800 Comments for Great Barr Colony (St Margaret's Hospital)

i love your site, it is truely wonderful.
It will keep these wonderful buildings alive in your photo's as they were demolished last year as you say despite being sound.
As a regular visitor to this site I had hoped they would regenerate these buildings into appartments but unfortunately they did not and now they are gone forever apart from in you photographs, thank you for saving them in this way.

The buildings on this side of St. Margaret's complex were abandoned about 17 years ago and fared pretty well at first as there was security posted on this side but once the security was moved to the other side of the complex when that closed down the local kids got in and destroyed the buildings.
It has always been a very creepy place, I have been in most of the buildings when they were first abandoned and they all had the old parkae wooden floors which over time the kids ripped up and burnt but wherever you were in the building you somehow felt like you were not alone.
We used to ride our horses over there through the buildings and chat to the security who had a constant battle to try and keep the kids out cause there were so many places for them to hide.
It was a shame to see them slowly destroyed and last year they demolished them all as they had been set on fire so many times they'd become dangerous, the complex had been completely sealed up to vehicles by this time and so fire engines could no longer access them to put them out.
It is so nice to see that you caputed them so well before the were no more.

Absolutely beautiful shot, I've spent many an hour over on the St Margaret's complex walking and riding my horse and this shot is wonderful to see and even better than I remember it. They have now completely demolished all the buildings that you see in this picture.
When the buildings shown here were first abandoned about 17 years ago there was alot of equiptment left behind within them but over time kids got in and badly vandilised them.
I was told that in the long single story building on the left of the picture children were housed and treated. I remember on the grass in front of these buildings you once could see where the tennis and basket ball courts were.

Breathtaking.

I've always loves chapels and this one is really special. Great job :)

these kind of photos make you realize that someone really lived there, did the same thing like you do day by day...it makes the place somehow vivid.

Great photo Motts....I really like this small gallery. I do hope they are really restoring this castle building. Its like do all buildings have to be destroyed. Can't some be re-used and saved. If not than shame on us for not perserving some history. Truely....for we lose always. Time may go on and memories do fade....but some history does need to be saved. Somehow and in someway......Thanks Motts.....

Mr Security....are they restoring this house or not? Thats what I'd like to know. I couldn't go there even if I wanted too. I just hope they are restoring this beautiful building ....if not than shame on them. IMO anyway.......

I really enjoyed those links of before & after photos....thats sad cause it was so beautiful before....what a total shame and waste of a beautiful building.....what a crying shame. So is it really gonna be restored??

The castle is so gothic looking. Nice photo Motts. Its a shame if they are saving the building that we cannot have before and after shots when the repairs are done. That would be great. Love those before & after shots.....just a thought....

I just can't image all those people some 60 in one room? If what the poster (David Salt)above said is true. That would be horrible. Plus not much privacy at all. That would be hard to handle. We all need some privacy. Good picture Motts....

THE BUILIDING MAY BE AMAZING. I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PAST RESIDENTS WHO WERE MOVED FROM ST.MARGARETS. THE PLACE AND SOME STAFF WERE CRUEL. THEY LIVED A TERRIBLE LIFE.LET US NOT FORGET THAT.

me and my mate went over there not that long ago to look at the two estate lakes(fishing recce!)the house looked to be covered in scaffolding,maybe that arsehole building firm are finally restoring the house !anyway got confronted by security dude and his alsation and told to clear off, the knob wouldnt even talk to us.dont even think bovis homes own the land where house and lake are as building site is other side of metal fencing.

Don't ya'll know soap dispensers when you see one?

Sheesh....

i live in handsworth, and never knew this amazing building existed, what a shame they demolished it, if they had turned it into a home i would definitly have lived there.
they should have saved this building its much better than the flats they have put up now. what a bloody shame the gothic architecture has gone to rubble.