Aston Hall Mental Hospital.

Aston Hall Mental Hospital sits in the scenic village of Aston-On-Trent in Derby, the hospital dates back to the 1930s and stretches over 3.2 acres.

The hospital was purchased by the Nottingham Corporation in 1924 as part of the old Aston Hall estate, since the hospitals conception it has always dealt with patients suffering from mental health problems and learning disabilities.

The hospitals lay out is different from that of conventional designs of the time and is arranged like a small village, which does give the place character as well as make it much more inviting and pleasing to the eye.

Each of the wards or rather blocks could house upto 50 patients at any one time but in the final years this dropped considerably as patients where transferred to other hospitals in the area.

The interesting thing is that Aston Hall boasts a one of a kind leisure centre within its grounds and was the only hospital in South Derbyshire to house a hydrotherapy pool.

In 1998 it was announced that the hospital would close amid fierce opposition from local residents who wanted the village as it was known locally, to remian open and to continue caring for its then 58 resident patients.

Despite opposition from the locals the hosptial eventually closed in 2004 and has remained derelict ever since, it is currently up for sale with offers around the two million mark being asked.

This has to be one of the strangest hospitals I have ever visited, from its lay out to its condition, when Jaff and myself arrived we where actually expecting some thing different?

It sits inbetween two rather nice looking residential sites and has no fencing what so ever which for a hospital site is rare, even more bizarre is the lack of any security what so ever any where.