Broadmoor Hospital

There can't be many of you who are unaware Broadmoor is a high security mental health hospital and the notoriety of some of it's inmates. However I'm sure, you never gave much though to where it is.

Neither did I until today. Then I was given a very rude awakening!

I'm driving west to a job in Wokingham, nice and early so I miss the traffic. I stop off at a petrol station to buy coffee and this almighty alarm goes off. First I think a petrol tanker is being hijacked, then when I put my head outside realise the sound is coming from all around the rooftops. Alarming! Like an alarm for impending war!.

I go to talk to the petrol station manager "what is the sound?", he shrugs!

Then I turn to the man behind me who is local. "It's an alarm for an escape at Broadmoor Hospital"

"What!!!!" I exclaim.

"No, it's OK", he says with a comforting voice. "They test it at 10am every Monday morning. In a few minutes, you'll hear the all clear"

And surely we did, although the 'all clear' siren was no less alarming, it was more reassuring once I knew the story.

After my job, I decided to return home via Broadmoor and have a look.

I was very surprised by the area it covers, and also by the height of the walls. They don't seem high at all in my view. Also the reassuring blue and white NHS signs pointing to the visitors car park. You could be at St Mary's, Paddington.

I drove all the way round but this was the only place I could really stop and take pictures. Irrationally I found myself wary of the man walking past. He's on the right side of the wall, it's OK!