Inside the former Cardiff hospital left abandoned for nearly a decade

Kyle Bright

Pictures reveal the state of a vast, abandoned hospital in the north of Cardiff that has recently been listed for sale after standing empty for nearly a decade.

Urban explorers Beth and Robbie, who run the social media channel B&R Urban Explorers UK, documented the derelict state of the Grade II hospital, showing how the level of decay and overgrowth that has taken hold of the site since its closure.

The 32.5 acre grounds include 10 hospital blocks which are overshadowed by a 150 foot tall water tower, designed with farms, and even its own fire station, so that it could fulfill its purpose as an entirely self-sufficient mental asylum when it opened in 1908.

Having offered services to the military in both world wars, its facilities were no longer needed after Cardiff and Vale University Health Board centralised adult mental health care at Llandough in 2010, ultimately leading to its closure in 2016.

It would later see a change of ownership to the Velindre University NHS Trust in 2024, but recently was put on the market in an attempt to sell the property, as previously reported by Nation Cymru.

The hospital even featured inside the Doctor Who universe during the episode From Out of the Rain in the BBC series Torchwood, filmed back in 2007.

The interiors of the blocks are adorned with ornate detailing, including the grand recreation hall, where seasonal entertainment was presented and performed.

Within one of the buildings, there was even a hospital shop for patients. However, graffiti on the walls shows how the building has become a magnet for vandalism.

Previously, residents have asked questions about why the new nearby Velindre Cancer Centre that is currently in construction was built on meadows adjacent to the Whitchurch Hospital site which remains unused. Velindre University NHS Trust deemed the site was “not suitable” to accomodate the needs of the new centre.

The Trust has also confirmed that regardless of any future development, the buyer of the site must “comply with planning policies and heritage protections”.

You can view more of Beth and Robbie’s photos on their Facebook page.