This mysterious octagonal tower can be found attached to Zachary/Unwin. There's no
entrance to the tower inside the ward, and the only door appears to be outside. What is the purpose of
this structure? Answer: it's a stair well. Thanks to Marlon and Laurence for getting very scratched and
dirty whilst figuring that one out.
Picture by Marlon Bones
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All these statements haven't been confirmed, but I'm confident about the graveyard and the
old gatehouse (the first two points). The rest are various stories I've heard recently - and will be
checking out.
- There used to be a cemetery at Cane Hill, opposite the gatehouse on
Portnalls Road. (A similar set-up still exists at Rauceby, with
a small, remote graveyard being found about half-a-mile away from the asylum.)
Apparently it was extremely atmospheric... or read that as scary. They've since built houses on it.
"I can just about remember those houses being built. It must have been the early eighties, or maybe even earlier.
I recall my grandmother saying how she would never be able to live in those houses. I think
they shifted all the graves elsewhere." - Mike
"They did build houses on the old graveyard and all the bodies were excavated as far as I know.
I live next to all the new houses where the graveyard would have been. My parents got a small plot of land
from the contractor whilst they were excavating - that why the remains of gravestones still lie in my garden
(They are just the remains of gravestones now)." - Laura
- A gatehouse used to stand where the security portacabins now sit - this has been demolished.
"Sure did. But guess what? Some idiot set fire to it and it got pulled down." - Mike
- A superintendent is buried on site somewhere.
"The grave of James Moody is well hidden now. The gravestone lies on the floor next to the grave
and the writing is almost unreadable. The stone is near the front entrance hidden by trees - although that's
not really the most useful of descriptions." - Laura
More about the grave of James Moody.
- They kept trying to sell it, but the deals always fell through. A property developer was turned down, a business park scrapped,
and the expansion of the existing secure unit blocked. It was almost sold as part of a massive deal of over 100 NHS properties to
another developer, but the government stepped in and prevented it (because they didn't want more executive apartments being built.) In the
end, it's been given to John Prescott so he can put up some affordable housing.
- Apparently either all, none, or some of the following have used Cane Hill
as a set: Bergerac, The Bill and rather appropiately
London's Burning.
- However Chaplin (1992) (staring Robert Downey Jr.) should've used our favourite hospital when
he visited his mother. Instead St. Pancreas Station was
the stunt double.
- As well as being used for the obligatory-police-dog-training-in-derelict-building, Cane Hill has also
paid host to the SAS (this was after it closed - obviously).
Actually I know more about this than I'm letting on. The SAS were lurking around in November/December
last year - I know because I found one of their surveillance devices
and we all legged it like madmen. Anyway, they amused themselves blowing
some large holes in walls and blowing open the safes. Fun work if you can get it.
"One Sunday night some years back, SO19 did an exercise in the
grounds using blank ammo, thunder flashes, dogs, flashing lights and a helicopter. If anyone remembers there were some signs laid out
to help the helicopter find its way round the site. Anyway, sadly the Police forgot to tell the people in Portnals Road.
So when they heard "Who Dares Wins" being remade, they got the fright of their lives! The next issue of the
Croydon Advertiser had a story saying the police that carried out an SAS type exercise at Cane Hill -
but never would again because every household in Rickman Hill and Portnals Road rung up to complain!" - Mike
- The 2000 film The Asylum was not shot here. Turns out that it was Netherne.
"[The Asylum] was made around 1999/2000, just as the hospital was being re-developed, and
the makers acknowledge the company (Gleeson Homes) that allowed them to make
use of the space. The locations used seem to be mainly long corridors and
the chapel (which was still standing when I visited last Christmas, but out
of bounds and due for imminent demolition - for all I know it is no longer
there). The film itself is disappointing, in my opinion" - Jason
- A documentary about Michael Caine shot the exteriors and the interiors of the admin block and
the chapel.
- The TV transmitter on the water tower is rated at 30W - there must be some mistake there, as that's less than
a light bulb!
"The Cane Hill 30W transmiter is probably only a repeater. 30W will get approx a 20 - 25 mile radius, so it could be correct." - Steven Hull
"I'm quite willing to guarantee that thats wrong - its 25W! - the BBC website
says "30" but they have a habit of upgrading things... it's just a repeater of the
relatively close Crystal Palace transmitter. It's carrying BBC1, 2, ITV1 and Channel 4
but not Five or Freeview. I don't know the topography of the area but I'm guessing it's
on a hill (hence the name) and that said hill blocks line-of-sight to Crystal
Palace a bit too much, hence the repeater. Theres a picture of it on
Mike Brown's Transmitter Gallery - it's
a tiny little thing. I'm quite willing to bet that its just a passive repeater rather
than a 'transmitter'" - Cian
- Under Vincent/Vanbrugh, there are Victorian cast-iron pulleys, conveyors, levers and shutters. It seems that the soot and ashes from each fireplace
could be dropped onto the conveyor belt and then transported via a tunnel to a location outside the ward. Amazing that all this still exists. Pictures soon. -
Info from Laurence.
Return to: The Cane Hill Project
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