Glenside Hospital Museum
Volunteer-run museum in a Victorian asylum church in Bristol on the history of mental health care, a First World War hospital and learning disability care.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Glenside Hospital Museum is housed in the former hospital church of 1881, a Grade II listed building just inside the grounds of the old Glenside psychiatric hospital in north-east Bristol. The hospital opened in 1861 and closed in 1994, and its main building is now used by the University of the West of England as a health and social care campus. The museum moved from the main hospital into the then-derelict church in 1992, and it is run by volunteers as an accredited museum and registered charity.
The collection is divided into three parts. The first follows the development of mental health care at Glenside from 1861 to 1994, through objects, documents, artwork, photographs and everyday items that show how patients and staff lived and which treatments were used. Visitors can step into scenarios such as a mock-up padded room.
The second part covers the Beaufort War Hospital, which the War Office requisitioned during the First World War. The building was converted in about three months, and the first wounded arrived in May 1915. Nearly 30,000 soldiers were treated there before it reverted to a psychiatric hospital in 1919, and the artist Stanley Spencer worked there as an orderly.
The third part tells the story of learning disability care in Bristol in the 20th century, centred on the Stoke Park Colony, which was founded in 1909 and grew to become the largest licensed institution of its kind in Britain.
Highlights
- Collection from the Victorian psychiatric hospital, 1861–1994
- Beaufort War Hospital, First World War, with soldiers’ stories
- Learning disability care in the Stoke Park Colony hospitals, 1909–2000
- Interactive displays including a mock-up padded room
- Free digital guide with 20 highlight objects and a grounds trail
Permanent exhibitions
- Psychiatric Hospital 1861–1994 – Objects, documents, artwork and photographs tracing mental health care at Glenside from its opening to its closure, with interactive displays.
- Beaufort War Hospital 1915–1919 – The wartime conversion of the hospital to treat wounded soldiers, with records, stories and the connection to the artist Stanley Spencer.
- Learning Disabilities Hospitals 1909–2000 – The history of learning disability care in Bristol, centred on the Stoke Park Colony and its sister hospitals.
- Operated by
- Glenside Hospital Museum (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Up to two under-18s enter free with each paying adult. |
| Families | –Up to two under-18s per paying adult are free. |
The adult price of £5 is an annual pass that allows return visits. Tickets can be bought on arrival or booked in advance online, and the museum relies on donations from visitors. Group visits of 12 or more are arranged by enquiry.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: not available
The museum is wheelchair accessible, apart from the altar area, where there is a step to the last metre of the display. There is an accessible toilet. There is on-site parking on Saturdays only. The museum has some audio but does not offer audio description; volunteers are available as guides on request. Visitors with specific access needs are asked to contact the museum in advance.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
- Hands-on stations
Up to two under-18s enter free with each paying adult. The handling collection workshops can be adapted to be age-appropriate, and more difficult topics such as electroconvulsive therapy and lobotomy do not have to be included.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Firstbus route 48a stops nearby; journey information is available from Traveline.
By car
Parking available
On Saturdays visitors can use the university car park directly outside the museum. There is no museum parking on Wednesdays, when visitors can usually park on the street just outside the campus.
The museum is in north-east Bristol, about 3 miles (5 km) from the city centre, in the Grade II listed church just inside the grounds of the old hospital. The postal address is The Porters Lodge, UWE Glenside Campus. There are two campus entrances: coming up Blackberry Hill from Broomhill, the museum entrance is the White Entrance, past the main blue UWE entrance. By bicycle it takes about 25 minutes from the city centre along the Frome Valley Walkway and about 26 minutes from Temple Meads along the Bristol–Bath cycle track.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
There is a museum shop. Tea in the Turret, a tea-and-cake event in a hidden balcony room reached by a spiral staircase, runs on selected dates until the end of 2026 and needs a ticket.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visitors usually spend about 90 minutes in the museum. Volunteers can act as guides on request. A free digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app covers the exhibitions, 20 highlight objects and a self-guided tour of the hidden history in the grounds. Groups receive an introductory talk. Hands-on handling workshops for groups of 8 to 56 people last 45 to 60 minutes and use real artefacts from the collection; they can be adapted to different ages and themes. Drawing sessions for groups can be booked outside normal opening hours. |
