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Ray :) | all galleries >> PAD Previous Years >> Daily Photos up to 31 March 2005 >> What I Saw Today >> December 2003 > December 16 2003:
Chapel in Waiting
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16-DEC-2003 Dscf2108

December 16 2003:
Chapel in Waiting

Brookwood, Surrey

Brookwood was well known locally for two things: its cemetery and its mental hospital. The hospital, orginally known as the County Asylum when opened in 1867 was very self contained, even having its own sewage works, gasworks as well as this chapel, such was the attitude towards its patients in those times. Today, we care for many such people in the community and the hospital has now given way to much housing development. The local council wanted to retain the chapel building for alternative use, but for now the building waits patiently with its scars to see what the future holds.

FujiFilm FinePix 2600Z
1/52s f/3.5 at 8.6mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time16-Dec-2003 13:28:04
MakeFujiFilm
ModelFinePix 2600
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length8.6 mm
Exposure Time1/52 sec
Aperturef/3.5
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias0.30
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Christine 06-Aug-2008 11:57
Almost 5 years later - is the chapel still standing? Can we go urbex'ing there sometime? Pretty please? :-)
Guest 21-Dec-2003 15:19
Perfectly captured, perfectly cropped image, Ray. Very well done! I imagine there would be a endless number of detail photo ops in this place. :)
Chris Brooker17-Dec-2003 16:47
A thought provoking shot Ray.

For my last few years in the Fire Service as well as being on watch as normal I was also an instructor on the Hydraulic Platform (90ft rescue vehicle).
I did most of the training at Napsbury Hospital(now closed).
I loved the victorial buildings although of course the whole place had a sad atmosphere.
Guest 16-Dec-2003 21:03
Interesting shot, Ray. The smashed panes of glass give it the feeling of destitution.
This seems to be the way forward for many mental health hospitals. Previously ran as institutions, it became almost "fashionable" in the late 80's and early 90's to sell these victorian buildings, have a building company knock 'em down, and rebuild starter homes and trendy pads for people to live in. The mentally ill, who had been institutionalised and stigmatised for many years, had been given no real opportunity to be reintroduced into society,fand were suddenly homeless and destitute. Yep, that's the Government for you! Sad, but true - I've seen it in action!
Ron Lutz II16-Dec-2003 16:26
Very interesting shot; it made me curious to learn more about it. I bet the interior would be a dream to shoot in....
Guest 16-Dec-2003 16:16
Wow Ray, this image says a lot about this building. It's had a hard life and you captured it PERFECTLY! Thanks for the history behind it.