Shadow Dragon

Cefn Coed Hospital

May 2022 | Wales | Partially Closed

Swansea’s abandoned mental hospital…

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Name	CEFN COED HOSPITAL
Previous Name(s)	SWANSEA BOROUGH MENTAL HOSPITAL
Architect	G. T. HINE
Layout	COMPACT ARROW
Opened	1932
Closed	2018 (partial)

HISTORY: Cefn Coed Hospital was opened in 1932 by Mary, Princess Royal, as the Swansea Borough Mental Hospital. It was designed by eminent pioneering asylum architect George Thomas Hine, but not opened until 16 years after his death. The building was constructed in the echelon or compact arrow layout and is one of the last Victorian style mental hospitals to have been built. During WWII, the hospital was used as a casualty for the people of Swansea. In 2009, due to ageing buildings, work started on a new hospital just to the north of the site and in 2015 a replacement low-secure unit opened in Bridgend. This meant that older wards could be closed. Also in 2015, the isolation wards to the north of the site were demolished to make way for an extension to the newer hospital buildings. In 2018, all but two wards of the original buildings were closed down. Today, the majority of Cefn Coed lies derelict and crumbling.

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THE EXPLORE: This was actually the first asylum that myself and my friends explored on our Welsh road trip. We arrived at this site very early in the morning (2:30am to be exact) and parked a little way from the site. We then began carrying up our camping gear and made our way into the buildings. We sought a little windowless room and set up our camp and settled down for the night at about 3:30am – I inflated my mattress and the others lay down for a sleep on the floor. About an hour or so later I woke up, as did one of the others. We decided to make some hot drinks using the portable gas stove but when I came back to the room to lie back down, I discovered that the other had slugged his way across the floor and pilfered my air bed. Whilst struggling to maintain my composure by trying not to laugh through mouthfuls of coffee, those of us that were awake decided to set about exploring the hospital. We spent a good 17 hours within the depths of the hospital, exploring every possible inch of the place. I can safely say that this is one of the most incredible explorations I have been on… apart from falling through the floor of the main hall which happened to be infested with dry rot. That part wasn’t fun. Enjoy the photographs.