My First Urban Exploration, RAF Nocton Hall

I recently decided to visit a number of sites in Licolnshire related to my Military Service the First of these was RAF Nocton Hall which I nremember in its operational phase in the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Nocton Hall’s history has been well documented on this site and the following brief note should be enough to enable the curious to start a search for more information.

RAF Nocton Hall was a 740-bed hospital under RAF control from the 1940s until 1984. It was used by civilians and forces personnel until 1984, when it was leased to the USAF as a United States Air Force wartime contingency hospital. During the Gulf War, over 1,300 US medical staff were sent to the Hall and many were billeted at RAF Scampton. Fortunately only 35 casualties had to be treated. In its later days 13 American personnel remained to keep the hospital serviceable. RAF Nocton Hall was handed back to Her Majesty's Government by the USAF on 30 September 1995.
This was my first taste of Urban Exploration and my son and I arrived at RAF Nocton Hall about 11am and after a quick check of our equipment we set off on our explorations.
The Hall itself is a burnt out shell and after a brief exploration we set out for the main hospital site. The next obstacle which confronted us was a 12 foot (yes I still use the old imperial measurements) high chain link fence and a securely padlocked gate which proved not as insurmountable and after a short recce we soon found an viable access point.
My memories of a functioning efficient hospital with windows and beds was soon replaced with the scene of a vandalised, stripped almost unrecognisable shell which 15 years of weathering had not helped to preserve.
Two hours of exploration saw us retracing our steps to our point of entry and the discovery that we were not alone. The mode of entry we had utilised was now repaired and the gentleman who had carried out the repair was still there. I approached him and after exchanging a few pleasantries explained we had been looking round and that it had changed a lot over the past 30 years. He said it was getting worse and vandals had destroyed a lot of the structure, He offered to open the gate and we left he said that the police had started coming down hard and were charging people with Suspected Burglary if they were found on the site, I told him I had seen all I wanted and it was unlikely I would be returning. My son commented that for a hospital the disabled access was in need of reviewing and on this note we parted company with the workman all of us laughing.
The following photographs illustrate the decay of the site since its closure about 15 years ago.


IMG_C0002 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr



IMG_0030 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0029 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0028 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0026 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0025 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0024 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0022 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0021 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0020 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0019 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0018 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0017 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0016 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0015 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0014 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0013 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0012 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0011 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0010 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0009 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr


IMG_0007 by davidkirkgautier, on Flickr

argh, so close!!

You need the BBCode on Flickr, not the HTML code. I hope that helps, looking forward to seeing them.

Nice one! Thanks for fixing it.

Looks good, I hope you enjoyed your first trip out. I'd be interested to know if you have any memories of the place?

Great first post.
Some fab corridor shots!

Nice one! I've not actually seen the inside of this bit, so am grateful that you shared your photos.
Faves are the corridor shots

1st class report & ace pics.

Very nice mate, Nocton was one of my first explores so it will always be a favourite. It must be quite bizarre and saddening seeing places like this in the state they are when you can remember seeing them in operation....

Got some really nice shots from this place looks a interesting explore, thanks for sharing with us

Nicely Done, Thanks

I hate to see old RAF bases in this condition - especially after so many people (me included) were taught the none-to-gentle art of "bull" in places like that. Times change, I suppose, but still, its sad to see. Thank you for this explore

Nice pics & particularly interesting for me as I was a patient here in 1950, I find it sad that it's come to this as I have memories of a well run hospital. Nostalgia's not what it was!