Closed since 1990, Pool Park is a silent and forgotten relic that lies deep within the countryside in Clawdd-newydd, Wales. Simply by looking at the estate it is clear to see how many forms Pool Park has taken throughout the years. The surrounding land began as a deer park for the nearby Ruthin Castle. Following its time as a hunting ground, the property was passed between a series of wealthy landowners. The elegant mock-Tudor style manor house that still stands today was constructed in 1862 for the second Lord Bagot, and the estate stayed in the family until 1937 when the house was sold to the North Wales Counties Mental Hospital, which at the time was in need of a second location to house overflow patients from the nearby Denbigh Insane Asylum (of which you can see my previous albums for a full article). Pool Park held 87 patients at capacity, but in times of need had as many as 120. For a brief stint of time during World War II, the grounds also held a prisoner of war camp. Today, the solid wooden floors and intricate wood panelling have rotted due to water damage. The house has been looted for lead and copper, and its ceilings are dripping water and shedding plaster. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an intact window. However, a beautiful old staircase still remains, spilling down two flights of stairs into a grand entrance hall, and it is the only remaining part of the interior that has escaped vandalism or water damage. It is safe to say that the asylum has long since passed it’s prime, and despite some efforts to recuperate it’s condition the entire plot has been lying derelict now for several decades. In one of the out-houses we found a mysterious caged trap with a clock timer attached to its hinge, and upon diverting into the basement during the latter part of our explore, we came to what appeared to be a dwelling presumably inhabited by a lone person at some point since the closure of the asylum. We found a meshed bed and sheets with a pair of shoes and a jacket hung over the chair as if they left and never came back. In the next room we also found a chair with a pair of ladies shoes and a handbag. We’ll probably never know the story behind who was down there but finding such clues to the past is a real source of excitement for any explorer. There are still so many signs of historical mystery within these places.
