Rauceby Mental Hospital
Encyclopedia
Rauceby Mental Hospital, originally called Kesteven
County Asylum, is a now-defunct mental institution in the parish of Quarrington
, Lincolnshire. Building work was commenced in 1897, the facility was completed and opened in 1902. After changing hands and names several times the main hospital building was closed in 1998 and abandoned for several years. From 2004 parts of the site underwent redevelopment to convert it into private housing.
(now deconsecrated), two graveyard
s, a mortuary and various tunnels connecting wards (under the corridors).
In 1940 the building was taken over by the Royal Air Force
, renamed as No.4 RAF Hospital Rauceby it became a crash and burns unit under the control of nearby RAF Cranwell
. During it's tenure as a burns unit plastic surgeon
Archibald McIndoe
worked at the facility, along with other members of the "Guinea Pig Club
".
The wartime Burns Unit was situated in Orchard House, built alongside the hospital orchard - one of the last remaining parts of Rauceby Mental Hospital to remain in NHS use as offices for the former Lincolnshire South West PCT following the Mental Health Hospital's closure in 1998.
The main hall burnt down in 1947 marking the end of RAF control, the NHS
took over the site the following year renaming it to Rauceby Hospital and returning patients that had previously been displaced.
The main hospital building closed in 1997, and stood unused until 2004 when David Wilson Homes began redevelopment work. Following public consultation, the site and its surroundings (including Rauceby railway station
) were officially renamed as Greylees, although the developer continues to refer to the housing development as De Vessey Fields.
Kesteven
The Parts of Kesteven are a traditional subdivision of Lincolnshire, England. This subdivision had long had a separate county administration , along with the other two parts, Lindsey and Holland.-Etymology:...
County Asylum, is a now-defunct mental institution in the parish of Quarrington
Quarrington, Lincolnshire
Quarrington is a suburb of the market town of Sleaford, in England. Its origins can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times when it was a hamlet of c.1,500 acres.-History:...
, Lincolnshire. Building work was commenced in 1897, the facility was completed and opened in 1902. After changing hands and names several times the main hospital building was closed in 1998 and abandoned for several years. From 2004 parts of the site underwent redevelopment to convert it into private housing.
Layout
The hospital buildings included a chapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
(now deconsecrated), two graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
s, a mortuary and various tunnels connecting wards (under the corridors).
History
The hospital was designed by GT Hine, construction began in 1897 and was completed in 1902. Operated by the Kesteven County Council the facility was renamed to Kesteven Mental Hospital in 1924 and to Rauceby Mental Hospital in 1933.In 1940 the building was taken over by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, renamed as No.4 RAF Hospital Rauceby it became a crash and burns unit under the control of nearby RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...
. During it's tenure as a burns unit plastic surgeon
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
Archibald McIndoe
Archibald McIndoe
Sir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
worked at the facility, along with other members of the "Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club
The Guinea Pig Club was formed of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex who underwent reconstructive plastic surgery during World War II, generally after receiving burn injuries in aircraft....
".
The wartime Burns Unit was situated in Orchard House, built alongside the hospital orchard - one of the last remaining parts of Rauceby Mental Hospital to remain in NHS use as offices for the former Lincolnshire South West PCT following the Mental Health Hospital's closure in 1998.
The main hall burnt down in 1947 marking the end of RAF control, the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
took over the site the following year renaming it to Rauceby Hospital and returning patients that had previously been displaced.
The main hospital building closed in 1997, and stood unused until 2004 when David Wilson Homes began redevelopment work. Following public consultation, the site and its surroundings (including Rauceby railway station
Rauceby railway station
Rauceby railway station can be found near the Town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, lying close to the western border of the Parish of Old Sleaford and Quarrington just over half-a-mile south of the village of South Rauceby. Sleaford is the only town in Lincolnshire whose main railway station is...
) were officially renamed as Greylees, although the developer continues to refer to the housing development as De Vessey Fields.
External links
- http://www.simoncornwell.com/urbex/projects/r/index.htm Simon Cornwell's Urbex photo gallery