I cant believe this building has got in such a bad state in such a short time. I worked here for a short time in the sixties, and enjoyed it very much. All the patients in the ballroom dancing and having a whale of a time. Bless em. They thought i was a Doctor, No, i was a carpenter.
Just memories now. Probably be a huge council estate any time now. More overspill from London. There wont be a blade of grass left in Essex to see before long. Rest in peace Essex.
Put a hi viz vest on and walk straight in in the day time when theres no guards about no one will take notice because of the construction work going on
@sammyjade20 It's in the north of Colchester, just south of A12, and to east of Boxted Rd. Have a look on Google Maps and you can't miss it, because like many large asylums it looks like a large symmetrical kidney shape. They've started demo work tho' as I understand it.
i was in this place night man, im from c town init, its the scariest fukin place in the world when it reaches dark yeh, we went in all the underground tunnels yeh n it lead to some cellar rooms n there were scratch marks on the ceilings and wooden bit on the walls where people wud of been locked up to, its nearly impossible to find ur way out in the dark it all looks the same, feds come n we ducked :L u have to jump a like 12 foot sharpend fence tho n i got cut up bad !
@FRANKIEE253 Yep, there are guards & for the last couple of years access has been much harder. Basically was local BBC news article about Sevs which literally showed how easy it was to get in, & thus embarrassed they invested in extra fencing & razor wire! If you got caught you'd be asked to leave since trespass is a civil matter, unless you've been like some of the numpties who post on here about graffiti & smashing the place up thus committing criminal damage & plod being rightly called.
Wasteful is not even the word to describe this. Beautiful old buildings left to rot until they either fall over or get demolished. Society today is about throwing things away and buying new, the same can be said for buildings. My son's school is a gorgeous old building built in the late 1800's and instead of fixing they are going to knock it down and build a new one, sadly because it's not a listed building.
Just of you guys didnt know, this building has an interesting (dark) past.
Severalls was one of the rare asylums where psychiatrists were free to experiment on patients using treatments now considered inhumane. Most patients we administered electro-convulsive therapy and frontal lobotomy – before reforms were introduced in the ’60s.
this so called "new wave" of supposed urbexers is bullshit they aint urbexers at all just a bunch of cunts who dont care about anything its nothing to do with the plan of what they are knocking down i know what parts they are knocking down ive spoken to the trust
@essexmole Well fair enough, but Severalls is mostly going to be demolished now like Cane Hill so it doesn't matter any more.
Also I explore derelict buildings so that makes me an urban explorer.
I would say respect what is good and destroy what is finished.
By the way I thnk admin and some of the wards *may* be preserved but the way to preserve buildings and convert them is not to leave them empty for 15 years. That is the fault of the trust.
@titanastic yes it is being demolished but theres alot they are going to be saving i have spoken to the project manager of severalls and he told me about the place and the plans yes i agree save what can be saved and demolish the rest but not vadalise places like it what is the point? its a 100 year old place with a strong history and dark history if people did their research on the place it prob would be respected more if they kept it open and sold it then they would of made the millions
@essexmole What is worth saving? Well, maybe admin, some of the wards, and the water tower as a landmark. The thing about housing projects is that many areas like the utility services, engineering, the hall, and corridors are useless to convert to housing. So naturally the New Wave Urbex Smash groups will focus their attention on those, and break up the redundant stuff. The Chavs will smash anywhere like the wards etc although even these will be gutted, so there's not a lot of harm done.
@essexmole Well I hope the bloody NHS lazy fucktards trust or whoever is supposed to be responsible get going and preserve what is going to be saved PDQ. If they don't get on with it SOON there will be NOTHING left to save. If the urbex smash crews ever decide to start to get going in admin and the wards it is going to be carnage city!!!
@pretendmosquito yes very true all it will take is the wankers to go round smashing it up im hoping they save most of it its part of the colchester history the admin building and the water tower are the main areas being saved they are listed
Its in quite a bad state atm, and there going to pull it down soon as there building houses on it. Stupid idea as firstly, Its haunted and secondly theres needles and dieases contained stuff everywhere. In 2019 and some little kid finds a needle which was from severalls and injects not knowing what there doing, imagine that.
The burnt down hall added to the atmosphere. Anyway that was demo'd some time ago it's just rubble now.
The hall was never going to be part of any preservation scheme for housing, so not much use for it apart form to meet up for a beer after looking round.
this is a truly amazing place with a very colourful past. i;ve just taken an interest to urban exploring and severalls is defo on my list in colchester, along with Hyderabad and Meanee Baracks on mersea road.
Ahhh nice one dude lol,ill have to give that a go. just fascinated by the place. the fuckers that go there just to demolish it are c**ts! its an amazing place.
stevealmighty87 is rite dont go there to smash it up cos if you get caught your guna get charged for criminal dammage, i did. it may be a big place but they will catch you, sent 5 cop cars after us and dogs so be carefull!!!!
Of course they are going to catch you. i went recently and the security has been stepped up. shits been going on 13 years and i bet they are fed up to the teeth. they know what they are looking for and in all honesty you could probably hear the twats doing it anyway. more than likely they will be goading each other on. if your doing it you deserve to be caught. ive been 9 times and never been spotted!
However i get enraged by the sad arses that insist on going in there to destroy it! ! if you wanna look hard in front of your mates, get a life!
The people on here that appriciate this building i have a huge respect for you.
The guys here that like wrecking it need to fuck off in all honesty - to call yourselves urban explorers is an insult - especially you stormtrooper - your views are 100% retarded and portrays you as a total asshole
Well it will mostly be demolished in a short while anyway, so what is the difference? Generally we don't smash the bits which are likely to to be preserved for housing which is most of the echelon ward blocks in the current plan. Although they are likely to be stripped and gutted in the conversion process. So the fact we take a door out, for example, has no relevance.
Usually the new wave urbex smash explorers will follow this loose code. Although, there are some who don't know the future plans
great video. i really want to go in there but its all fenced up and has security. i dnt live far away from there and have driven around there b4 tryin to look for an entrance...any ideas?
theres a main road that leads from adsa past it at the last set of traffic lights theres a way in behind loads of bushes (Y) ill give ya a guided tour if you pay me lol
wow 3:03 to 3:25 is that all the hospital? it looks like a small city , thats insane that places like this exist . just goes to show how wasteful we are as people .
Yep ... a view of possible 3/4 of it. The water tower where it was shot from is offset from the central "spine" of the principally symmetrical layout (men's/women's halves), so there's wards and buildings behind it too. The hospital was built as basically a self-sufficient community, since isolation in a safe environment was key part of mental health treatment of the time. Even most of the staff lived on site when first built. Truly grand hospitals!
Go there all time, a lot of tramps, security guards in jeeps and dogs makes it less peacefull. It has so much potential all the green in outside looks so nice and has a lot of intresting history. Go there at Night and I doubt you'll stay long.
ive been in there at night about 4 times. its not that bad. always hear footsteps and bangs and stuff in the operating theatres but its not too bad really.
i must say i think severells is haunted i went there a coulpe of days ago, There was a whisper saying "Come ... Come, We Me", I Was Like Fuck This Im Off! btw there was no-one there.
i live like 5 minute walk when i was bit younger 14,15 used to go down their loads man everyone used to go down their its smashed to bits. Been burnt down walls being bulldozered. It should get knocked down cos its getting ruined anyway.
Seriously, going into somewhere like this with all its history and you guys think yeah its fun to smash stuff and spray walls. yeah its being knocked down and pretty much messed up, but to some people this building is history and some of us would like it saved, and plus many MANY people died here and lived here. give it some respect!!!!
Why would you want it saved, it's beyond repair now.... So what if people died in there, it's a hospital, of course people are gonna die in there.... seriously, everyone's just arguing for the sake of arguing.... it's fun to go in there and muck about. end of story...
Yeah but even if ppl died there, it was home to people who needed safety from themselves and they were happy. if they saw what their home is now like now... i went to severalls years ago and it was a beautiful hospital
actually, it was a place where thye experimented on people, with precedures that are now illegal. Also a lot of the patients put in there, were rape victims and illegitimate children who were not wanted.
That was then , this now. I bet if you came along with our crew and we showed you some good smashing techniques, you would enjoy it.. Girls can smash stuff up too, it's hot. You just need a bit of instruction.
Well, your choice, but it's just bricks, mortar, and timber now. I can't see how the fact your family went there has any connection. Destruction can be fun, and this can be a way to unwind.
When I went there, I had more of an adrenaline rush as me and a few mates had to move quitely around the guards which patrolled the new asylum and this one. Bloody amazing.
You see like paint which people have tried to make look like blood but you can really see real blood. It makes you think of what happened in there, before and after it closed. This place is amazing and should never be changed. The sooner people are made aware of its history, the scarier it wil be and the more of an attraction it will become.
Lol i heard that one of the main surgions did loads of tests on patients, weird tests to see how the brain works but im sure its not true, cos you always hear stories like that about old mental hospitals
If you have seen this place properly, as in pitch black, climbing up the water tower with nothing but a light on a phone, seeing blood on the walls, then you would understand how scary this place is. Going up the water tower stairs when there is some steps missing was freaky, looking at lamps on walls with blood on them.
I would say get down there and smash the shit up while you still can. There's stll lots of sinks and toilets that can be broken, doors ripped of their hinges etc.
u think that bothers me? im afraid ur mistaken! karate or not id rip u to shreads. just saying thats what will happen if i see u there smashing the place up. u have been warned
but what good reason has anyone got not to smash it up... at the end of the day ANYONE, photography or fun, in there is breaking the law.... so the explorers are just as bad as the vandals....
You can't even write proper English. Pathetic... I bet you're a retard with an IQ of about 80. The smashing of Severalls will continue, and there's nothing you can do to stop it so STFU.
the smashing will continue? yes it is a used hospital and yes fine everyone goes there to smash it up, my fucking point is, u smashing it up will fucking ruin history. u might not care about history or this hospital, but there some ppl who do. so u can stfu
I think you mean: "you're" likely to be arrested. Why can nobody write decent English ?
Most of Severalls is going to be demolished anyway, so whether it's the urban explorers who do it, or the demolition crews, I can't see what difference it makes.
The plan was for it to be sold for redevelopment in April 2007. Indeed that's exactly why I timed my visit to get there before it had been sold and they started demolishing it. However, nothing never seemed to come of the bidding process, and now in the current climate most of the large brown field projects seemed to be iced.
Only notable exception is Cane Hill where they've been merrily demolishing it (see my video of Cane Hill on the day before demo started).
This is a video I watch time and time again - it's very good. This hospital pioneered a lot of mental health studies in the early 1900s including labotomoys. It was quite something.
Yep, that's exactly what's in there. Well done dickwipe. Obviously if there were bodies then the hundreds of people that go here every year would have reported them by now?
thankyou for your reply! my mind is a little at ease now, for when i go. (well by the looks there is not much to theive or damage there) but thankyou!
hi, cool vid, was thinking of having a look round here one day soon. only thing which is on my mind though, is this not classed as tresspassing? and say what if you got caught doing this? thankyou!
However, trespass isn't a criminal offence in the UK (well unless you happen to be trespassing on a number of very specific military and royal sites), and so basically you would be asked to leave, especially at a place like Sevs where they're used to people trying to look around.
Of course all bets are off if you take anything (theft) or damage anything (criminal damage) when plod could rightfully be called!
Im very intrested in these explorations and i would love to go on one. does any one no of any teams willing to take a member or do you know of any places to explore in the hertforshire area ?
great video. I spent a few months in there in the winter of 1991 when i was diagnosed with schizophrenia.I haven't been in one since.Makes me so angry to see the place in such a state. God bless the N.H.S.
I'm guessing that sop sax music is Kenny g? So what is the defination of an urban explorer? Is it another term for a gippo who doesn't want to pay to go and see a piece of history or enter a museum?! lol, only kidding. Great vid. I'm from colchester born and bred and have always wondered about this place and where the nutters are now!
LOL ... well I happily pay and visit many museums and historical sites and am a long standing member of English Heritage to boot. However, it's all about the sites you don't normally get to see and that natural "I wonder what's inside there" urge.
Kenny G!!!! Wash your mouth out. As credited in the video, the track is by the superb Finnish prog rock band Kingston Wall. The sax part on Shine On Me was played by Sakari Kukko.
Nicely done. Anyone know of informative Colchester links? I am thinking of moving there and while it is easy to find stats they do not give you a feel of the place; what it is like to live in and where the best areas to live are.
Our urbex group has decided to stop smashing at Severalls. We felt the place had taken enough, and we were also inspired by this excellent video and the soundtrack.
In creating a great atmospheric abandoned building there are those that believe a certain amount of dereliction adds to the original content. The artistry of that is down to personal choice.
So, top marks to RAndyVee for this production. It's not the end of urbex smashing, but it is the light of a new dawn for Severalls.
When yooh go into severalls if yooh go under ground ur likely to die in 10 years cuz of Asbestos don't breathe in the dist that's how yooh get it u get a 96% chance of dyeing just to tell everyone I still go in there but oh well don't go under ground if yooh don't go underground then yooh only have a 64% chance of dyeing just thought I'd say don't ask why this is ma' sis's account so don't start talking to her kk
I went there was i was 9, afew years back when the hall wasnt burnt and there was still sanderleers and a stage, was abserlutely beautiful went there just now and went all the way round, its still possiable
I hate to see where all the neds went in and smashed everything to bits and all. What a shame. That ruins it for everyone who just want to go in and check it out.
this brings back sooo many memories,used to go there quite alot instead of college but was a long walk-remeber the pigeon infested tower,the paintings,the boiler kinda room,but i can't belive the main hall is demolished.can remeber when the stage was there and the chandilear light thing.got a poster from severalls,in like a shack.
you need to go in the tunnels,its so amazing.but some parts of severalls creep me out.have you seen the room with the mirror in the corner?didnt like that one.
Just realised the main hall has gone, sad, I mean I went there when it was burnt, but not completely rubble, such an atmosphere that place after it had burnt down, some of th iron girders were swaying and squeaking in the wind, it was oddly quiet...
I love this place. I used to live in colchester and go there all the time, there's not a single part we didn't explore... Even the underground maintainence tunnels and we were so close to getting into the chapel... I remember swinging on the lights in the main hall before it burned down. It such a shame it's going to be houses, no problem though, I'm in London now, there's whole abandoned sections of the underground :).
Is it still there and easy to access? been meaning to go for a while now as its the biggest place of its kind close enough to where I live (Norwich) to warrent a day out there (west park is the one I really want to go to tho.) Any info / help would be wicked. PM me please
i worked there in the eighties as part of the maintainance dept.Spent alot of time down in the tunnels love to go back and see if my name is still inscribed on the tunnel roof.Never happen as i'm living in Australia now
Does sort of ring a bell actually, the tunnels are a bit damaged now because of the main hall fire... Although interestingly, for conspiracy theorists, there was a load of that explosive fertiliser down there...
also remember characters like arthur??? interupting our lectures in the alpha, beta and gamma buildings. shame about the hall had a sprung wood ball room floor and was apparently very rare. thanks B
hi, thanks for the memorie, i studied there when it housed the institute for health studies from 92 - 95. was agreat building with its own character. worked on wentworth, jenner and lola.
P2: Anyway, what I'm really posting about is the fact that I'd really like to visit Severalls and use it as a backdrop for some of my modelling work. If anyone would be willing to get into contact with me about issues of security/safety that it might be important for me to know about I would be very grateful. I haven't checked it out yet but from what I understand it hasn't been pulled down yet.
Comment P1: Aiming 4 a career in the mental health profession&thus having an interest in the history of MH treatment I can hardly bring myself 2 comment on this notion of 'urban explorers'/vandals- can only conclude that these people r stupid, whether/ not they have an articulated philosophy.
Urban Explorers are not vandals. Sadly as you can see from the discussion below there are however some vandals who try to hide behind the UE name :-(.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Great video. Me and my mate are urban explorers. We've been to Severalls a lot to smash holes in the walls and make holes in the roof. This helps the evil place to decay quicker.
If you check round the water tower or the remains of the hall you'll find heavy chunks of concrete/bricks that you can take to other parts of the site. Use those to heave through doors, windows, and walls etc.
Sorry about that RAndy. We didn't realise it was such a sensitive issue. In one way we are creating a new experience each time for the urban visitors because when you go back it is not the same and you can track how the buildings dilapidate over the years. Also we don't damage areas which are going to be preserved like the wards, admin, and the water tower. The rest of the stuff like the kitchens ancillary buildings and the corridors is all going to be demolished anyway.
The thing you forget is that the property developers, whose preference would always be to level the whole site since they can make more money if they simply build regular boxes everywhere, use the damage caused by vandalism to justify why they can't keep many of the original buildings. Water is second only to fire when it comes to destroying buildings, and so once roofs are damaged etc. it's downhill from then on.
Yes we certainly wouldn't get involved in any fires. That causes a waste of resources for fire brigade. Water is the best means to achieve peaceful graceful decay which can be done by making holes in valley gutters at strategic locations. In regards to developers, there are many buildings in a complex such as Severalls which have no architectural merit and would not have a place in a housing scheme. These buildings were always destined for the bulldozers.
Its so sad when u think of how short we are in this country of hospitals and prisons and they have a massive building like this just going 2 ruin, all they care abt in this country is houses and more houses, money + more money.
great vid, like how your always moving backwards makes it much more interesting and good music.
never actually heard of this place but might have to go there some time to take some pics before it goes, I googled it and see the council have planned a housing devolpment there and it will be up for sale soon.
Glad you enjoyed the whole thing being backwards ... it's sometimes difficult to make videos varied enough and so was please that the backwards "trick" worked out on this one.
The info you found on Google was a bit out of date ... Severalls was sold in April and development is soon to commence, tho' it's still explorable at the moment.
(03:05) u wanna be carful. see that hole in the floor. thats where i fell throu the floor..... and most of that paper work is peoples medical records..... such a shame people want to damage the place. eg setting fire to that beutiful main Hall.
Damn shame about the cameraman who seemed to be in too much of a hurry.
justamick1 3 weeks ago
I cant believe this building has got in such a bad state in such a short time. I worked here for a short time in the sixties, and enjoyed it very much. All the patients in the ballroom dancing and having a whale of a time. Bless em. They thought i was a Doctor, No, i was a carpenter.
Just memories now. Probably be a huge council estate any time now. More overspill from London. There wont be a blade of grass left in Essex to see before long. Rest in peace Essex.
justamick1 3 weeks ago
Put a hi viz vest on and walk straight in in the day time when theres no guards about no one will take notice because of the construction work going on
stevehoob1979 2 months ago
i think ghost hunters should have a new episode here...now that would rule !!
NNASTYNATE666 2 months ago
this is one of the best videos of Severalls Asylum
NNASTYNATE666 2 months ago
this video rules !!!
NNASTYNATE666 2 months ago
i live in col but dont know where this is can anybody help?
sammyjade20 2 months ago
@sammyjade20 It's in the north of Colchester, just south of A12, and to east of Boxted Rd. Have a look on Google Maps and you can't miss it, because like many large asylums it looks like a large symmetrical kidney shape. They've started demo work tho' as I understand it.
RAndyVee 2 months ago
ok, i won't say no more coz im very interested in poltergeist lol. would be awesome to visit this place, i love old buildings, i live in essex too :)
nixieeblossom 2 months ago
is it haunted at all?xx
nixieeblossom 2 months ago
@nixieeblossom Absolutely not, because ghosts aren't real :-p.
RAndyVee 2 months ago
is 0:42 - 0:58 the main hall before it was demolished?
mexicodriver 6 months ago
@mexicodriver Nope ... hall was already long gone when this was filmed sadly. That segment of the video is from the main kitchen.
RAndyVee 6 months ago
i was in this place night man, im from c town init, its the scariest fukin place in the world when it reaches dark yeh, we went in all the underground tunnels yeh n it lead to some cellar rooms n there were scratch marks on the ceilings and wooden bit on the walls where people wud of been locked up to, its nearly impossible to find ur way out in the dark it all looks the same, feds come n we ducked :L u have to jump a like 12 foot sharpend fence tho n i got cut up bad !
Ceeza95 8 months ago
places like this were made for graffiti. is it knocked down now?
callumtoenail 8 months ago
this place fasinates me i would like to visit when im older, arent there guards walking around? if so what would happen if you got caught?
FRANKIEE253 9 months ago
@FRANKIEE253 Yep, there are guards & for the last couple of years access has been much harder. Basically was local BBC news article about Sevs which literally showed how easy it was to get in, & thus embarrassed they invested in extra fencing & razor wire! If you got caught you'd be asked to leave since trespass is a civil matter, unless you've been like some of the numpties who post on here about graffiti & smashing the place up thus committing criminal damage & plod being rightly called.
RAndyVee 6 months ago
Wasteful is not even the word to describe this. Beautiful old buildings left to rot until they either fall over or get demolished. Society today is about throwing things away and buying new, the same can be said for buildings. My son's school is a gorgeous old building built in the late 1800's and instead of fixing they are going to knock it down and build a new one, sadly because it's not a listed building.
deeprose4 11 months ago
Just of you guys didnt know, this building has an interesting (dark) past.
Severalls was one of the rare asylums where psychiatrists were free to experiment on patients using treatments now considered inhumane. Most patients we administered electro-convulsive therapy and frontal lobotomy – before reforms were introduced in the ’60s.
darshan104 1 year ago
lol sex room at the start :)
thecopster100 1 year ago
planning a trip to this place... just wondering any tips to get in ?
umaer786 1 year ago
I've been in a psychiatric hospital for more than a year through my life and i'm glad to say things aren't as bad as they used to be.
NedsMissingTeeth 1 year ago
how did you get in?
zanysazy 1 year ago
I live in colchester, dutch quarters, next to castle park =] I would be more scared to bump into a bunch of knife happy chavs than ghosts though lol
gandykins 1 year ago
this so called "new wave" of supposed urbexers is bullshit they aint urbexers at all just a bunch of cunts who dont care about anything its nothing to do with the plan of what they are knocking down i know what parts they are knocking down ive spoken to the trust
essexmole 1 year ago
@essexmole That is crap. New wave urbex both respects what is good and destroys what is finished. You know nothing about it.
titanastic 1 year ago
@titanastic i know plenty about it i respect every place ive been to nothing should be trashed it does not make u a urbexer
essexmole 1 year ago
@essexmole Well fair enough, but Severalls is mostly going to be demolished now like Cane Hill so it doesn't matter any more.
Also I explore derelict buildings so that makes me an urban explorer.
I would say respect what is good and destroy what is finished.
By the way I thnk admin and some of the wards *may* be preserved but the way to preserve buildings and convert them is not to leave them empty for 15 years. That is the fault of the trust.
titanastic 1 year ago
@titanastic yes it is being demolished but theres alot they are going to be saving i have spoken to the project manager of severalls and he told me about the place and the plans yes i agree save what can be saved and demolish the rest but not vadalise places like it what is the point? its a 100 year old place with a strong history and dark history if people did their research on the place it prob would be respected more if they kept it open and sold it then they would of made the millions
essexmole 1 year ago
@essexmole What is worth saving? Well, maybe admin, some of the wards, and the water tower as a landmark. The thing about housing projects is that many areas like the utility services, engineering, the hall, and corridors are useless to convert to housing. So naturally the New Wave Urbex Smash groups will focus their attention on those, and break up the redundant stuff. The Chavs will smash anywhere like the wards etc although even these will be gutted, so there's not a lot of harm done.
titanastic 1 year ago
@essexmole Well I hope the bloody NHS lazy fucktards trust or whoever is supposed to be responsible get going and preserve what is going to be saved PDQ. If they don't get on with it SOON there will be NOTHING left to save. If the urbex smash crews ever decide to start to get going in admin and the wards it is going to be carnage city!!!
pretendmosquito 1 year ago
@pretendmosquito yes very true all it will take is the wankers to go round smashing it up im hoping they save most of it its part of the colchester history the admin building and the water tower are the main areas being saved they are listed
essexmole 1 year ago
Whats the state of this place lately?
stevealmighty87 1 year ago
Its in quite a bad state atm, and there going to pull it down soon as there building houses on it. Stupid idea as firstly, Its haunted and secondly theres needles and dieases contained stuff everywhere. In 2019 and some little kid finds a needle which was from severalls and injects not knowing what there doing, imagine that.
FrozenGamerTV 1 year ago
i used to go there alot untill sum dicks burnt it down
jezzynott 2 years ago
The burnt down hall added to the atmosphere. Anyway that was demo'd some time ago it's just rubble now.
The hall was never going to be part of any preservation scheme for housing, so not much use for it apart form to meet up for a beer after looking round.
lightening777 1 year ago
Is this Colchester England or America
Custhydo 2 years ago
In the UK, in finest Essex.
RAndyVee 2 years ago 5
@Custhydo It's Colchester, England. :)
stardollparis98 1 year ago
this is a truly amazing place with a very colourful past. i;ve just taken an interest to urban exploring and severalls is defo on my list in colchester, along with Hyderabad and Meanee Baracks on mersea road.
mexicodriver 2 years ago
ive been there,, loads of damage, realy heart braking :O.... some youths set fire too it!! how bad ,, nazi zombies !! all the way ;)
MegaBuxx12 2 years ago
Went there last night, the actual abandoned place is gated off really high with razor wire and shit. If anyone knows how to get in?
FBPstudios 2 years ago
Ahhh nice one dude lol,ill have to give that a go. just fascinated by the place. the fuckers that go there just to demolish it are c**ts! its an amazing place.
chriseagle07 2 years ago
stevealmighty87 is rite dont go there to smash it up cos if you get caught your guna get charged for criminal dammage, i did. it may be a big place but they will catch you, sent 5 cop cars after us and dogs so be carefull!!!!
fondleandFiddle 2 years ago
Of course they are going to catch you. i went recently and the security has been stepped up. shits been going on 13 years and i bet they are fed up to the teeth. they know what they are looking for and in all honesty you could probably hear the twats doing it anyway. more than likely they will be goading each other on. if your doing it you deserve to be caught. ive been 9 times and never been spotted!
stevealmighty87 2 years ago
just like nazi zombies
ThePivotWars 2 years ago
@ThePivotWars ahhhahahah!! Love the nazi Zombies mention!!!
joelspin 2 years ago
ohhh cool thanks for telling me how to get it dude
thematrixfan369 2 years ago
Very good vid! this place is just fantastic,
However i get enraged by the sad arses that insist on going in there to destroy it! ! if you wanna look hard in front of your mates, get a life!
The people on here that appriciate this building i have a huge respect for you.
The guys here that like wrecking it need to fuck off in all honesty - to call yourselves urban explorers is an insult - especially you stormtrooper - your views are 100% retarded and portrays you as a total asshole
stevealmighty87 2 years ago
Well it will mostly be demolished in a short while anyway, so what is the difference? Generally we don't smash the bits which are likely to to be preserved for housing which is most of the echelon ward blocks in the current plan. Although they are likely to be stripped and gutted in the conversion process. So the fact we take a door out, for example, has no relevance.
Usually the new wave urbex smash explorers will follow this loose code. Although, there are some who don't know the future plans
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
Any ideas on how to get in this place?
thematrixfan369 2 years ago
pull the fence up it was on the news bbc investigated this place they bbroke in XD
yesgeorge333 2 years ago
great video. i really want to go in there but its all fenced up and has security. i dnt live far away from there and have driven around there b4 tryin to look for an entrance...any ideas?
chriseagle07 2 years ago
theres a main road that leads from adsa past it at the last set of traffic lights theres a way in behind loads of bushes (Y) ill give ya a guided tour if you pay me lol
fondleandFiddle 2 years ago
wow 3:03 to 3:25 is that all the hospital? it looks like a small city , thats insane that places like this exist . just goes to show how wasteful we are as people .
Proedge352 2 years ago
Yep ... a view of possible 3/4 of it. The water tower where it was shot from is offset from the central "spine" of the principally symmetrical layout (men's/women's halves), so there's wards and buildings behind it too. The hospital was built as basically a self-sufficient community, since isolation in a safe environment was key part of mental health treatment of the time. Even most of the staff lived on site when first built. Truly grand hospitals!
RAndyVee 2 years ago
Go there all time, a lot of tramps, security guards in jeeps and dogs makes it less peacefull. It has so much potential all the green in outside looks so nice and has a lot of intresting history. Go there at Night and I doubt you'll stay long.
MillyNoob 2 years ago
ive been in there at night about 4 times. its not that bad. always hear footsteps and bangs and stuff in the operating theatres but its not too bad really.
erol4130 2 years ago
Go in a thunder storm. Then see how really scary it is ;)
emilyandabigail 2 years ago
It can be scary in the dark and thunder, but we know the place, and you can stay all night easily in the good spots.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
they have cctv there now to stop trespassers i got chaced yesterday it were mental. its a weird dead place .but still good for exploring
RoomForGamers 2 years ago
was just in there last night
imaimawiseguy 2 years ago
i live in this shitty town some one shoot me
ZombieCallum 2 years ago
Every time I see this video, I do think it is a brilliant production and great creative use of an excellent soundtrack.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago 16
i must say i think severells is haunted i went there a coulpe of days ago, There was a whisper saying "Come ... Come, We Me", I Was Like Fuck This Im Off! btw there was no-one there.
CrazyActionWrestling 2 years ago
i live like 5 minute walk when i was bit younger 14,15 used to go down their loads man everyone used to go down their its smashed to bits. Been burnt down walls being bulldozered. It should get knocked down cos its getting ruined anyway.
GRIMESY1992 2 years ago
Seriously, going into somewhere like this with all its history and you guys think yeah its fun to smash stuff and spray walls. yeah its being knocked down and pretty much messed up, but to some people this building is history and some of us would like it saved, and plus many MANY people died here and lived here. give it some respect!!!!
emilyandabigail 2 years ago
Why would you want it saved, it's beyond repair now.... So what if people died in there, it's a hospital, of course people are gonna die in there.... seriously, everyone's just arguing for the sake of arguing.... it's fun to go in there and muck about. end of story...
jordanmattack 2 years ago
Yeah but even if ppl died there, it was home to people who needed safety from themselves and they were happy. if they saw what their home is now like now... i went to severalls years ago and it was a beautiful hospital
emilyandabigail 2 years ago
actually, it was a place where thye experimented on people, with precedures that are now illegal. Also a lot of the patients put in there, were rape victims and illegitimate children who were not wanted.
ukTRBuk 2 years ago
That was then , this now. I bet if you came along with our crew and we showed you some good smashing techniques, you would enjoy it.. Girls can smash stuff up too, it's hot. You just need a bit of instruction.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
Oooooh really? You'll let me come along with your crew to smash up a hospital that most of my family went to? Oh that sounds like a smashing idea!
Count me out
emilyandabigail 2 years ago
Well, your choice, but it's just bricks, mortar, and timber now. I can't see how the fact your family went there has any connection. Destruction can be fun, and this can be a way to unwind.
Shine.... shine on me... if you know what I mean.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
Comment removed
feraljim 2 years ago
Severalls is literally right over the back of my house - less than a 2 minute walk. Go in there a lot - guards are a nuisance.
What does annoy me is that there are rooms with papers up to your ankles of patients records....
It's great fun to go there with some mates and muck around a bit :)
jordanmattack 2 years ago
When I went there, I had more of an adrenaline rush as me and a few mates had to move quitely around the guards which patrolled the new asylum and this one. Bloody amazing.
chrisdaniels19 2 years ago
You see like paint which people have tried to make look like blood but you can really see real blood. It makes you think of what happened in there, before and after it closed. This place is amazing and should never be changed. The sooner people are made aware of its history, the scarier it wil be and the more of an attraction it will become.
chrisdaniels19 2 years ago
what exactly happened in there...?
chica476 2 years ago
Not much - It's all rumours, although there were some very strange people in there.
jordanmattack 2 years ago
Lol - None of it's real blood....
jordanmattack 2 years ago
Lol i heard that one of the main surgions did loads of tests on patients, weird tests to see how the brain works but im sure its not true, cos you always hear stories like that about old mental hospitals
emilyandabigail 2 years ago
If you have seen this place properly, as in pitch black, climbing up the water tower with nothing but a light on a phone, seeing blood on the walls, then you would understand how scary this place is. Going up the water tower stairs when there is some steps missing was freaky, looking at lamps on walls with blood on them.
chrisdaniels19 2 years ago
Totally agree with 9Xlives, great for exploring and photography. Sad some idiots got the need to vandalise it.
turbochrissie 2 years ago
I'm going to be really sad when they demolish the site. I loved that place. It's beautiful ^^
9Xlives 2 years ago
Well we have smashed the crap out of it.
I would say get down there and smash the shit up while you still can. There's stll lots of sinks and toilets that can be broken, doors ripped of their hinges etc.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
... I'm not really into kid's games. I'm there for the awesome photography. Sorry dude!
9Xlives 2 years ago
this man is a white nationalist! halt ihn!
chica476 2 years ago
if i saw u there smashing shit up, id smash the shit outta u and leave u in the tunnels
erol4130 2 years ago
Don't think you would mate. I'm a black belt in karate and 6 foot 3in. I wouldn't attack first, but if you did, you'd end up in hospital.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
u think that bothers me? im afraid ur mistaken! karate or not id rip u to shreads. just saying thats what will happen if i see u there smashing the place up. u have been warned
erol4130 2 years ago
but what good reason has anyone got not to smash it up... at the end of the day ANYONE, photography or fun, in there is breaking the law.... so the explorers are just as bad as the vandals....
jordanmattack 2 years ago
Some of the so called explorers tunnel under the fence and take bars out the fence, so they are just as bad, causing criminal damage to get in.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
You can't even write proper English. Pathetic... I bet you're a retard with an IQ of about 80. The smashing of Severalls will continue, and there's nothing you can do to stop it so STFU.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
the smashing will continue? yes it is a used hospital and yes fine everyone goes there to smash it up, my fucking point is, u smashing it up will fucking ruin history. u might not care about history or this hospital, but there some ppl who do. so u can stfu
emilyandabigail 2 years ago
continue to enter severalls and your likely to be arrested
Cctu 2 years ago
I think you mean: "you're" likely to be arrested. Why can nobody write decent English ?
Most of Severalls is going to be demolished anyway, so whether it's the urban explorers who do it, or the demolition crews, I can't see what difference it makes.
Stormtrooper1488 2 years ago
There's no need to personally insult people pal... You need an attitude transplant!
discocreator76 2 years ago
About 15 years ago I used to work at the garden center there. I was terrified walking into the hospital (canteen) but it was fine
wpinklady 2 years ago
thanks...amazing place, shame its in such a bad condition.
quite surprised it hasn't been sold off for redevelopment .
ashwallace1987 2 years ago
The plan was for it to be sold for redevelopment in April 2007. Indeed that's exactly why I timed my visit to get there before it had been sold and they started demolishing it. However, nothing never seemed to come of the bidding process, and now in the current climate most of the large brown field projects seemed to be iced.
Only notable exception is Cane Hill where they've been merrily demolishing it (see my video of Cane Hill on the day before demo started).
RAndyVee 2 years ago
It's right behind my house - The builders that bought it pulled out cos of the economic problems... It's still up for sale now.
I'll be watching them demolish it when the time comes, might even go for a scavenge to see if i can find anything worth selling.
jordanmattack 2 years ago
there isnt anything there worth selling anymore
emilyandabigail 2 years ago
This is a video I watch time and time again - it's very good. This hospital pioneered a lot of mental health studies in the early 1900s including labotomoys. It was quite something.
molyholymoly 2 years ago
isnt there like dead bodys in the tunnles,and stuff because thats what all my mates say, i've only been there once ,kinda drove my 6th sence crazy =/
samsuicidetm 2 years ago
Yep, that's exactly what's in there. Well done dickwipe. Obviously if there were bodies then the hundreds of people that go here every year would have reported them by now?
patchbobbins 2 years ago
Been in the tunnels <3 Friggin amazing
9Xlives 2 years ago
He was just asking a question you don't have to be such an asshole....just a yes or no works fine..
peace
Br8km3dwn 2 years ago
Brill, just wish they would conserve this place. Most my family worked here.
Nice work
X4901 3 years ago
aahh shit man i live about 10 mins from there ... they fenced it all up :P was gonna go tagging there lol
Dax2k9 3 years ago
thankyou for your reply! my mind is a little at ease now, for when i go. (well by the looks there is not much to theive or damage there) but thankyou!
Drdamian666 3 years ago
hi, cool vid, was thinking of having a look round here one day soon. only thing which is on my mind though, is this not classed as tresspassing? and say what if you got caught doing this? thankyou!
Drdamian666 3 years ago
Yep ... it's 100% trespassing :-).
However, trespass isn't a criminal offence in the UK (well unless you happen to be trespassing on a number of very specific military and royal sites), and so basically you would be asked to leave, especially at a place like Sevs where they're used to people trying to look around.
Of course all bets are off if you take anything (theft) or damage anything (criminal damage) when plod could rightfully be called!
RAndyVee 3 years ago
Yep ... very much still there, though access seems difficult at the moment.
RAndyVee 3 years ago
wicked vid. is this place still standing??? didnt get in when i tried last.
johnprice420 3 years ago
Im very intrested in these explorations and i would love to go on one. does any one no of any teams willing to take a member or do you know of any places to explore in the hertforshire area ?
Would appriciate it much.
Thanks
Egreen2008 3 years ago
so is this place been demolished now then?
matjones348 3 years ago
It's very much still there.
RAndyVee 3 years ago
great video. I spent a few months in there in the winter of 1991 when i was diagnosed with schizophrenia.I haven't been in one since.Makes me so angry to see the place in such a state. God bless the N.H.S.
DJP22031970 3 years ago
So much sadness went on behind these walls.
Also hopelessness.
muminosopher 3 years ago
I am one of the nutters that spent a year
in Kirby ward there.
I was signed in for life at 22 years old.
I had 13 etc's.
I now live in Canada have 3 sons and 6 grandchildren.
EX NUT Pat
muminosopher 3 years ago 8
Are you serious?
Br8km3dwn 2 years ago
@muminosopher Was it a bad expierience?
soccerisawsome100 1 year ago
Good place to film next Halloween or Scary Movie
muminosopher 3 years ago
I'm guessing that sop sax music is Kenny g? So what is the defination of an urban explorer? Is it another term for a gippo who doesn't want to pay to go and see a piece of history or enter a museum?! lol, only kidding. Great vid. I'm from colchester born and bred and have always wondered about this place and where the nutters are now!
budgieupdater 3 years ago
LOL ... well I happily pay and visit many museums and historical sites and am a long standing member of English Heritage to boot. However, it's all about the sites you don't normally get to see and that natural "I wonder what's inside there" urge.
Kenny G!!!! Wash your mouth out. As credited in the video, the track is by the superb Finnish prog rock band Kingston Wall. The sax part on Shine On Me was played by Sakari Kukko.
RAndyVee 3 years ago
Nicely done. Anyone know of informative Colchester links? I am thinking of moving there and while it is easy to find stats they do not give you a feel of the place; what it is like to live in and where the best areas to live are.
number94 3 years ago
Response to individual1567 worked there in the 80's all the asbestos was removed
timelord2212 3 years ago
went in there today, the best way is the underground tennels in the woods
JamesWaton 3 years ago
HOW CAN YOU GET INTO THIS PLACE???? tried today and we got clocked by security straight away. anyone know of loose fence panels??
johnprice420 3 years ago
LOL ... that's a rare catch for security! Can't remember the last time I heard of anybody being caught by them :-p.
By all accounts access is quite tight at the mo ... no simple way through/under/over the fence.
RAndyVee 3 years ago
yeah theres a metal fence around the perimeter, if u aint too tubby u can just squeeze through
Cueball786 3 years ago
not anymore. we got trapped inside the other day cos someone was fixing it whilst we were in there. had to hop into someones garden...
h2o2sjm 3 years ago
Awesome
saudiblader 3 years ago
Our urbex group has decided to stop smashing at Severalls. We felt the place had taken enough, and we were also inspired by this excellent video and the soundtrack.
In creating a great atmospheric abandoned building there are those that believe a certain amount of dereliction adds to the original content. The artistry of that is down to personal choice.
So, top marks to RAndyVee for this production. It's not the end of urbex smashing, but it is the light of a new dawn for Severalls.
pretendmosquito 3 years ago
you complete penis do you not think thats a little pathetic smashing places up.??
Br8km3dwn 2 years ago
It is all going to get demolished anyway, or most of it, so what's the difference this year or next year?
pretendmosquito 2 years ago
the difference is...that it is demolished by people who know what there fucking doing not retarded little chumps like you..
Br8km3dwn 2 years ago
I think you mean "know what they're ****** doing "
In any case, the end result is the same isn't it... pwnage. That's the way of the new wave urbex smash culture.
However, didn't I say that our urbex group has stopped smashing at Severalls due to RAndyVee's excellent video?
pretendmosquito 2 years ago
When yooh go into severalls if yooh go under ground ur likely to die in 10 years cuz of Asbestos don't breathe in the dist that's how yooh get it u get a 96% chance of dyeing just to tell everyone I still go in there but oh well don't go under ground if yooh don't go underground then yooh only have a 64% chance of dyeing just thought I'd say don't ask why this is ma' sis's account so don't start talking to her kk
individual1567 3 years ago
Thekichi's comment is mine soz
was on his account
but if u wanna know how to get in leave me a message
nmegirl13 3 years ago
I know two ways to get in still
I went there was i was 9, afew years back when the hall wasnt burnt and there was still sanderleers and a stage, was abserlutely beautiful went there just now and went all the way round, its still possiable
thekichimi 3 years ago
if you stop it at 00:34 theres some guy stood at the top.
:s
Its sad to see this, but personally it kinda give me the creeps.
CandieCanex 3 years ago
Thats the guys friend lol, he was in lots of the shots :P
jordanmattack 3 years ago
I hate to see where all the neds went in and smashed everything to bits and all. What a shame. That ruins it for everyone who just want to go in and check it out.
lonelyboy03 3 years ago
this brings back sooo many memories,used to go there quite alot instead of college but was a long walk-remeber the pigeon infested tower,the paintings,the boiler kinda room,but i can't belive the main hall is demolished.can remeber when the stage was there and the chandilear light thing.got a poster from severalls,in like a shack.
you need to go in the tunnels,its so amazing.but some parts of severalls creep me out.have you seen the room with the mirror in the corner?didnt like that one.
luckeyloz666 3 years ago
Just realised the main hall has gone, sad, I mean I went there when it was burnt, but not completely rubble, such an atmosphere that place after it had burnt down, some of th iron girders were swaying and squeaking in the wind, it was oddly quiet...
jeromejwatson 3 years ago
Brought back some memories.Looks very eerie now.I worked there as an apprentice electrician back in 1987-88.Great video
RockOnHollywood 3 years ago
I love this place. I used to live in colchester and go there all the time, there's not a single part we didn't explore... Even the underground maintainence tunnels and we were so close to getting into the chapel... I remember swinging on the lights in the main hall before it burned down. It such a shame it's going to be houses, no problem though, I'm in London now, there's whole abandoned sections of the underground :).
jeromejwatson 3 years ago
Is it still there and easy to access? been meaning to go for a while now as its the biggest place of its kind close enough to where I live (Norwich) to warrent a day out there (west park is the one I really want to go to tho.) Any info / help would be wicked. PM me please
MrMeon 3 years ago
It a lo harder to get into the main part of the complex now. Still some out building that you can access but more and more is being burnt down.
MrGillyboy 3 years ago
i worked there in the eighties as part of the maintainance dept.Spent alot of time down in the tunnels love to go back and see if my name is still inscribed on the tunnel roof.Never happen as i'm living in Australia now
timelord2212 3 years ago
message me your name, I remember some names down there...
jeromejwatson 3 years ago
David E I was there in 1986/87
timelord2212 3 years ago
Does sort of ring a bell actually, the tunnels are a bit damaged now because of the main hall fire... Although interestingly, for conspiracy theorists, there was a load of that explosive fertiliser down there...
jeromejwatson 3 years ago
I can still hear the fire alarms going off on a regular basis! Very sad to lose some of Colchester's history.
sophiewofee 4 years ago
also remember characters like arthur??? interupting our lectures in the alpha, beta and gamma buildings. shame about the hall had a sprung wood ball room floor and was apparently very rare. thanks B
Brettyvincent 4 years ago
hi, thanks for the memorie, i studied there when it housed the institute for health studies from 92 - 95. was agreat building with its own character. worked on wentworth, jenner and lola.
Brettyvincent 4 years ago
Love the video man.
I think we saw you in the when you were filming it, well we saw a group of people with a camera :D
I can literally see one of the buildings from my window now, just need to hop my back fence.
Ive never been so far in as to get to the tower, were normally bricking it by then.
Megahurtz1992 4 years ago
Cool video. I've just recently started UE. Just come back from Clacton also! Wish I knew this place existed! Maybe next time.
opiate115 4 years ago
P2: Anyway, what I'm really posting about is the fact that I'd really like to visit Severalls and use it as a backdrop for some of my modelling work. If anyone would be willing to get into contact with me about issues of security/safety that it might be important for me to know about I would be very grateful. I haven't checked it out yet but from what I understand it hasn't been pulled down yet.
lottibella1 4 years ago
Comment P1: Aiming 4 a career in the mental health profession&thus having an interest in the history of MH treatment I can hardly bring myself 2 comment on this notion of 'urban explorers'/vandals- can only conclude that these people r stupid, whether/ not they have an articulated philosophy.
lottibella1 4 years ago
Urban Explorers are not vandals. Sadly as you can see from the discussion below there are however some vandals who try to hide behind the UE name :-(.
RAndyVee 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Great video. Me and my mate are urban explorers. We've been to Severalls a lot to smash holes in the walls and make holes in the roof. This helps the evil place to decay quicker.
If you check round the water tower or the remains of the hall you'll find heavy chunks of concrete/bricks that you can take to other parts of the site. Use those to heave through doors, windows, and walls etc.
heelfan1234 4 years ago
Your second comment on VANDALIZING Severalls! I deleted the first one, but you reposted!
No self respecting Urban Explorer goes around smashing holes in walls and roofs! However VANDALS like you do!
RAndyVee 4 years ago
Sorry about that RAndy. We didn't realise it was such a sensitive issue. In one way we are creating a new experience each time for the urban visitors because when you go back it is not the same and you can track how the buildings dilapidate over the years. Also we don't damage areas which are going to be preserved like the wards, admin, and the water tower. The rest of the stuff like the kitchens ancillary buildings and the corridors is all going to be demolished anyway.
CaraBrimleyRules 4 years ago
The thing you forget is that the property developers, whose preference would always be to level the whole site since they can make more money if they simply build regular boxes everywhere, use the damage caused by vandalism to justify why they can't keep many of the original buildings. Water is second only to fire when it comes to destroying buildings, and so once roofs are damaged etc. it's downhill from then on.
RAndyVee 4 years ago
Yes we certainly wouldn't get involved in any fires. That causes a waste of resources for fire brigade. Water is the best means to achieve peaceful graceful decay which can be done by making holes in valley gutters at strategic locations. In regards to developers, there are many buildings in a complex such as Severalls which have no architectural merit and would not have a place in a housing scheme. These buildings were always destined for the bulldozers.
CaraBrimleyRules 4 years ago
Its so sad when u think of how short we are in this country of hospitals and prisons and they have a massive building like this just going 2 ruin, all they care abt in this country is houses and more houses, money + more money.
DaiJo85 4 years ago
did anyone else spot the ghost,in opening scene!!!
cheeseburger71 4 years ago
no cant say i did
sparkymark1985 4 years ago
Check out 00.37
cheeseburger71 4 years ago
nif ur on about the guy in black @ the top of the screen then yes i did c him..
sparkymark1985 4 years ago
Haha ... yeah he's a ghost alright ;-).
RAndyVee 4 years ago
Good video. Pretty much covered most of the place. Shame about the development, but it hasn't started yet!
hypercrazymadness 4 years ago
They experimented on people there in the 50s, drilled through the skull and implanted radium seeds to burn away bits of the brain.
sparkmouse 4 years ago
great vid, like how your always moving backwards makes it much more interesting and good music.
never actually heard of this place but might have to go there some time to take some pics before it goes, I googled it and see the council have planned a housing devolpment there and it will be up for sale soon.
mitchzxr 4 years ago
Glad you enjoyed the whole thing being backwards ... it's sometimes difficult to make videos varied enough and so was please that the backwards "trick" worked out on this one.
The info you found on Google was a bit out of date ... Severalls was sold in April and development is soon to commence, tho' it's still explorable at the moment.
RAndyVee 4 years ago
(03:05) u wanna be carful. see that hole in the floor. thats where i fell throu the floor..... and most of that paper work is peoples medical records..... such a shame people want to damage the place. eg setting fire to that beutiful main Hall.
koolcatHannah 4 years ago