The first patients were 8 'high-grade' adult males detained under The Mental Deficiency of 1913, and rather worryingly, were supervised by untrained personnel. Within months this number had grown to 86, and when the construction of new buildings began in 1929 the patients were involved in basic labouring.
The first of these new buildings was opened in February of 1931, and by December the site housed 342 patients. The site continued to expand with the addition of a Female and a children's unit until 1936.
The site was officially May 1936 by the then Minister of Health, Sir Kingsley Wood and was renamed the Middlesex Colony. The institution was designed to be entirely self sufficient with a farm, school and cinema. By 1939 the colony had 1194 patients.
In 1948 the colony became part of the NHS and in 1950 was renamed again, this time to the more familiar Harperbury Hospital. Through the 1960's various government officials visited Harperbury, Enoch Powell visited in 1961, he later went on to question the future role of large mental facilities. By 1964 overcrowding had become a major problem, With accommodation designed for 1354 patients housing 1587.
During the 1970's the hospital became less institutionalised and patients were given more freedom to interact with other patients and pursue their own interests. The farm was closed in 1973 and following a reorganisation of the NHS in 1974 patients started to be discharged back into the community.
In 1986 following another reorganisation of the NHS the hospital was linked with 2 other hospitals in the local area, Leavesden Hospital and the Cell Barnes Hospital and put under central management.
The 1990's brought news that the 3 hospitals would be subject to a phased closure with patients from the other 2 hospitals being transferred to Harperbury.
Harperbury, the last of the large mental institutions in the area, finally shut its doors as a hospital in 2001.
Parts of the site remained live, with the administration blocks still being used. Then in 2008 new bungalows to house 80-90 residents with learning difficulties were built as well as 2 medium secure mental health units in 2009.
The derelict buildings that remain are due for demolition to make way for more patient housing. The following pictures were take over about a 4 hour exploration of the site that still left some buildings and area's untouched!
