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London County Asylum
The Manor Hospital
Date planned: 1896
Date opened: 1899
Date closed: 1996
Location: East side of Horton Lane , Horton, nr. Epsom, Surrey
Architect(s): 1896-99 William C. Clifford-Smith Architect to the London County Council.
Layout: Irregular pavilion
Relevant history:
The London County Council obtained the Horton estate in Epsom in order to accommodate future multiple asylum development, following the successful adaption of the sites at Claybury and Bexley. Despite already possessing these and three other asylums, the County of London still had insufficient space of lunatics and a programme of temporary accommodation was implemented at Hanwell (St.Bernard's), Colney Hatch (Friern), and Banstead. In continuation of this, temporary pavilions for 700 harmless chronic female patients were erected around the pre-existant Horton Manor house, relieving pressure until Horton Asylum was completed. Further additions for over 100 male patients was later added in order to provide a workforce for essential services located principally at the Central pumping and power station across Horton Lane. Following the opening of Long Grove and West Park Hospitals , the Manor Hospital became available as a Certified Institution for Mental Defectives and remaining mentally ill patients were relocated. Part of the central pumping and power station was adapted as detached accomdation named 'Sherwood' and included as part of The Manor Institution. By 1970 the state of repair of the temporary accommodation was giving cause for concern and was replaced by bungalow units to the east of the site, with the remaining site being mostly cleared.
Site development:
The red brick Horton manor house was utilised as the administrative block, with similarly styled medical officer's quarters adjoining. Stores, kitchens and laundry buildings were also constructed from red brick with slate roofs and curved gables with bulls-eye windows. Linking these and the manor house stood the temporary single storey ward blocks constructed with wooden frames clad in corrugated metal sheets with sash windows inserted. Roofs were also corrugated metal with brick chimney stacks. These blocks were arranged around side corridors arising from the main spine corridor. A similar, larger range of temporary wards also projected north from the Manor house, including a chapel for patients. Despite the fifteen year life expectancy of the blocks proof of the dangers of this type of building following a fire in a similar block at Colney Hatch, they were to remain in regular use for over sixty years. The grounds also included an isolation hospital to the south west of the main complex and porter's lodges of red brick and pebble-dash on Horton Lane and Christchurch Road entrances. The 1970's redevelopment provided large single-storey villas also of red brick with flat roofs, typical of the style employed by the NHS during that period.
Current status:
Horton Manor house deteriorated severely and following redevelopment only two storeys of the western façade and adjoining sections were retained, the rest having been rebuilt in a sympathetic style. The medical officers residence and three service blocks, as well as both porter's lodges survive in residential use. The majority of the original temporary structures were demolished around 1970 and were replaced by purpose built single storey villas, most of which were located to the east of the site. These in turn were demolished following closure and have been replaced by residential development. Three original structures continued to stand close to the porter's lodge on Horton Lane until 2004, however they have since been demolished to provide car parking space for an adjoining learning disabilities unit. The isolation hospital was replaced by new staff housing around 1975.
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Porter's Lodge South |
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Horton Manor House |
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Horton Manor House from East
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Superintendent's House
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Superintendent's House
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