From My Archive I Choose…
I is for Italianate
Italianate Architecture – buildings created in the style of Renaissance Italy - became fashionable in the UK after being pioneered by John Nash in 1802. The style was further enhanced by the work of (Sir) Charles Barry from 1830 onwards.
Italianate Architecture - Princes Park Manor
Princes Park Manor was originally Colney Hatch Asylum. Building started in 1849 to an Italianate design by S W Daukes. The foundation stone was laid by Prince Albert. The asylum opened in 1851. It was built to hold 1000 patients and had 6 miles of corridors – it was the largest in Europe. The site was extended over time to hold 2000 patients and the name Colney Hatch became synonymous with madness, such that the hospital name was changed on several occasions, finally becoming Friern Hospital in 1959. It closed in 1993 and was converted to upmarket housing. A fuller history is available from Barnet Online.
Thanks for posting this and for sharing information about it! Fascinating, and a great photo!
Thank you Fergiemoto – Glad you found ithe information of interest
greetings by
http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/a-z-archive-i-challenge/
Greetings frizztext
Wow, amazing photo!! Fantastic capture!
Thanks Gracie
I think the late summer early morning light helped!
wow … that is on a large scale! would love to see the inside.
All you have to do is start barking at the moon or carrying out similar activities and I’m sure that can be arranged Stephen
I doubt that the inside is anything like the days when it was a hospital. But, definitely a very large building!
What a wonderful choice for “I”. What a magnificent building!
Thanks Marcy – it’s amazing how many interesting buildings are just a short distance from our homes
Fantastic image and interesting story! Great for the challenge!
Thanks Tricia
a beautiful building but i wonder what horror stories its walls hide xjen
Me too Jen – I wonder how many ghosts walk those corridors!
Gorgeous photo of beautiful architecture Martin! The history of the building is very interesting too.
Thanks Theresa – Glad you found the history of interest
What a fascinating place, Martin!
Beautiful! Of course, I don’t know if I’d still feel that way had I been confined to the grounds! Although 6 MILES of corridors? WOW! Sounds like it would be pretty easy to get lost in there, too!
Thanks Bob – I suspect that persons who have newly moved in might forget which corridor leads to their flat
And, as I said to Jen, I wonder how many ghosts walk those corridors?
Maybe I could send Dave & Lenny for a visit. Looks like a beautiful old building. My 1st thought when I saw it was one of those upper class estates kinda like Ashfordly Estate on Heartbeat.
I’ve gotten a bit errr… a lot behind in my blog reading & am busily trying to catch up with everyone in my RSS Reader. It lists them in order of most recently read so by working from the bottom of the list all the time I don’t leave anyone’s site unvisited for too long.
Yeah I have trouble keeping up with everyone. I used to do my best to comment on all the photos in the weekly photo challenge back in the days when you used to get between 80 and 100 responses – can’t do that now with over 400 in any week
Just have to select a few and then check your regulars and any visitors!
I’m sure Dave and Lenny would enjoy a visit – don’t know if you’ve tried doing cartoon characters on a photo background, but the full size photo is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_addison/3953583292/sizes/o/in/set-72157612965691456/ should you wish to give it a go or trace the building’s outline.
if im on your blogroll list try clicking there . always as somehow wp has messed up and got deleted old site tied in with new one can you let me know if it works from your blogroll xxjen
Hi Jen – I hadn’t updated the link. I was debating whether I could still display a link to your new site as I was under the impression that it was invitation only. Not sure what other people would get when they clicked on the link. So, in this instance, my fault rather than WordPress’. Anyway – updated now with the new name. Works fine
A great photograph and
excellent information too
Androgoth
Thanks Androgoth
Gracious, Martin, that really is beautiful. What a history! I wonder if it has any stories attached….
Isn’t it just Kate. I don’t doubt that there are some stories but sadly I don’t know any of them.
Not sure I’d like to live in an asylum, converted or not.
It does bring a new meaning to living in a madhouse doesn’t it
Thanks for stopping by 
Old asylums are fascinating…God knows what kind of horrifying medical practices went on within those walls.
Well, the history suggests that the original intention was a humane treatment of the mentally ill but eventually the sheer pressure of numbers overcame that principle and they wound up resorting to traditional restraining methods. Thanks for popping by
Beautiful shot Martin I really love it
Thank You Jake
I’m struggling to find blogging time at the moment 