Derelictia

Farewell Forlorn Lady

A late tribute to the once pristine beauty of St. Mary's Mental Hospital, Stannington (Gateshead Borough Lunatic Asylum). Now under development, peripheral parts have been torn down, and internal walls exposed to the light for the first time since their windows were boarded up. Most of the original main buildings have grade II listed status, so it can at least be hoped that any development will be at least sympathetic in part to the imposing architecture. When I paid my last visit and last respects back in March, it was to the eerie sound of chainsaws clearing the way. In every other respect though, the cool stillness of the place, the traces of it's history, the unbroken legacy remained the same as they ever were.

For more pictures, see the Flickr set here: St. Mary's Hospital / Gateshead Borough Asylum, Stannington, Northumberland