Orchard House at Greylees feb 2012

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MD

MD

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First off thanks to Carlin for the reminder, looking at the site the whole lot is coming down starting on march the 5th

In the 1940s, plastic surgery was pioneered at No.4 RAF Hospital, Rauceby, on the western outskirts of Sleaford. The Burns Unit was situated in Orchard House — one of the last remaining parts of Rauceby Mental Hospital (formerly the Kesteven Lunatic Asylum) to remain in NHS use as offices for Lincolnshire South West PCT following the Mental Health Hospital's closure in 1998. The whole site (which is now being redeveloped principally by David Wilson Homes for private housing) and its immediate environs including Rauceby railway station, has recently been renamed as Greylees, a suburb of the Market Town of Sleaford.

not loads to see it seems like it was just used as offices..

_MG_3511 by M D Allen, on Flickr


_MG_3513 by M D Allen, on Flickr


_MG_3514 by M D Allen, on Flickr


_MG_3515 by M D Allen, on Flickr

Ghosts

ghosts by M D Allen, on Flickr


_MG_3535-1 by M D Allen, on Flickr


roof-light by M D Allen, on Flickr


plan by M D Allen, on Flickr


_MG_3543 by M D Allen, on Flickr

some more on flickr
 
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Nice snippet of WW2 history. It's a shame that a fairly important aspect of pioneering medical work is about to be lost, but there you go I suppose. Would be nice if they at least erected a permanent memorial plaque or something when the new project is completed.
 
I still live in one of the staff houses and worked on Orchard House when it was last used as a ward in 1987, apart from a brief empty period it has been used as headquarters for NHS trusts. NHS Lincolnshire is demolishing it and grassing over the site as you say starting March 5th. Simon Cornwell has copies of the plans and a set of photos (from me) to go on his next Urbex update.

The central area that was being used as a cafeteria was the operating theatres, the table being situated under a glass roof. It was very surreal in the early 80's when the Kitchen as was then had a new floor and the bolt holes and outline of the table could be seen, especially when cooking bacon for breakfast.

As MD stated it was used as a major burns unit in the 40's under the overall control of Archie McIndoe but was run locally by Squadron Leader Fenton Braithwaite, specialising in hands and limbs, facial surgery being shipped off to East Grinstead. The rest of the hospital was used for everything else you would expect of a general hospital of the day, housing 1000 patients.

OH is not the last NHS use of this site, Ash Villa, child and adolescent unit is still open on the western edge of the site on Willoughby Rd.
 
That merry christmas shot is brilliantly haunting, looks like a nice place and it's nice to see that it's not been smashed up.

Also, thanks to SteveJD for that information, was very interesting
 
stevejd said:
I still live in one of the staff houses and worked on Orchard House when it was last used as a ward in 1987, apart from a brief empty period it has been used as headquarters for NHS trusts. NHS Lincolnshire is demolishing it and grassing over the site as you say starting March 5th. Simon Cornwell has copies of the plans and a set of photos (from me) to go on his next Urbex update.

The central area that was being used as a cafeteria was the operating theatres, the table being situated under a glass roof. It was very surreal in the early 80's when the Kitchen as was then had a new floor and the bolt holes and outline of the table could be seen, especially when cooking bacon for breakfast.

As MD stated it was used as a major burns unit in the 40's under the overall control of Archie McIndoe but was run locally by Squadron Leader Fenton Braithwaite, specialising in hands and limbs, facial surgery being shipped off to East Grinstead. The rest of the hospital was used for everything else you would expect of a general hospital of the day, housing 1000 patients.

OH is not the last NHS use of this site, Ash Villa, child and adolescent unit is still open on the western edge of the site on Willoughby Rd.
Click to expand...

thanks for that steve good to hear some history

ps
being a local do you know if the burial grounds on the other side of the site were from the days of the asylum?
 
MD, yes they both are, last used in the 60's when cremation became the cheaper option and people became less ashamed of having a relative in the asylum.
 
TimeIsTheEnemy said:
That merry christmas shot is brilliantly haunting,
Click to expand...

I used to work nights on the end furthest from the main drive (female Orchard House), 54 patients with 2 staff and the odd student nurse now and then.

One night I heard as I thought, the night sister unlock and close 2 doors at the ward entrance. My student and I thought, hey only one door is locked, on investigation, no night sister or anyone out side, strange, on checking she was still having coffee in her office in the main complex.

Later that night we heard a parquet floor block click (deliberately left loose as it let us know someone was out of bed) and footsteps approach the office we were sat in, so I thought turn the tables on sister and make her jump. footsteps came to the office doorway, I looked out and...nobody, everybody was asleep in bed.

The student and I spent the rest of the night doing rounds together. apparently the office had always been the night nursing office.

Other colleagues have told me stories of seeing men in PJ bottoms and blue jackets (RAF Hospital Blues) stood in the darker parts of the corridors at night.
 
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