warley hospital | the essex county lunatic asylum
Last update: 23|08|10
Warley Hospital



curved corridors
general orientation

General view of a curved corridor



Curved corridors from the 1853 plan (coloured)






curved corridors
detailed pictures

Kendall and Pope decided to curve the corridors connecting the kitchens and chapel to the main gallery corridor. It isn’t known why they decided on this architectural flourish, but added extra space to the adjoining female and male wards and provided continuity from the corridors flanking the central court to the buildings at the back of the complex.

Despite the gradual reduction of the enclosed Kitchen Court by the water tower and other buildings, these curious curved corridors were left intact.

Internally the windows opened out into the airing courts and not into the kitchen court itself. The roof was left open, displaying the joists (and the later additions of piping and electrical ducts) whilst the walls were plastered.

After closure the hospital was used for a variety of film projects. Bizarre signage was added to one of the corridors which apparently relates to one of them.

southern curved corridor: interior: view west
This was the view for the visitor as they left the main gallery corridor and turned south towards the chapel and the former kitchens. The windows all opened out onto the southern airing court.

The signage on the corridor wall states:

SHIT
MISSISSIPPI
'TATE
ORP_ANAGE

(Obviously a couple of letters were moved!)




southern curved corridor: interior: view east
The view looking back east revealed the full curve of the corridor.




southern curved corridor: interior: view east
Moving further west revealed the entrance to the southern wards and the stairs to the chapel. The passageway eventually led back into the former kitchens.

The Victorian fire-proofing (the odd hollowed curved bricks) was used here for the ceiling.




northern curved corridor: exterior: view south
The exterior view of the curved corridor showed the differences in window styles between the main gallery corridor (to the left) and the wards (to the right).




northern curved corridor: interior: view east
The northern curved corridor had suffered over the years. Much the paint was peeling along its length and much of the plaster had been hacked off.




northern curved corridor: interior: view west
The view from the other direction showed a similar scene with peeling paint.




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