Whilst Horton was one of the largest asylums, and one of the Epson cluster,
it was also the cheapest.
Long Grove, just across the road, was far more opulent. It also featured several
villas in the grounds, self-contained wards for patients who could largely look after themselves.
This heralded the move to more open planning, and looser interconnection between the wards of
the traditional hospital.
West Park was built along these lines, basically being a collection of
villas linked by sheltered corridors. A design which has given urban explorers some trouble
(as getting into one ward at West Park means you’ve simply managed to get one ward).
