I had visited this back in 2014 and was my first trip out of Norfolk. I just got a list of a few places I wanted to see, so put Nocton hall, Stenigot and this on a bit of paper with postcodes and a rough drawn map for each and off I want for a solo road trip. i managed success at each place. I was travelling to Scotland last year and virtually pass nearby so it was going to be a stop off to see what was still there. It was pretty much what I remembered from my early visit, and looked like nothing had changed at all. Still a shame that it’s stripped out so much, from the very early reports it looked great. To be honest I am surprised it was still standing and it really should not be. Arrived quite early in the morning and it was a gorgeous sunny morning. Getting in was as easy as anything you could imagine.
Rauceby Asylum originally started life in 1902 so was quite a late comer compared to many others. Designed to an echelon design, it was originally called Kesteven County Asylum. It changed its name to Kesteven Mental Hospital in 1924 and then finally it was renamed as Rauceby Mental Hospital. During the war like many other asylums it was commandeered by the military and was used by the RAF as a burns unit and was placed under the control of RAF Cranwell. This airfield is still in use by the RAF but as a training airfield, you often see the small Grob Tutors flying about. The RAF finally handed it back in 1947 were it was taken on by the NHS and renamed for the final time as Rauceby Asylum. With all of these old asylums the care in the community project was the final nail in the coffin for Rauceby and it was slowly rundown and closing its doors in 1997.
Not sure what the future of this bit is now after sitting here so long in the middle of a fairly newish housing estate. But Little Plumstead near me was like this. New housing all around the last derelict buildings. Then it was all demolished very quickly, the main hall was listed and to be saved. Strangely it had a large fire that razed it to the ground after years of kids trying.
Looking over the site. The buildings that had been demolished left exposed areas on the buildings they joined onto but now covered up.
Some artwork and wallpaper remains.
A ward with the floor removed like all of it. But you can still see some of the remains features.
Nice to see the brown tiles inside, sadly nearly all covered in graffiti.
I missed the greenhouse last time, so that alone was worth seeing.
This is prob the largest building on the site.
The only clean tiles I spotted.
The old admin block. The nice mosaic floor still sits inside.
Rauceby Asylum originally started life in 1902 so was quite a late comer compared to many others. Designed to an echelon design, it was originally called Kesteven County Asylum. It changed its name to Kesteven Mental Hospital in 1924 and then finally it was renamed as Rauceby Mental Hospital. During the war like many other asylums it was commandeered by the military and was used by the RAF as a burns unit and was placed under the control of RAF Cranwell. This airfield is still in use by the RAF but as a training airfield, you often see the small Grob Tutors flying about. The RAF finally handed it back in 1947 were it was taken on by the NHS and renamed for the final time as Rauceby Asylum. With all of these old asylums the care in the community project was the final nail in the coffin for Rauceby and it was slowly rundown and closing its doors in 1997.
Not sure what the future of this bit is now after sitting here so long in the middle of a fairly newish housing estate. But Little Plumstead near me was like this. New housing all around the last derelict buildings. Then it was all demolished very quickly, the main hall was listed and to be saved. Strangely it had a large fire that razed it to the ground after years of kids trying.
Looking over the site. The buildings that had been demolished left exposed areas on the buildings they joined onto but now covered up.
Some artwork and wallpaper remains.
A ward with the floor removed like all of it. But you can still see some of the remains features.
Nice to see the brown tiles inside, sadly nearly all covered in graffiti.
I missed the greenhouse last time, so that alone was worth seeing.
This is prob the largest building on the site.
The only clean tiles I spotted.
The old admin block. The nice mosaic floor still sits inside.
