Address: Across a gate on Union Terrace, York YO31 7ES
Description
The letters spell out ‘Bootham Park Hospital’ and are attached to a metal gate along Union Terrace.
They are now quite worn, but enough remains to make out the name of the long-gone hospital.
History
Dating back to 1774, Bootham Park Hospital was the fifth public asylum established in England.
Originally known as York Lunatic Asylum, the goal was to create a suitable environment for the mentally ill, preventing them from being placed in inappropriate institutions like prisons.
A plaque commemorating the hospital’s opening in 1774
As mental health care evolved through the 19th and 20th centuries, so did the services and facilities at Bootham Park Hospital. In 1817, a long north-east range was built specifically for female patients.
By 1886, the hospital had undergone extensive internal refurbishments, and in 1908, a new wing specifically for affluent female patients was added.
A view of the recreation room Source: York Press
In 1904, the asylum was renamed Bootham Park Hospital, and its striking railings, gates, and gateways, which are now Grade I listed, became an integral part of the site’s distinctive heritage and appearance.
1910s Source: York Explore Archives Asset ID: 1001116
The hospital occupies a total area of approximately 17.85 acres, including around 10 acres of open grounds to the south between the hospital and Bootham.
This picturesque landscape can be seen in an 1862 photograph of the site below.
1862 – Showing the large green in front of the hospital, in the far distance you can make out the facility Source: York Press
The hospital became part of the NHS in 1948, when its facilities were upgraded. However, in September 2015, the Care Quality Commission declared it unfit for purpose and ordered its sudden closure.
Inside the hospital Source: York Press
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