sql - convert nvarchar to datetime : I have a set of dates which are in the current format:

yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.000
e.g.
2016-04-15 13:30:00.000

I have put them into a sql server table as nvarchar(MAX) but I need to convert them to datetime in a view.

I have tried the following pieces of code but neither work:

CONVERT(nvarchar(MAX), start_date, 120) AS start_date1
 
CAST(RIGHT(CONVERT(nvarchar(MAX), LEFT(start_date, 20), 120), 19) AS datetime) AS start_date1 