderful place.. i have been associated with the hospital for 40 odd years now, and seen a few changes!! The biggest "offenders" when it comes to nosing around, are in fact, nursing students!! I caught one lot, they nearly had a heart attack!!

One thing that i am so pleased does show up in your photos, is how beautifully these places were built. "care in the community" was all just a con... But make no mistake, this hospital is coming back to life!!!

As i said, if anyone DOES see anything that concerns them, or spots intruders THEMSELVES that they think are up to no good [unlike you lot!!] PLEASE go and inform the general office, or, if they are closed, one of the ward staff. Even if you just write down what you have seen, and where, tell them you are concerned, hand it in and bugger off, PLEASE try to help. Not saying you will get an OBE, but the staff will be grateful for your help!!

Happy new year to you too, and I may very well see you there as you say!!!!

john..

 

[nickyw_uk]

Beautiful place. So clean and tidy. Really nice pics too. I hope it doesn't get trashed

 

[John]

Hi Nicky!

It is nice and clean as it is a working hospital!! It is only the wards in the photos that are not being used, the rest of the place is alive and well!! The wards in the pictures WILL be brought back into use at some stage, and i can confirm that they are still used regularly, just not as wards!!

Forget any ideas of the place being half "closed down" or "closing down", all the new car parks were only built in the last year or two, and, if you were to go there on a busy day, you would have a job to park! There are HUNDREDS of staff, it really is a busy place!!

There WAS a time when they WERE on about closing it a good few years ago, but happily, they have cancelled all that nonsense now. As i said, sections of the building are being renovated and brought back into use all the time, as the trust that run the place, finally realise what a wonderful building they have!!

The trust have buildings all over newport, used, shall we say, in "laymans" terms, as "outpatient clinics". As time goes on they will probably be relocated to St Cadocs, and provision will be made for many more inpatients too.

As time goes on it is recognised that "care in the community" has failed, and that the big hospitals will be making a comeback, especially as there has been a large increase in the number of people that require inpatient treatment. In areas where the hospitals have been demolished they will have to build new ones!!

As you all may have gathered, I view it as far from ideal people creeping about a working hospital, but if you MUST do this, please try to remember that it IS a working hospital. As you are all sensible people i hardly need mention this, but please do not take any photos that would be inappropriate, for example, pictures of patients or staff [the two are easily confused!!!] [That is me in trouble tomorrow!! ha ha]

The photos that have been taken are all wonderful though, and I would not be at all surprised if copies of them end up in the hospital library.

Finally, as i said before, if during your adventures, any of you DO spot any signs of criminal activity, or vandalism, or anything else that you might be concerned about, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not be afraid to go to the general office, [or any other department or ward if the office is closed for any reason] and report what you have seen. You will DEFINITELY NOT get into any trouble, I can PROMISE you that. [you will not be asked "why you are there" or for your name, or anything like that] quite the opposite, the staff will be VERY greatful for your help, they really will..

Every one of the staff members is a nice person and cares passionately about the hospital and people associated with it. They would hardly be there otherwise!!

john..

 

[hamtagger]

@John I must admit, i like you and your passion for the place. Hopefully you haven't had any trouble from anyone claiming to be from our genre of interest. You'll always be up against local nosey kids and people using the guise of UE to obtain what they want, but i'm hoping you're assured that we share the same passion and respect for the buildings that you do  

 

[John]

Hi Hamtagger,

Thanks for that!! I think we all love the place to be honest. People are strangely drawn to it for some reason!! It is a lovely building though, just perfect for what it was designed for. There has been some trouble from kids, not much though, mainly smashing up the summer houses [Them round things!] and one lot tried to burn down the Llwyn Onn building. [the prefab type thing near the church] Did have someone dossing upstairs a long time ago, but that was only the once.

You would have all loved it in in the 1970's, was like a town, more or less self sufficient too. They had everything there. Doctors [obviously] dentists, operating theatres, builders, decorators, engineers, plumbers, electricians, everything, and all with their own department. The bolier house was a thing to see... It is still there, but gas powered now, whereas it was oil fired lancashire boilers with the now demolished 180 foot chimney that you can see on old photos.

The actual hospital grounds were a lot larger at one time too and they even had a farm. Go on google earth, and, in "street view", have a look at the first hospital entrance near the railway bridge. Have a look at the style of the brick wall to the right of the gates. Now, go back on google earth, and find "roman reach caerleon" Go ANTI clockwise round the estate and out onto the main road. "Stand" [in street view] in the middle of the "T" junction. Look left towards the hospital and look at the style of the brick wall..... See what i mean about larger!!

john..

 

[John]

Hi all!!

I personally caught someone in the old wards last friday afternoon [17th Feb 2017] They were very pleasant and friendly, but were escorted downstairs and ejected by facilities staff. I then spoke to senior management about the above incident.

As a result, since monday, work has proceeding at an unheard of pace, to secure the entire upstairs area, to include ALL of the old wards.

This work has now, [as of this afternoon] been completed, and the place is now TOTALLY secure.

Just thought i would post this, as, i know that none of you intended any harm, and indeed, helped keep the place safe, so i just wanted to inform you all of the above, as i know that some of you drive hundreds of miles to take photos, and i would hate anyone to spend a lot of money on petrol and the like just to be disappointed.

I suppose from your point of view it was good while it lasted!!!

Thanks all..

john.

 

[Lenston]

Thanks for the info John  

 

[hamtagger]

Hey @John, now that you're a member of the forum (and lots of other forums I have noticed), if you wouldn't mind grabbing your camera from time to time and snapping some pictures and posting them on here that'd be great to see mate  

It'd save me the looong drive down there again lol

 

[John]

What you want a photo of?? Anything in particular?? The upstairs old wards have been all been done, there are no bits up there you lot have not already photographed, unless you want detailed photos of the toilets!!

Biggest problem i have got is that my camera is not very good.... I have only got an old Fuji S5500 i think it is called. The problem is that the lens is the opposite to "wide angle" [whatever that is called!!] so taking photos, in a ward say, would result in a very narrow field of view. I already have hundreds of photos of bits of the place, but they would not mean much to any of you..

john..

 

[urblex]

@John Think hamtagger would probably enjoy detailed shots of the toilets haha

 

[Dubbed Navigator]

Good to see folk personally associated with the place being reasonable and getting involved -nice one.

 

[John]

Hi All,

That is because i have the same general love of the place as all of you and everyone else!! All of the staff there love the place and think it is beautiful.

One thing that gets said to me an awful lot is; "we wish we could have seen it back in the 1970's when it was fully operational" [in the sense that it was properly looked after and had many hundreds of patients then]

Thing is, i DID see it then!! It was wonderful... The gardens, everything, it was all properly maintained and was something to see.

The thing that blows everyone away, is the attention to detail in the architecture and all the fixtures and fittings. Everything had been thought of, and it was all done regardless of expense, and this mind you, was 40 odd years before the NHS had even been thought of..

It is one hospital that has escaped the axe though, and in fact, is coming back to life!!! Yeh!!! There are builders there as i type this, building a new path or patio whatever it is!!

john..