Severalls Asylum Hospital opened in 1913, designed by county architect Frank Whitmore and William Henry Town.<1>

The central complex had a capacity of more than 1300 patients. It was arranged en echelon, with wards linked to a central, north-south, administrative centre by covered ways. The central spine also divided the hospital into two sections separated by locked doors - the male side to the west and the female side to the east. Integral to the design were secure airing courts and shelters arranged around the ward blocks. Outside the central and enclosed complex were built detached villa/hospital blocks. The wards and villa buildings faced south for maximum exposure to sunshine.
Hospitals of comparable date, design and plan include Long Grove and Horton Hospitals in Epsom, Barnsley Hall in Bromsgrove, Birmingham, Hellingly in East Sussex and Netherne in Hooley, Sussex.