The Friday Photo

The (old)  Monyhull Hall which was part of Monyhull Colony (1909) photo by Tracey Thorne

This week’s Friday photo features the old Monyhull Hall which open in 1909 for the treatment of care of “sane epileptics and feeble minded persons”. The growth of these kinds of institutions were linked to moral debates of the time which viewed epileptics and the feeble minded as a danger.   The Colony  was considered at a  “bold venture” but sadly led to many patients spending the rest of their lives in these institutions.

The ninety years that followed, Monyhull was to become home to hundreds of people. The main hall is a listed building and has since been converted into flats. It sits very prominently in the landscape looking over towards  Maypole and always makes me think about the hardship people must have injured.