‘History sits under the skin’ of modern housing development
HOW A VICTORIAN ASYLUM BECAME ONE OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE POSTCODES IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
HIDDEN away in a corner of south Nottinghamshire is the secluded housing development of Upper Saxondale.
Nestled like a secret, it sits down a winding road off the busy A52 and feels a world away from next door Radcliffe-on-trent and nearby Bingham.
It’s now a sprawling upmarket residential area where homes can sell for over £1 million but its somewhat “hidden” feel might be related to its former life as the site of a mental health hospital, set amid 130 acres of land.
The hospital opened its doors in 1902 to 452 patients and local resident and researcher Georgia Moore explains that those who ran the hospital were keen for it be “self sufficient” because, in those days, authorities would strive to keep people diagnosed with any type of mental illnes away from the community.
“The hospital was well out of the way because the Victorians didn’t like to accept anything about mental illness – and sadly that could include those suffering from eating disorders or just having an illegitimate child,” explains Georgia.
“But the hospitals were nice places and not necessarily horrible. Even though stories of not so nice things might emerge, on the whole they were home to a lot of people for the majority of their lives.”
The hospital, which could have treated around 1,000 patients at any one time, eventually closed in line with government policy in 1988.
The site was acquired by David Wilson homes and around 300 dwellings were developed. While lots of the hospital buildings were demolished, a fair few were kept and converted into homes with residents now living in what were former wards and other areas of the hospital. These days, a wander around the area reveals sweeping drives, luxury penthouses, detached homes and no shortage of high-end cars.
But the site’s history is always just under its skin, with many tell-tale signs echoing the past and the stories of those who spent time there.
One example of the estate’s history can be glimpsed on the serene green, a recreational space lined with horse chestnut trees, sitting between the housing and a playground.
Along the middle of the green are three large brick pergola buildings, with seating and shelter. A close look reveals that at least one of the structures bears the signs of doors which are thought to have been connected to “secret” underground tunnels leading back into the hospital.
Old photos show the original white doors, but recent images show these entrances are now bricked up.
“It’s likely these passages were used for transporting laundry and that type of thing,” says Georgia “I have heard one or two unsavoury tales over the years about the tunnels but I think they were really just used for run-of-the-mill tasks.”
With any turn-of-the-century hospital, there are bound to be rumours of less than pleasant activity, but Ms Moore says that most of the accounts of life at Saxondale were positive and that she believes staff took pride in their work and would strive to ensure patients were happy during their time there.
This might be reflected in the rich history of its ballroom which would be used not only as a “go-to” venue for dances but also as a cinema and entertain place for patients.
Today, the spot where the ballroom once stood is a quiet treelined pathway tucked away in the middle of the housing estate, running between the back gardens of old hospital buildings which still stand.
“As you stand here, it’s hard to believe that this was once a dancefloor,” says Ms Moore who occasionally organises tours of the area.
Photos of the ballroom before the site was demolished show it in a dilapidated state, but the venue was quite grand and known all around Nottingham for its dances which were held for a variety of reasons and open to the public, with, as Ms Moore explains, some of the patients being able to attend too.
She added: “Saxondale Hospital had a large recreation hall which would be used by the surrounding villages and communities as well as the hospital staff and residents.
“It was the venue for many local dances and balls as it had a huge dancefloor with an amazing Victorian stage, used as a bandstand for such occasions.
“There would be weekly cinema shows held in this hall and every Christmas the staff would put on a pantomime for the patients.”
When it opened, Radcliffe Mental Hospital as it was then known, replaced Sneinton Asylum and, such was the need in the community, 11 years after its initial opening, the buildings were extended to be able to accommodate a further 148 patients.
In 1932, a further two “villas” were built, each for 50 patients and a 50-bed nurses’ home was added, with even more buildings being commissioned in 1937.
The old nurses’ quarters were later pulled down to make way for the homes and gardens which blanket the spot today.
The Upper Saxondale of today mostly retains its “newbuild” feel but history sits under the weight of its walls and eagle-eyed enthusiasts will spot more signs of the way things used to be. A house on the corner of Henson Lane and Saxondale Drive shows the remains of the old gateposts that once stood formed the entrance to the site, which was not via Saxondale Drive, as it is today.
And on the opposite side of the street sits a house that looks older in comparison to its neighbours as it was part of the original buildings, thought to have been the home of a senior staff member.
Standing in this quiet spot, it’s easy to conjure images of orderlies marching to and fro as well as patients strolling by and deliveries being made more than 100 years ago.
Given that the authorities were said to be keen for the hospital to function without too much outside involvement, it’s perhaps no surprise that a large farm area can be seen on old photos, with rows of large greenhouses where homes on Carnaby Close now stand.
The farmhouse dates back even earlier than the hospital.
It still stands today and is largely unchanged.
The barns also still exist and have been converted into homes, with the greenhouses standing in what is now Carnaby Close.
Perhaps one of the most recognisable sights of Upper Saxondale today is its popular restaurant Venezia – but many guests will be totally unaware that the building once formed the main entrance and administration offices of the former hospital.
As diners enjoy pizza and pasta, they sit in the the very spot where patients might have been checked in and out and where the day-to-day business of the infamous hospital would have been under way.
It has now been around 25 years since the redevelopment of Upper Saxondale began but its legacy lives on and snippets of its history are often still unearthed, with new photos and stories sometimes emerging.
“Many of the treasured photos I have were from a lovely gentleman called Les Smith, who took care of the beautiful gardens that were all around the hospital,” says Georgia.
“He passed away quite a while ago but I’m incredibly grateful to him as I often think that if these photos hadn’t been passed on to me, they’d have ended up in a bin and a little bit of history would have been lost forever.”