Derby Home (Royal Albert Asylum), Lancaster. Jan '11

[Satsukisan]

At a time when the dominant legislation (i.e. the 1845 Lunacy Act) muddied distinctions between learning disability and mental illness, the Royal Albert Asylum (as it was then known), Lancaster, was only one of 4 regional institutions in England set up specifically for the care and education of children with learning disabilities. Admitting its first patients in December 1870, the Royal Albert's establishment owed much to the vision and energy of one Lancaster based man (twice the city's mayor), Dr. Edward Dennis de Vitre, who ensured that its primary focus was on those young people with learning disabilities aged between 6 and 15 years who, ideally after 7 years in the institution, would be able to leave and lead useful lives in the outside world. The main site now owned by a Muslim Girls School, Derby Home remains unused. It is being used it seems for storage from Lancaster Moor and Albert. Derby Home was used as a halfway house between being a patient at either Asylum and going out to work. Not much other info I am afraid.

Visited with Blueink aka the floor police!

Check out an aerial view here.

Note to others top right, dont walk like a heavy footed silly bill on the floor above this on the floor up! Causes a shouty Blueink to yell and dive in slow motion




























Main part of The Royal Albert now owned by a Muslim Girls School.


See more at my Flickr.

[blueink]

As stated by sat's be carfull where you step upstairs as the floors are alittle soft in places! any way enough of that on with my shots of the day.





















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