The history of long stay hospitals for people with learning disabilities has revealed that residents had ways of resisting their incarceration (Mitchell D, Traustadottir R, Chapman R, Townson L, Ingham N and Ledger S (editors) (2006) "Exploring experiences of advocacy by people with learning disabilities: testimonies of resistance"). This paper explores one aspect of this resistance, "absconding", as unauthorised leave from hospital was termed. It draws on institutional records and oral histories, from two hospitals in South-East England. It seeks to show why and how residents escaped, how institutions responded and how absconding was presented publicly.