Rauceby Asylum, Lincolnshire, October 2015

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HughieD

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This place used to be one of the darlings of the former-asylums urbex trail and used to have reports written about it on DP on a regular basis. These reached their peak in 2013 but since then there has been little in the way of reports. So inspired by The Wombat and Mikemutt's re-discovery of St John's asylum up the road in Lincoln recently, I decided to see what the state of play with was with the former Mental Institution at Rauceby. Normally a lack of reports are for a reason and that, coupled with very, very foggy and poor-visibility weather, didn't bode well. It would have been easy to turn back but I like a challenge. The challenge being to come up with a half-decent set of pictures for a report. Admittedly these are not the finest set of pictures I've ever posted but hopefully it does give an insight into the current state of play plus the fog does sort of add to the atmosphere of the place.

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 top-end housing estate development. That said a number of the institution's iconic buildings remain. The elegant admin block (see below, pictured circa 1905), the chapel (now undergoing refurbishment), the red-brick ward buildings and the conservatory.

ra1.jpg


The buildings (bar the chapel) appear to have been left to decay. There are a number of building materials in the compound but these appear to be stored rather than for the purpose of renovating the buildings.

It was quite an enjoyable explore. The compound is easy enough to enter but once in, as you will see from the pictures, the place is tightly sealed, ruling out internal shots. Many of the buildings appear to have recently been sealed with breeze-blocks and cement.

The history of the place is a well-trodden path but here is a brief potted summary. The hospital was designed by GT Hine. 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. 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 definitive history of Rauceby entitled 'Rauceby Reflections' was written by Gwyneth Stratten in 1992. A fantastic information resource courtesy of Simon Cornwell can be found here:

urbex:uk

On with the pictures.

The first thing I come across is the former chapel. It's been receiving a top-end refurb:

22518259282_18bf0528a4_b.jpgimg2487 by HughieDW, on Flickr

From these two internals work appears to be on-going:

22344095488_da85699c88_b.jpgimg2545 by HughieDW, on Flickr

22343496088_4b3eda44ec_b.jpgimg2543 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Next up is the majestic admin building, all boarded up and looking a bit ghostly.

22542882671_5e0fd7f4a2_b.jpgimg2488 by HughieDW, on Flickr

22531713935_3fba4abfe3_b.jpgimg2490 by HughieDW, on Flickr

As you will see, bricked-up doors and windows are a continuing theme:

21910481643_a2438ba26b_b.jpgimg2502 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The roofs on some of the former ward buildings are in a desperate sate of repair:

21910436323_8966f119aa_b.jpgimg2503 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On into the compound itself:

22343648990_a86c7e3351_b.jpgimg2507 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Mmmm, perhaps in my younger days…

21908821274_f226d13666_b.jpgimg2510 by HughieDW, on Flickr

…and in my slimmer days? Maybe not.

22344694969_ba0e7f366f_b.jpgimg2516 by HughieDW, on Flickr

An old out-house crumbles:

22531507505_0f39b14bd6_b.jpgimg2517 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Birds on a wire, erm, I mean the roof…

22531479245_954d38ac30_b.jpgimg2519 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Yet more boarded up ward buildings:

21908709654_855e544c11_b.jpgimg2520 by HughieDW, on Flickr

I believe the correct definition for this one is "well-sealed".

22542559081_32d3fb3474_b.jpgimg2521 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And on to the iconic conservatory:

22542536531_1323640c75_b.jpgimg2524 by HughieDW, on Flickr

22343416820_41e0faa771_b.jpgimg2526 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And more ward buildings…these in slightly better nick:

22343373330_32bff9eef7_b.jpgimg2528 by HughieDW, on Flickr

With original drain-pipes…

22517778942_94820c1f81_b.jpgimg2530 by HughieDW, on Flickr

…and exterior light!

22531263755_433d5272da_b.jpgimg2531 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Finally is this tower-like structure:

21910034073_28c1cd8eac_b.jpgimg2532 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Perhaps this place merits a re-visit on a nicer day. Thanks for looking.
 
Fantastic set of photos!
It's def had it's day, but you've captured Hines beautiful work perfectly.
Thanks for sharing :)
 
Fantastic set of photos!
It's def had it's day, but you've captured Hines beautiful work perfectly.
Thanks for sharing :)

Cheers UrbanX. Sadly it has. Hope the admin block gets restored.
Sleaford has more than it's fair share of amazing Victorian architecture doesn't it.

It certainly does what with the Bass Maltings. And then Nocton just up the road.
 
Loving this. Wouldn't mind a wonder round there myself. Cool looking buildings too
 
Nice one hughie..shame you could not get in the buildings.they were wide open when I went
 
I think the weather is fitting for your explore. Lincolnshire certainly has a lot to offer.
It didn't feel like it at the time but I think you are right! Yes...Lincs has loads to offer for sure.

Nice one hughie..shame you could not get in the buildings.they were wide open when I went

Cheers Mikey. Yeah, saw your report. Things have changed access-wise recently. Think this may have been the reason...
http://m.sleafordtarget.co.uk/Safety-fears-derelict-Rauceby-Hospital-Greylees/story-25526914-detail/story.html
 
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i first visited this asylum in 2003 with fellow urbexer Simon C, it was a very different place back then, fully intact, and so clean interally, full of interesting stuff. Shame its just a stripped out shell today. The hall was really good, thats gone now i think. Its a crying shame what they did to the admin block, its stripped back to the bare brickwork inside, and when we visited it was adorned with fantastic victorian bottle green shaped wall tiles, it was stunning, and the builders stripped all this away
 
visited this place recently such a shame to see it in the state it's in

I'll get a report up soon
 

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