The stories of the people, places and events that made up the history of Leavesden Asylum/Hospital have been told in a new book.

Martin Brooks, founder of the Leavesden Hospital History Association and former park ranger, has interviewed many former staff of the hospital and collected hundreds of first hand accounts that detail the heritage and culture of caring at the facility.

After almost four years of work, Martin has compiled some of these stories in Acts of Caring and Other Heroics – Stories from the Leavesden Asylum/Hospital – 1868 to 1995 which has now been published by the Independent Publishers Network.

Watford Observer: The cover of Acts of Caring and Other HeroicsThe cover of Acts of Caring and Other Heroics

He said: “I have always loved telling the stories of the people I have met who used to work at the hospital.

“As we are unable at this time to meet in the park for the history walks and talks which have been sponsored and supported by Three Rivers District Council, it was even more important to get them out in this book.”

The asylum/hospital and St Pancras Workhouse/School were fixtures of Abbots Langley and Leavesden from 1869 to 1995 and covered more than 187 acres on both sides of College Road and what is now Leavesden Country Park.

Copies of the book can be ordered by visiting www.leavesdenhospital.org and clicking on ‘The Book-Acts of Caring’ tab.