Asylum Farm – a sort of history of Rawcliffe Meadows…

About half a mile from Clifton Green is the North Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum, a handsome Elizabethan building, pleasantly situated on the north bank of the Ouse. It was erected in 1847, at the joint expense of the North and East Ridings, for the accommodation of 150 inmates; but so numerous were the applications for admission, that, in three years, it was found necessary to extend the buildings, so as to double the accommodation. The premises have been several times enlarged since, and are now capable of receiving about 700 inmates. The farm and pleasure grounds belonging to the institution occupy about 158 acres.
[Description(s) from Bulmer's History and Directory of North Yorkshire (1890)]

Although the 18th century saw the development of some private asylums to house people with mental health problems (like one provided by the Quakers at York in 1796) it was not until 1845 that state provision of lunatic asylums became compulsory. This led to the building of a joint asylum for North and East Yorkshire at Clifton, York in 1847. However within twenty years the rising cost of this asylum, to East Riding taxpayers, led to plans for a separate institution but the one in Clifton continued to grow until the late 20th century saw a change in the handling of the mentally-ill and ‘care in the community’ lead to the closure of many 19th century institutions, like Clifton Hospital.

Throughout the 20th century, the practice of being a self-sustaining community producing its own food had diminished, although speaking to staff who had trained there in the 1960’s confirms that the hospital still had the farm then, which went all the way north, past the current outer-ring-road, where buildings have now been converted to a pub.

The current flood bank is also relatively new in its present form although there had been lower flood defences marked on earlier maps.

Pieces of 19th century ironwork and fences can still be identified alongside the Ings Dyke and the copse.

After earthworks were excavated to form the current funnel down towards the pond in 1991, the funnel became awash with opium poppies that summer, perhaps a throwback from an earlier medicinal garden?

The immaculate grounds and older features were allowed to deteriorate by the new owners after 1996, and it was sad to see the orchards and lawns run down but in parallel the Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows had recovered the poached pasture from its creeping thistle covered state to the herb-rich Ings meadow that would have bloomed in years before.

A number of provisions were made for the open spaces under the Sction 106 agreement made as part of planning permission on the site in 1995. However, the City of York Council made singular efforts in not enforcing them to the point where in 2007 the grounds are rank with weeds, the hedges overgrown and flytipping abundant.

FoRM has complained to the Council, local MP's and other agencies on a regular basis to no effect. The developers have made their money and run...

To view a map of the area in 1853, go to:

http://www.old-maps.co.uk/oldmaps/index_external.jsp?easting=458076&northing=453587&countyCode=40

It is then possible to view an aerial photograph, which displays the current layout.