The most challenging work, however, has been getting to grips with restoring the neglected and overgrown hedgerows that enclose the site on two sides. They were tall, bushy and tangled and full of dead wood that needed to be removed before we could see what we were left to work with. Unfortunately, whilst the row of tall black pines provides shelter, they also make it very hard for the hedgerow to compete, hence sections of it are in gappy and in very poor condition. By cutting it back down to approx 4ft, new growth will be encouraged to regenerate the hedge. Despite the daunting prospect, the hedgerows have begun to take shape and, as they have been reduced in height, the view across the golf course has become visible for the first time in many years. The hedgerows are no longer a tangled mess and now add to the impression given to visitors that this special site is being cared for.
Like a number of Victorian hospital complexes in the North-East Surrey area, St Lawrence's Hospital (opened in 1870 as the Metropolitan Asylum) was akin to a small self-contained town. Spread out over an area in excess of 70 acres it was built to accommodate 1,600 residents, split between male and female blocks, all mentally ill or mentally handicapped, poor and, deemed for whatever reason, needing to be shut away from the rest of the community. Today, like many of those other Victorian complexes, it is the site of a housing estate. All that remains of the original sprawling development is a single small building and the burial ground which now stands in the middle of a golf course, secluded behind a boundary of mature black pine and overgrown hedges. Amongst the barren greens and fairways it acts as a haven for wildlife. Following the hospital’s closure and demolition in 1995 - the last of the patients having departed in the previous year - the burial site, opened in 1914 when the original hospital cemetery became full, fell into serious neglect. Local walkers used it as a place to discard their rubbish (a local school exercise initially removed 15 bags of litter) and it was even used as a site for people sleeping rough. Brambles were allowed to take over to the extent that it was almost impossible to tell that it was a place worthy of the respect that it was sadly lacking. Only the rusty iron gates in one corner, installed in 1962 to replace the original wooden gates and posts, and a collection of broken memorial stones, collected and placed inside the entrance, indicated that there was once something of importance here. The vast majority of burials lie unmarked - mass burials were commonplace at the end of 1918 as the Spanish flu pandemic devastated Europe - lost somewhere beneath the grassy tussocks, ant hills and scrub that covered the slope upon which the site is located. By 1964, the site was becoming too costly and arrangements were made for burials and cremations to take place elsewhere. The wall foundations, just visible in the grass, are all that remain of the burial ground's small chapel. The restoration and maintenance of the site, begun a couple of years ago by the local Parish Council, has taken a substantial effort by enthusiastic volunteers, a lengthy programme of works that continues today. The main aims of this work, however, is not just to restore the site but also to enrich the biodiversity by controlling the encroachment of the vegetation, whilst retaining enough to provide a haven for wildlife amidst the open spaces of the golf course. Another important aspect of the restoration has been to keep alive the memory of the patients buried here by clearing and replanting the memorial rose garden and installing an information board. There are numerous tasks to cater for all tastes and abilities and more than enough work to keep the workforce busy for some time to come. Some arm themselves with litter pickers and plastic sacks and set off in search of crisp packets and sweet wrappers, bottles and cans, paper and plastic, the detritus of a literally ‘throw-away’ society. It is a search that provides a rich return. Some set to work clearing the vegetation and hawthorn scrub that has encroached from the perimeter, so much in contrast with the manicured greens outside. Others set to clearing the brambles enveloping the remnants of the memorials by the gate, revealing the names and ages of the long forgotten. Some are those of children – listing ages as 7, 9 and 15 - leaving us to wonder about their individual stories. If they were patients, what had they done at such tender ages to be removed from society? And if the families were desperately poor it is doubtful that these children would ever have been visited by them. Were they the offspring of long-term patients? What had caused them to die so young? There are only a handful of memorials which, given the thousands of people who would have passed through the institution’s doors, many never to return to the world outside, somehow lends to an air of them having been abandoned by the society they had left behind. For many, there were no families to mourn their passing, although a huge amount of work is being carried out to investigate the burial records to discover their stories. The privet hedge at the bottom of the burial ground had 'exploded' and the path beside it had been lost beneath vegetation. Work with loppers, hedge trimmer and strimmer has made a huge difference to this neglected corner, with the hedge cut down to chest-height to encourage better and more manageable regrowth and the path has been restored. This, along with cutting the grass, will be one of the on-going maintenance jobs. The overgrown trees and hedgerow to either side of the entrance gate – mostly hawthorn with a few sycamore and elder - were in very poor condition. Hopefully, by cutting them back and removing the dead and decaying wood, they will be encouraged to come back stronger. The entrance gates, installed in 1962 to replace the original wooden ones, have also been re-painted and given a new lease of life. Apparently, the company that manufactured the gates is still in business - another lead worth following up. The footpath crossing the site has been restored and the access to it from the bottom corner of the site has also been cleared of vegetation. The most challenging work, however, has been getting to grips with restoring the neglected and overgrown hedgerows that enclose the site on two sides. They were tall, bushy and tangled and full of dead wood that needed to be removed before we could see what we were left to work with. Unfortunately, whilst the row of tall black pines provides shelter, they also make it very hard for the hedgerow to compete, hence sections of it are in gappy and in very poor condition. By cutting it back down to approx 4ft, new growth will be encouraged to regenerate the hedge. Despite the daunting prospect, the hedgerows have begun to take shape and, as they have been reduced in height, the view across the golf course has become visible for the first time in many years. The hedgerows are no longer a tangled mess and now add to the impression given to visitors that this special site is being cared for. A wonderful carved bench, with wildlife carvings, has been installed at the top of the burial ground, the magnificent animal carvings representing the importance of the site to wildlife. It is a great place just to sit and enjoy the peace of the site. It is a sobering thought that this small meadow is the final resting place of an estimated 5,000 former patients of the hospital. Working at the burial ground brings with it a great deal of satisfaction. Hopefully the patients buried here approve.
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AuthorDespite being raised in London I have been a lover of the countryside all my life. Over the past few years I have been priviledged to be able to work as a countryside management volunteer, picking up new skills and knowledge along the way and seeing the countryside in a way I never had before. The Urban Countryman is my personal view of that countryside, the seasons and the work that goes on to protect and manage this wonderful environment. Archives
January 2019
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