Caterham District Asylum
of Coulsdon Road, Caterham
Built by the Metropolitan Asylum's Board and designed to accommodate 1,560 inmates - 860 females in 6 blocks and 700 males in five blocks. The architects was John Giles and Burn
1868 April 22nd. Foundation stone laid and building contractors was John Chappell who laid a single track railway from Stoat's Nest Station, to the site. Stoat's Nest Station - was opened by the L&BR on 12 July 1841, and stood approximately at the junction of present-day Windermere Road and Stoat's Nest Road. It was not used as a regular station after 1856 but remained as a good's yard and it seems that the tramway ran from this point.
1869 April 21st. '...The visitors Saturday hardly saw the place under the best advantages, for the weather was cold and wet, and altogether cheerless. Nevertheless nearly 200 gentlemen went down special train from London-bridge to Stoat's Nest Station, and were dragged thence a steep incline on the three-mile tramway, laid down by the contractor. The miserable weather caused the ceremony to be shortened, a projected procession to be abandoned...'[1]
1870 October 9th. Opened
1873 Extensions added for a further 160 females
1881 Known as the Caterham Lunatic Asylum for Safe Lunatics and Imbeciles
1920-41 Known as Caterham Mental Hospital
1941 Became known as St. Lawrence's Hospital
1991 Hospital closed.
Notes
- 1911 Census reports that the Metropolitan Asylum, Caterham had 2,021 inmates (1,104F/917M) with 185 resident staff (58M/127F) and also 20 staff family members.[2]]</ref>