One mans vision

The Retreat’s history began on 15th March 1790 when a 42 year old Quaker widow, called Hannah Mills, was admitted to York Lunatic Asylum and died by 29th April 1790. Her death was unexplained, but Friends discovered that during her stay it is very likely she was treated inhumanely and cruelly. William Tuke and his family vowed that never again should any Quaker be forced to endure such treatment.

The early Retreat

The Retreat, which opened its doors in 1796, was never meant to be a hospital in the conventional sense. William Tuke tried to establish a ‘home from home’ for Friends, where the local doctor visited but did not hold the ultimate authority for treatment. The Retreat was a community, rather like an extended family where patients and staff lived together.

Developing its reputation

The Retreat’s revolutionary humane approach to mental health care was attracting visitors from around the world, with the publication of ‘Description of The Retreat’ by William’s grandson Samuel Tuke. This book was enormously influential on mental health practice and is referred to in modern-day textbooks on the history of psychiatry. The Retreat itself was growing and in the 1820s opened its doors to the first non-Quaker patients.

The rise of psychiatry

Daniel Hack Tuke, became the first of his family to enter university and became a medical doctor at The Retreat. The old ideas of ‘moral treatment’ began to give way to a more medically orientated model. Although The Retreat became steadily more conventional in its treatment methods, it never lost its reputation for humane and caring treatment of patients, who were now a mixture of Quakers and non-Quakers.

Moment to remember
On Friday 29th February 1952 the Gloster Meteor, Britain’s first jet fighter aircraft, crashed into the Recreation Hall whilst the tail of the aircraft broke off and landed in the Quaker burial ground which sits within the estate. By chance no-one beside the pilot (John Paterson) was killed impacting just metres away from the male ward.

The 20th century

The Retreat retained its independence by not joining the NHS but then faced problems with funding. Regrettably, it became an institution which could only cater for the needs of the very wealthy. There was a commitment to reform The Retreat which meant opening its doors to people based on need rather than personal income. Towards the end of its time as a psychiatric hospital, the majority of patients were funded by the NHS.

The retreat grounds

A new orchard was planted in 2011/12 and there is again a renewed interest in growing vegetables.

A large range of varied sporting activities have taken place over the years on the grounds. Cricket has been popular for much of The Retreat’s history and was still being played at this time.

The Retreat closes its doors

In 2017, the board took special advice and reluctantly had to accept that continuing the inpatient specialist hospital service would never now be either financially or clinically sound and in December 2018, it withdrew from inpatient care. The main buildings closed in 2018 as services were rationalised to offer more modern provision elsewhere in the city.

What’s to come

After an extensive consultation with Historic England, City of York Council and local stakeholders, proposals by The PJ Livesey Group were approved for the sensitive redevelopment of the site that balanced preservation with progress.

The Retreat is currently being reimagined as a unique residential community, comprising of approximately 120 homes, delivered through a combination of conversions and carefully designed newly built homes.

Access to previously closed green spaces will be carefully managed, ensuring the preservation of the site’s tranquillity and ecological sensitivity, while offering meaningful enjoyment for residents and select community engagement.