[3] The hospital was designed on the broad arrow plan by architect J. Vickers Edwards[4] and the large gothic complex of stone buildings was formally opened as the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum on 8 October 1888.

[3] The administration building, which is Grade II listed, features an Italian mosaic floor in the main corridor[5] which is intricately decorated with the Yorkshire Rose and black daisies - the latter of which provided inspiration for the title of Black Daisies, a television screenplay filmed at High Royds which took as its subject the experiences of sufferers of Alzheimer's disease.

The report said that the assault was during a fancy dress fun run at the hospital and that the witness was credible and accepted the allegation as true.

[21] The drama Diamond Geezer starring David Jason which aired on ITV1 in March 2005 was also partly shot at High Royds.

[23] Ross Farrally, a local historian from Leeds, published three books that delve into the history of the hospital through personal accounts.