# Rauceby Asylum, Lincolnshire, October 2017



## HughieD (Oct 8, 2017)

*1. The History*
The hospital was designed by GT Hine and construction started in 1897 and was concluded five years when the institution opened in 1902. Kesteven County Council oversaw the hospital and it was renamed the Kesteven Mental Hospital in 1924 and then again in 1933 as the Rauceby Mental Hospital. During WWII the site was requisitioned by the RAF and renamed the No.4 RAF Hospital Rauceby. It was responsible for treating crash and burns patients under the direction of RAF Cranwell. The wartime Burns Unit itself was located in Orchard House. It was built alongside the main hospital on the site of the hospital's orchard. This was one of the last parts of the site to remain in NHS following the closure of the Mental Health Hospital in 1998. 

Plan of the site:


Rauceby-Hospital-Map by HughieDW, on Flickr

David Wilson Homes began redeveloping the site in 2004. The iconic water tower was controversially demolished in early 2006 David Wilson Homes cited subsidence caused by the long hot summer of 1976. Subsequently the site and the immediate vicinity have been officially renamed as Greylees. In 2012 the site was used as a set for the controversial horror movie "The Lucifer Effect". The unscripted flick featured eight people who volunteered to be locked inside the reportedly haunted mental asylum for three days. It got a little too real when two of the cast were hospitalised and the police became involved. 

The buildings that are now left in an oval-shaped compound are a fraction of the former hospital's enormous site, which has been subject to a redevelopment into a maze-like top-end housing estate. That said, a number of the institution's iconic buildings remain. The elegant admin block (see below, pictured circa 1905), the chapel (undergoing refurbishment, although this appears to have stopped), the red-brick ward buildings and the conservatory. 


Rauceby by HughieDW, on Flickr

Barratt Homes submitted an application for 106 homes at the site in May 2016. Plans involved the demolition of Blocks A-F and conversion of Blocks G, L and M to dwellings. The conservatory would be retained while 100 new homes, a 2,500 square foot commercial building and a 2,500 square foot community building would be build on the freed-up space. At a public meeting in March 2017 the councillors on the planning committee rejected the plans because they involved demolishing too much of the historic structure. Barratt Homes then asked Sleaford Town Council if it would be willing to buy the building off them for £917,674 at a meeting on March 29. Barratt Homes appealed but government planning inspector, David Rose, dismissed the appeal, stating that Barratt “needed to do more to explore all potential options for the retention, conversion and use of those buildings”. Hence the future of the buildings is currently in limbo.
*
2. The Explore*
Having been here early one very misty Sunday morning two years ago, the weather was no less kinder on this visit. The skies were grey and it was raining heavily. What’s more, the big hole in the perimeter fence had been mended; there was a car in the compound and the hum of a generator and a lot of people milling about the housing estate. Hence again, I had to content myself with shots from the periphery. So no internals but still enough for a report. Third time lucky I guess…

*3. The Pictures*

The star of the show, the former admin block:


img3376 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Fantastic stonework:


img3377 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img3381 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And a clock tower in need of a little TLC:


img3379bw by HughieDW, on Flickr


img3382 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Conversion work on the former church appears to have stopped:


img3384 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The former “Recent and Acute” block:


img3385 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Rear view of the Admin/Entrance block:


img3386 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Former Epileptics block:


img3389 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img3390 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img3392 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The legendary conservatory:


img3393 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Sick and Infirm wing (females):


img3396 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Rear view of the female wings:


img3400 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And the conservatory:


img3399 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## smiler (Oct 8, 2017)

Nice that Hughie, from the number of pigeons on the roofs it might be wise to mask up if you go for interior shots, Liked it, Thanks


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## Sam Haltin (Oct 8, 2017)

Maybe just as well you photographed the externals because inside its probably like a building site making it more dangerous to move around. Still, you managed to capture good shots.


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## titimo82 (Oct 9, 2017)

nice shots, beautiful architecture


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## BoneDust (Oct 10, 2017)

What a lovely looking building. Shame it's just been left.


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## odeon master (Oct 12, 2017)

theres not a lot to see in any of the buildings anyways as when the started the building work in 2004 i think they internally stripped all the buildings down to the bare internal brickwork in may places, the admin building was ruined internally as it contained lovely dark green victorian wall tiles all in intrecate shapes, all were just hacked off the walls and smashed by the builders, they are just empty brick shells the buildings that remain sadly


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## HughieD (Oct 12, 2017)

odeon master said:


> theres not a lot to see in any of the buildings anyways as when the started the building work in 2004 i think they internally stripped all the buildings down to the bare internal brickwork in may places, the admin building was ruined internally as it contained lovely dark green victorian wall tiles all in intrecate shapes, all were just hacked off the walls and smashed by the builders, they are just empty brick shells the buildings that remain sadly



Cheers for the info OM. What a criminal waste eh?


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## prettyvacant71 (Oct 13, 2017)

OOOOooo a welcomed blast from the past HD! I remember seeing this place here about 5yrs ago when it was on the trail, sadly i never made it there but always loved looking at the pics.

Love to see how places are doing! Thanks HD for updating us!


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## HughieD (Oct 13, 2017)

prettyvacant71 said:


> OOOOooo a welcomed blast from the past HD! I remember seeing this place here about 5yrs ago when it was on the trail, sadly i never made it there but always loved looking at the pics.
> 
> Love to see how places are doing! Thanks HD for updating us!



Pleasure mate!


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## The Wombat (Oct 27, 2017)

Always have a soft spot for this place
It was my first asylum, which is always an experience; and photographed it in thick snow

Nicely covered Hughie


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## HughieD (Oct 28, 2017)

The Wombat said:


> Always have a soft spot for this place
> It was my first asylum, which is always an experience; and photographed it in thick snow
> 
> Nicely covered Hughie



Cheers Mr Wombat. Need to plan another visit if you fancy it...


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