The Seacliff Lunatic Asylum

The Seacliff lunatic asylum was made by Robert Lawson. It was called a gothic castle by some. It had turrets on corbels projecting from nearly every corner, with the gabled roof line dominated by a large tower complete with further turrets and a spire. The building contained four and a half million bricks made of local clay on the site and was 225 metres long by 67 metres wide. The great central tower of 50 m height, an essential element of many revivalist designs,was also proposed to double as an observation tower if inmates should try to escape. Ward five was an attachment to the original buildings. It was two storeys and made from wood. The fire in this building absolutely demolished it. During the night of the incident the Seacliff asylum was understaffed because of world war ll. Although other staff looking after other wards did check up on it from time to time.The Seacliff asylum was surrounded by 900 acres of land. It is situated between Karitane and Blueskin bay After the fire at sea cliff mental hospital, Karitane. They left it abandoned and rotting for another 23 years before fixing it up.

Now days it is a house for two families. But since that tragedy that killed 37 female patients it has never been the same. Residents have reported strange sightings. Residents say it is not uncommon to hear screaming and banging in the night.

One night one of the residents decided to investigate. As he walked into the dark empty hallway of the house that used to part of the hospital, the screaming and banging got louder and louder. As he was walking along the hallway he saw a room with a light on. They turned into the small room with locked windows just like the ones on the night of the fire to turn off the light but instead saw 37 woman whole bodies ringed with fire, hair aflame banging and screaming out in agony against a brick wall. And as he walked into the room to check the woman they all stop screaming and banging simultaneously and turned around to face him.  As they turned around it showed to them 37 faceless woman. As soon as he saw this he shifted the lock and locked the door and sprinted away.

The next night he went back but with a few other people. There was still banging and screaming but this time as soon as they went into the small room the screaming and banging stopped and instead of their being 37 woman a flame the room was dark and empty. The resident could only think the figures he saw were the 37 females who lost their lives in the fire at Seacliff.