Severalls Hospital, a large Edwardian asylum, opened in 1913 for 1800 patients. It is based on the "echelon plan", which is a specific arrangement of wards, offices and services within easy reach of each other by a network of interconnecting corridors. Villas were constructed around the main hospital building as accommodation blocks between 1910 and 1935. Most of the buildings are in Neo Georgian style, with few architectural embellishments as a rule.

The hospital closed in the early 1990s following the movement of the closures of other psychiatric institutions during the period. The remaining structures have changed little architecturally and it remains a fine example of this specific asylum plan.