Glenside Hospital Museum – Glenside Hospital Museum

December 13, 2025

Historic green houses at Glenside Hospital

December 13, 2025

Glenside Hospital’s grounds + outbuildings

This blog post will introduce you to many of the buildings dotted around the Glenside site, some of which have disappeared over the years while the majority are still going strong. If anything here prompts interesting memories of Glenside Hospital, we're keen to hear from you.

December 13, 2025

Glenside Hospital’s wards + homes

Visit this blog post to take a virtual walk through Glenside Hospital’s former wards and on-site homes for hospital staff. If you have personal connections and memories of these sites, we'd love to hear from you!

September 22, 2025

A group of female and male psychiatric doctors, psychiatrists enjoying the Glenside Olympics at the hospital in 1984, a fun event at a fete or fair

September 22, 2025

One Thing I Remember

As part of our National Lottery Heritage Fund PoW! project (Protect our Wellbeing) we have been collecting bite-size memories and glimpses into everyday life at Glenside Hospital and Stoke Park Hospital. We hope that it will deepen your understanding of these historic institutions.

August 26, 2025

Drug rep gifts: prescribing by persuasion

Ever picked up a pen and found it was advertising an antidepressant? Welcome to the world of pharmaceutical branded goodies, colloquially known as “pharma swag”. These little freebies were once generously distributed by drug reps during meetings with medical professionals.

August 26, 2025

Industrial Therapy Organisation (ITO) – Pioneering mental health recovery

The Industrial Therapy Organisation (ITO) was a pioneering initiative launched in 1957 by Dr. Donal Early at Glenside Hospital, Bristol. It aimed to provide meaningful, paid work to mental health patients as a tool for recovery. Over the decades, ITO transformed countless lives by helping over 400 patients transition to regular employment, restoring their confidence and place in society.

June 4, 2025

Exploring Glenside: a guided walking tour, Sat 26th July

On Saturday 26th July at 11am, join our experienced guide Anwyl Cooper-Willis for a fascinating guided walking tour unlocking a secret side of Bristol. Explore the historic grounds of this former psychiatric institution, later known as Glenside Hospital. A limited number of tickets are available for this event. Booking required.

April 7, 2025

Cary Grant (1904-1986) From Horfield to Hollywood

Cary Grant was a world famous film actor (born Archibald Leach) and was raised here in Bristol. Read on to discover the uniquely sad link we have with him here at Glenside.

March 28, 2025

James Cowles Prichard of the Red Lodge by Margaret M. Crump

A physician to St. Peter’s Hospital, Bristol, where the first 164 patients came from when Bristol's first purpose-built asylum opened, is the subject of a book published in June 2025 by Margaret Crump.

February 6, 2025

Glenside Hospital Museum welcomes HRH The Princess Royal for a special 40th anniversary celebration

On 6th February 2025, Glenside Hospital Museum had the honour of welcoming HRH The Princess Royal to mark an extraordinary milestone—40 years of preserving and educating the public on the history of mental healthcare.