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Still moving around the northern aspect of the buildings, a huge courtyard opened up, revealing long
stretches of ward blocks, the Main Hall, and an odd, modern, concrete water tower.
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The building had several chimney-like smaller towers. I wondered if these were part of a ventalation/heating
system, but we didn’t search them out whilst later inside, so I’m still wondering about them.
"When MooseOfDoom and I checked
one of them out, it's hollow from top to bottom I seemed to remember, with
holes for steps leading to the top (the steps are gone, though). When we
described it to you at the time (my camera died if memory serves), you
seemed very certain that they were definitely heating/ventillation towers,
as opposed to "still wondering about them". I think you forgot that you did
actually know. - Major Tom.
Indeed, my memory isn't what it was. Then again, I returned to St. Johns a couple of
months later and ended up in one of these towers by accident. We ran up a stairwell, confused that there
seemed to be a third floor and ended up in the base of a fireplace - with the chimney opening above us.
We were in a bit of a hurry (it's a long story) so we couldn't investigate further. But they definitely
seem to be some form of heating system.
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St Johns was built in 1852 on a slight rise in Bracebridge parish on the Sleaford high road
in 120 acres of land (which had been purchased in 1846). Fourty years later,
Rauceby would be built on the same road.
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"[This transmitter on the water tower] appears to be a transmission aerial to the
left and a reception array to the side" - Cian
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The courtyard was also the home of Teddy Bears Day Nursery. I wondered how the
children felt, penned in this playpen, surrounded by the derelict, forboding buildings of
St John's Lunatic Asylum.
Then again, the nursery's received glowing reports, so it's presumably not doing them any harm.
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