Lancaster Moor Asylum datestone 1816
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Lancaster Moor Asylum datestone 1816 by Eileen Cowen as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Lancaster Moor Asylum datestone 1816
Image: © Eileen Cowen Taken: 22 Apr 2008
In 1809 The Court of Annual Sessions, stated an intention ‘to erect a Lunatic Asylum, or House, for the reception of Lunatics or other Insane Persons’ in the County Palatine of Lancaster. Plans for the Asylum, to provide accommodation for 120 Lunatics were prepared by a local architect Thomas Standen. Construction began in 1812, and was completed in July 1816 when the Asylum opened.A large ‘Country House’ design was adopted, ‘with a handsome and stately home front, ornamented with pillars of the Doric order’ and was reported as the ‘most magnificent edifice, the Castle excluded that Lancaster had to boast’. The County Asylum admitted patients from a large area extending from Furness to the Fylde Coast, and extensively inland.
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
54.046061
Longitude
-2.775792