The Galleries
Brentwood
The Galleries, Brentwood
The multiple award-winning, The Galleries is a Grade II listed former asylum located in the bustling town of Brentwood in Essex.
When City & Country purchased the site from the NHS, the land surrounding the hospital had already been sold and developed; the listed building was abandoned without a viable use to sustain it and was in a very dilapidated state.
In total City & Country delivered 246 residential units, a mixture of conversion and sensitive new build, two large underground car parks and implemented an extensive landscaping scheme to breathe new life into this heritage asset.
History of The Galleries, Brentwood Development
- 1850
The site which The Galleries now stands was purchased by Essex County from the Kavanagh Family, owners of the Brentwood Hall Estate, in 1849.
A keenly fought competition was held to design a landmark building for the site, with prizes for the top three designs. The winning entry was awarded to Kendall & Pope of Brunswick Square. London and the contract to build the hospital to Myers of Lambeth. The foundation stone for Warley Hospital was laid on 2nd October 1851.
The building, which opened in 1853 was designed on a corridor plan and in the Tudor style and described by its architects as ‘Medieval of the Tudor period…being substantial, cheerful, English in character.’
- 1860
The hospital underwent a number of extensions throughout its lifetime and saw expansion in 1863 when it was decided to erect three distinct country style houses in the grounds., rather than extend the main building. Between 1860 and the turn of the century a number of new buildings were added as the population of the hospital grew to almost 2000.
- 1870
Major embellishments during this period included a recreation hall at the centre of the original main building in 1879 and new chapel in 1898.
- 1900
In the 20th century the hospital did not continue to grow at the same rate with the only the new laundry and boiler house and two detached villas built in the 1930’s. In 1936 a separate admissions unit was opened.
- 2000
The hospital finally closed its doors in 2001.
- 2015
City & Country has sensitively restored all of the buildings and their architectural features, viably securing this heritage asset which was once on the heritage at risk register.
Contact us
Call 01279 817 882