Derelict former RAF Hospital Nocton Hall. Lincolnshire. A private guided tour

Описание: Monday 27th March 2023.
Guided tour by Mary at 12pm. Facebook page linked below.
A home on site. Do the tour!.

Nocton Hall is located in the small Lincolnshire village of the same name. There has been a Hall in Nocton for hundreds of years although the current ruins of the hall result from a 1841 rebuild by the first Earl of Ripon.

In 1940, with the commencement of World War Two and the need for the RAF to increase its hospital facilities, the Air Ministry acquired the Hall along with 200 acres of parkland from Smith's Potato Crisps, who had purchased the hall and estate in 1936. No. 1 RAF Hospital Nocton Hall was quickly established to serve RAF personnel based at the numerous stations in the area, along with their families and local civilians. However, the RAF soon deemed Nocton insufficient for purpose and shifted operations to the nearby hospital at Rauceby and leased it out to the United States Army Seventh General Hospital in 1943, who then duly added a number of buildings to the east. At the end of the War in 1945, Nocton returned to the RAF who then selected it as their permanent general hospital for the county of Lincolnshire and it was renamed No 1 RAF Hospital Nocton Hall. This resulted in additional building works, started in 1946, in order to bring it up to the standards of a peacetime hospital. Another four wards were added, and the hospital admitted its first patient on 1st November, 1947. The nearby Hall was used to billet female RAF medical staff, while new married quarters were built nearby. The female nursing officers were accommodated in the Hall up until the 1960s. Building work and improvements continued with the addition of an ear, nose and throat department and surgical, ophthalmic and dental facilities in 1954. Then, in May 1957, a maternity wing was added, followed in 1966, by twin operating theatres, a central sterile supply department and a neuro-psychiatric centre. Finally, in July 1969, a self-contained maternity division was built. At its peak capacity, there were no fewer than 740-beds in the hospital.

Sadly, with the hospital into in fourth decade of operation, the decision was taken on 31st March, 1983 to close RAF Nocton Hall as an RAF facility. Mr Torrie Richardson had earlier bought Nocton Hall and developed it into a residential Home which became a significant local employer. In 1984 the hospital was leased out to the United States Air Force (USAF) who used it for use as a wartime contingency hospital. During the Gulf War, this contingency was activated, and a staggering 1,300 US medical staff were flow in, many billeted at the nearby RAF Scampton. Despite its massive capacity just 35 casualties were treated at the hospital over a two-year period. Post-Gulf War, it briefly served as an RAF forward outpatient department between 1992 and 1993. This facility was discontinued in 1994 and the hospital formally closed on 23rd June, 1995. It was then officially handed back to the UK Government by US Forces on 30th September 1995 and again stood empty once again.

Nocton Hall. 00:00
In we go through the locked gate. 2:23
Eddie the lamppost. 2:40
Station Headquarters. 3:22
The poor old wall and privet hedge, walk to the next thing. 6:46
A ghost story. 7:33
A smaller building with old school porn. 8:18
Vehicles, garage area, maintenance. 10:05
NAAFI. 10:40
Outside the fence line, Original homes. Still used. 11:30
Where the leisure activities happened, Snooker, TV and Bar/lounge. 12:15
Squash court. 19:07
The Sauna/ gas mask training before. 19:47
Station commander house. Other uses as well. 21:19
Cinema/ Theatre, stage entertainment building. 22:08
Back to the 1800’s. 23:39
CSSD, sterile building 1963. 25:28
Off to the 2 operation theatres. 27:46
Intensive care, Gulf war time. 30:11
That’s a long one. 30:57
Ward 3. 35:07
Near the nursery and in it. Childrens ward. 38:16
Another ward. 39:38
Maternity/ delivery. 41:04
On the move again, long corridor. Ghost story. 42:51
Dental centre. 44:47
The willy. 45:15
Pathology corridor. 45:27
Dispensary. 45:45
The dead something or another. 46:34
WW2 original buildings. 46:42
School of medicine/nursing. 48:37
Somewhere to live. Dorms. 49:01
A walk back inside the long corridor. Original walkway. 49:35
Delivery rooms. 50:32
Boiler room then back inside. 52:32
Outside walkway to accommodation. Single rooms, 1969. 53:27
The Gym. 56:36
Water tower. 57:06
Wander around. To mess hall, dining room. 59:11
Disco feet. Kids disco room. 1:00:07
Nursery or Biological chemical store. 1:00:37
Hospital entrance. 1:02:46
Time to go. 1:03:02
Photos until the end. 1:03:41

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Hos...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocton_...
https://goo.gl/maps/Jwmr92i9MQ83cHrp8

Tour info here. Facebook.   / guidedtoursrafnocton  

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