Tone Vale Hospital
| Tone Vale Hospital | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1892 |
| Opened | 1897 |
| Closed | 1995 |
| Current Status | Preserved |
| Building Style | Echelon Plan (Compact Arrow) |
| Architect(s) | Giles, Gough and Trollope |
| Location | Taunton |
| Alternate Names |
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History
Tone Vale was founded as the second Somerset County Asylum in 1892, the first Somerset County Asylum at Wells having become overcrowded. The competition to design the asylum had been won by the architects Gile Gough and Trollope, and the first patient was admitted in May 1897. At that time the hospital was known as the Somerset and Bath Asylum, Cotford. In 1986, under Margaret Thatcher's government, the Audit Commission published a report Making a Reality of Community Care, which proposed the policy that became Care in the Community and led to a number of mental hospitals being closed in the United Kingdom. In 1987, Tone Vale had 504 inpatients. In 1992, the number had reduced to 350, and in March 1994 to 117. The hospital closed in March 1995.
