Calderstones Hospital
The asylum at Whalley was to be the final of six county lunatic asylums for the County of Lancaster under the management of the Lancashire Asylums Board (LAB). Plans for the asylum were first devised during 1901, even prior to the completion of the fifth asylum at Winwick. Its location would be suited to alleviating overcrowding at the already large, north Lancashire asylums at Whittingham and Lancaster and sited near to Clitheroe to serve the areas surrounding the industrial towns of Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington, Nelson and Colne.
Calderstones Hospital remains open for learning disabilities services which are mainly provided for forensic and secure cases. The hospital currently operates with around 220 beds making it the largest remaining learning disabilities facility in the country although there have been calls by politicians to to close the site. The administration block and two adjacent former female blocks, Nurses’ home, centre and eastern sections of the admissions block remain in use as do the former Superintendent’s house and chapel although not serving their original purposes.
As the move towards community based models of care expanded the inpatient population continued to reduce, resulting in the closure of majority of the building during the 1990’s with remaining services relocated into the buildings around the administration block. The area to the rear was subsequently demolished.
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Calderstones Hospital remains open for learning disabilities services which are mainly provided for forensic and secure cases. The hospital currently operates with around 220 beds making it the largest remaining learning disabilities facility in the country although there have been calls by politicians to to close the site. The administration block and two adjacent former female blocks, Nurses’ home, centre and eastern sections of the admissions block remain in use as do the former Superintendent’s house and chapel although not serving their original purposes.
As the move towards community based models of care expanded the inpatient population continued to reduce, resulting in the closure of majority of the building during the 1990’s with remaining services relocated into the buildings around the administration block. The area to the rear was subsequently demolished.
Please click on the thumb nail below to view Larger Image
