The hospital was built in 1863 and opened in 1867. It was built to house the mentally insane. In the 1960s and 1970s it became an experimental hospital for the mentally handicapped. It was known as a place where people went to die as it had a high mortality rate. Overall the complex is made up of 63 buildings which have been built throughout the years. The hospital was like a town within a town as it had all its own amenities such as a market and piggery. The hospital closed in 1993 after the goverment decided it was to outdated. After its closure it housed female prisoners until 2001, whilst building and restoration work was carried out at The Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. At the present the buildings have been left unused.

As well as apparitions been seen at the former hospital, footsteps and loud bangs have been heard, some people have claimed to have an immense nauseating feeling and some have felt so frightened they are unable to enter some parts of the building.