Mental Health Collections
Explore the history of mental health care in York through the digitised patient records of Bootham Park Hospital, Clifton Hospital and The Retreat. These collections offer a rare and detailed record of life within two of the city’s most significant institutions for mental health care, spanning over two centuries of social, medical, and personal histories.
At the heart of the archives are the patient records. They include admission and discharge registers, case notes, and surviving correspondence. They trace changing attitudes to treatment, wellbeing, and care. Together, they provide an extraordinary resource for anyone interested in the development of psychiatry, public health, and community life in York.
Digitisation has made these collections more accessible than ever, allowing researchers, family historians, and the wider public to explore the stories behind the hospital walls.
To learn more or explore the full catalogues, visit the Bootham Park Hospital Archive Clifton Hospital Archives and The Retreat Archive on Borthcat, the Borthwick Institute for Archives online catalogue.
Both collections are also available through the University of York's Digital Library:
