Probably far too big and heavy to be worth moving. I worked in a footear warehouse as a student and above the adminbuilding was the former accounts / payroll department which had been abandoned for about 30 years.
Along with ancient adding machines and refrigerators were a couple of huge Victorian safes just like this one. I can't imaging rhat they would be especially 'safe' by today's standards (especially if someone has taken an oxy-acetylene torch to the locks!) and I doubt the scrap value comes close to covering the cost of dismantling and removing it from the building if there's no pressing need (ie redevelopment).
Motts, thank you so much for that link about UK asylums. I share Chocobo's gratitude. In my experience, and as I've said before, anything that becomes obsolete or surplus to requirements here tends to be torn down long before it has chance to decay and becomes interesting, due to ridiculous land values and Government policy which insists on the re-use of any piece of 'brown-field' land for hundreds of overpriced shoe-box apartments. I had no idea that any of this stuff had survived... my Mom told me childhood stories of poking around a vast abandoned institution near Warrington, but that has long gone and only the water tower remains.
I've become fascinated by the idea of exploring derelict asylums, since ours were once possibly even more ornate, more impressive, and more brutal than those in the US, particularly during the early 20th century. The stories are heartbreaking - of girls committed to these places for the 'crime' of falling pregnant, or suffering from autism, epilepsy or any number of now-managable conditions. It was very easy to end up in the 'looney bin' and never see the light of day again. Even though most of them are down South, far away from my city, I'm encouraged by their mere existence and may even be tempted to pay a visit.. My interest in UE was sparked by a 'mission' (with a friend) to the abandoned BBC TV headquarters in Leeds city centre before that too was reduced to rubble. We had an amazing time snooping around recently vacated newsrooms and TV / radio studios and I hope t enjoy many more such experiences. Thanks a million for this site, and for helping fire my interest and stimulate my imagination...
Did you ever take into consideration that not everyone has the ability to sense the paranormal? I to believe that it is there though i have never seen or heard anything... i have had the feeling of a presence though. But i do know of people who claim they have seen and heard. They tell me that from their own experience they can tell if someone else has as well. My boyfriend happens to be one of these people, but to confirm your thoughts Motts... he didn't get anything from Pennhurst.
That geri-chair looks strange indeed...almost more hyper-real than the rest of the shot, like it was Photoshopped in. The fact that it wasn't makes it all the more eerie.