English Hospital For The Criminally Insane Could Become Luxury Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jan 12th 2010 at 6:04PM

We've seen a few old psychiatric hospitals begin the conversion into luxury real estate but the latest is one of the most infamous hospitals in England. The Broadmoor in Crowthorne Berkshire houses a motley crew of dangerous criminals including the Yorkshire Ripper and the Suffolk Strangler. A plan to turn the stately old building into a luxury hotel or apartments could help finance a new psychiatric hospital. A spokesman for West London Mental Health NHS Trust told The Independent that they are planning to build the new hospital alongside the existing Broadmoor site and that pieces of the current hospital complex no longer needed by the NHS could be sold.

The building opened in 1863 as first building in England built as an asylum for the criminally insane. Patients have included Roderick MacLean, who attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria in 1882 the Moors murderer Ian Brady and Ronnie Kray. Over the last few years the hospital has come under fire for the care of the patients. The hospital's barred windows have been a subject of controversy. Five inmates have hung themselves from the bars in the last decade but the hospital was forbidden from removing the bars because the building is listed as a Grade II structure. Grade II buildings are designed as particularly important buildings of more than special interest. The listing keeps the building safe but I wonder in this case if a renovation into a hotel would lead to a removal of the bars.

Tags: broadmoore, crowthorne berkshire, CrowthorneBerkshire, England World Cup squad, EnglandWorldCupSquad, mental hospital, MentalHospital, psychiatric hospital, PsychiatricHospital

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Bub Jan 15th 2010 8:52AM

Please leave it open as an insane assylum for Obama, pelosi, reid, emmanuel, holder etc.

al Jan 17th 2010 2:09PM

Whats wrong with you , more like Bush. Cheny, and Rowe

ScottinNawlins Jan 17th 2010 11:15PM

Yeah, let the Brits have them. They think Obama is a god. I think he's the antichrist

nick Jan 15th 2010 10:09AM

great idea, but the liberals (dimocrats) would eventually have it shut down anyway and then along with the terrorists also move these inmates back to the u.s.a. to live comfortably on the taxpayers dime. don't forget, liberals love criminals and terrorists and will coddle them all day long.

nick Jan 15th 2010 10:11AM

liberals love criminals and terrorists!

FlaggingBS Jan 15th 2010 11:04AM

Wow an interesting article on an historic building and the Republican trolls are out in force. Criminals, Insanity? Lets see, what recent administration and Party lied to the American public about the cause for invading Iraq, lied to the United Nations, trampled on the Constitution with warrantless wiretappings, responsible for the deaths of thousands of American Service Men and Women, ignored dire warnigns about the use of planes to attack American soil, cruise airport bathrooms, use taxpayer dollars for adulterous relationships abroad, gave Banks billions without any regulation, displayed shocking incompetence in a natural disaster in Louisiana, and continue to display such indifference and selfishness in a catastrophic disaster to a neigboring island peopled by thousands of Americans where the potential of loss of life could hit 50000.

joannaorc Jan 16th 2010 10:08AM

you are living in la-la land. because of stupid people like you, our once great country is going to hell in a hand basket.

FlaggingBS Jan 15th 2010 11:07AM

Wow an interesting article on an historic building and the Republican
trolls are out in force. Criminals, Insanity? Lets see, what recent
administration and Party lied to the American public about the cause
for invading Iraq, lied to the United Nations, trampled on the
Constitution with warrantless wiretappings, responsible for the
deaths of thousands of American Service Men and Women, ignored dire
warnigns about the use of planes to attack American soil, cruise
airport bathrooms, use taxpayer dollars for adulterous relationships
abroad, gave Banks billions without any regulation, displayed
shocking incompetence in a natural disaster in Louisiana, and
continue to display such indifference and selfishness in a
catastrophic disaster to a neigboring island peopled by thousands of
Americans where the potential of loss of life could hit 50000.

Krystina Jan 15th 2010 12:59PM

Politicians are politicians they are all in it for themselves and money, I don't give a hoot who is in office, both parties take away rights and the only party that actually stands for civil rights are constitutionalists or libertarians- isn't that what we should be anyway?

Texasboy42084 Jan 15th 2010 1:39PM

I think this place should remain open to ALL who is welcome. This would make a perfect place as 'THE JACKPOT' for Paranormal Investigaters, Psychics, Mediums, etc. -- Oh the Joys of Learning Our World History, by picking up EVPs from all these Historical Famous People that died in this place and may possibly be haunting this place as well. --- I'm for one definately going to visit this place when they open, heck, i may even buy a Luxury Suite or Apartment in this place. Now that would be sweet --- interesting article by far

madden Jan 15th 2010 2:36PM

The hospital is in the UK. Guess you didn't read it carefully before you started you political tirade. Loser

jujubiiz Jan 15th 2010 3:47PM

lol with madden

pfliegerb Jan 15th 2010 4:32PM

don't you know, you cant disagree with a dem unless you are in a union. They believe in freedom, but only their exact version of that freedom.

bigtopbill Jan 30th 2010 7:00PM

All you RIGHTWINGERS....You have very limited memory on the real facts as how our nation got in this! Blaming Pelosi, Obama??? Get your heads out of your asses you morons!

Kitty Jan 15th 2010 5:43PM

Do you know the bad vibes lingering around that place??? A hotel in a former insane asylum??? Are they insane???

page114 Jan 15th 2010 8:16PM

ALL THE NUTS ARE ON THE OUTSIDE ANYHOW.SO HAVING A HOTEL WOULD BE ONE WAY OF GETTING THEM INSIDE VOLUTARILLY.

Nathaniel Bond Jan 16th 2010 11:03AM

Correction: "...patients hanged themsleves..." not hung.

nurchur Jan 16th 2010 10:12AM

1. This is one of the most historic hospitals in medicine, psychiatry, and nursing in the WORLD! I think it's a great re-use of the facility - in the UK, by the way - and I am continually amazed at the ignorance of Americans re: history. It's beautiful architecture, built at a time when structures were built to last.
And why does it have to become a political ping-pong ball for those across the pond who are willing only to through stones and be nasty to others out of sheer meanness?

John from Costa Rica Jan 17th 2010 7:19AM

Ronal Reagan shut down all the mental hospitals in California when he was govenor. After that all the crazies lived on the street where many died.

Mark F. Jan 17th 2010 8:58AM

Oh don't turn into a luxury hotel! What about paranormal activities? You watch. TAPS or one of those paranormal groups on tv will visit this facility and will say, "Yup, you got ghosts!" Then they will back off building into a hotel. Only to reopen as a politically insane hospital for Obama and his dummycrats to be send to England from US because we do not want them here on our soul! Hahaha!

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