By Peter Connelly
The institution that was to become St Lawrence Hospital opened on October 9, 1870, and was originally intended to accommodate 1,560 patients – six 3-storey blocks for 860 females and five blocks for 700 males. The hospital (along with its twin at Leavesden) was created by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as a result of the 1845 County Asylum/Lunacy Act, which advocated treating the mentally ill as patients to be cared for, rather than prisoners. As a result of building both hospitals, the population of London workhouses dropped by a third.
Immediately after opening, increasing numbers of patients meant the hospital had to expand. By 1872 it had 1672 patients. In 1873 an additional block for 160 female patients was built, as well as a recreation hall with a stage. In 1875 a new male block was built, as well as a swimming pool. In 1876 a similar block was built for female patients. By 1877 there were 2000 patients. In 1913, the Hospital also became responsible for children but still had a large proportion of older patients, almost a quarter of its patients were epileptic.
The Hospital was impacted by both world wars, staff shortages caused as nursing staff and other workers were called up (18 were killed in WW1) and facilities were needed to treat casualties (shell shock was a particular issue in WW1). The buildings themselves suffered bomb damage in WW2 with a nurse actually killed during a bombing raid.
But in 1948 the Hospital became part of the NHS – and by the 1950’s, patients were encouraged to take up activities as part of their treatment – art therapy, gardening/horticulture, sports, workshops for metalwork, printing and concrete, and play areas for the children. The Coronation pavilion was opened as a recreation area for staff and patients, and entertainments were a popular feature at the Hospital. At this time Joey Deacon was a resident – Joey suffered from severe cerebral palsy but with the help of friends wrote his hit autobiography ‘Tongue Tied’. He became a celebrity, appearing on television on ‘Horizon’ and ‘Blue Peter’, his legacy lives on in the charity https://www.deaconcentre.org.uk/
However, times were changing, and after the 1983 Mental Health Act, the days of the large mental hospitals were numbered, to be replaced by ‘Care in the Community’ where the patients could benefit from a degree of independence. Patient numbers in St Lawrence declined, between 1985 and 1990 the number of patients at the Hospital had been reduced from 1,193 to less than 400, and eventually closed for the last time in 1994. The site has now been completely redeveloped for housing.
The ‘Caterham Arms’ was originally known as the ‘Asylum Tavern’, built in the late Victorian period to serve the Hospital and the Guards Depot further down the road. Not just the medical staff, soldiers and workers, but many of the more able patients would also pop in. After a while the pub was renamed as the ‘Caterham Arms’, but in 1975 the pub (popular with off-duty soldiers) became the target for an IRA terror attack, marking the end of a ceasefire with the British Government. On the evening of 27 August, a bomb planted under a seat went off, blowing off the roof and injuring 23 civilians and 10 soldiers.
