The Epsom Cluster, sometimes Epsom Clusters, was a cluster, or group, of five large psychiatric hospital

Psychiatric hospital

Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...

s situated in the Horton area of Epsom

Epsom

Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...

. The site is, in 2008, subject to total redevelopment.

The hospitals were built owned and managed by the London County Council

London County Council

London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...

.

The cluster comprised:

• Horton Hospital
• Long Grove Hospital
  Long Grove Hospital
  Long Grove Hospital used to be a mental hospital in Epsom, Surrey in the United Kingdom.It was designed by George Thomas Hine. Patients include Josef Hassid , Ronnie Kray and George Pelham .The hospital closed in 1992 and has since been converted into Clarendon...
  
  
• Manor Hospital
• St Ebba's Hospital
• West Park Hospital
  West Park Asylum
  West Park Asylum was a large psychiatric hospital in Epsom, Surrey. The hospital was designed by William C. Clifford-Smith , who was also involved in the design of nearby St Ebba's Hospital...
  
  

The Horton Light Railway

Horton Light Railway

The Horton Light Railway was built in 1905 to transport materials for building the Long Grove Asylum that was needed in addition to the previously built Manor Hospital. It was later used to serve other London County Council psychiatric hospitals built in the Horton area to the west of the English...

transported building supplies and then coal and provisions to the hospitals in the cluster.

Present day

Some of the hospitals have been completely redeveloped, others, such as West Park are derelict and have archaeological interest.

External links

• A History of the Epsom Cluster