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Abandoned, Disused & Ruined Places

Imagine. Going into an abandoned hospital and finding medical equipment and patients records.
Still for an ex-heating engineer turned urban explorer (breaking and entering into private property a speciality), becoming a 'viral sensation overnight' is all the reward he wants.

Really, though, I find such places fascinating. In the past, I've done it. But on the quiet. I wouldn't record myself doing it and posting it online for 'bragging rights'.
 
maximus otter said:

Bizarre discoveries at the Royal Hospital Haslar, Gosport​


Colin Smith, known on social media as The Bearded Explorer, became a viral sensation overnight.

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He gave up his job as a heating engineer and now spends his time visiting derelict old buildings.

The Royal Hospital Haslar operated for 256 years and was the last military hospital in the country when it shut down in 2009.

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He found some “crazy” things in the “creepy” hospital ranging from equipment such as MRI scanners and X-Ray machines – some of which was still being powered.

Other bizarre discoveries included patient records, medication and even someone’s liver in a box full of liquid.

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https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/p...osport-by-the-bearded-explorer-4217914?page=4

maximus otter
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I've seen ghost hunter videos from US hospitals. Abandoned patient records is a common thing there.
 
Modernist charlatan Le Corbusier's famous Villa Savoye was barely habitable from the start.
Built at ruinous expense in 1929 just outside Paris for the Savoye family, they never experienced the comfort and relaxation that this country house was intended to provide. The place was damp and cold, with totally ineffective heating. The roof leaked causing rain to fall in the hall, garage and bathroom. The mildew took a toll on the health of the Savoye's. The place was looted by the Germans during the war and abandoned afterwards.

house1.png
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Despite the place falling into decrepitude, the French government added it to their register of historical monuments and it was renovated in 1997 and has become a tourist attraction.
"A conceptual marvel but a practical disaster."

https://www.arch2o.com/why-was-villa-savoye-hated-by-the-savoyes/
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Modernist charlatan Le Corbusier's famous Villa Savoye was barely habitable from the start.
Built at ruinous expense in 1929 just outside Paris for the Savoye family, they never experienced the comfort and relaxation that this country house was intended to provide. The place was damp and cold, with totally ineffective heating. The roof leaked causing rain to fall in the hall, garage and bathroom. The mildew took a toll on the health of the Savoye's. The place was looted by the Germans during the war and abandoned afterwards.

View attachment 68122View attachment 68123

Despite the place falling into decrepitude, the French government added it to their register of historical monuments and it was renovated in 1997 and has become a tourist attraction.
"A conceptual marvel but a practical disaster."

https://www.arch2o.com/why-was-villa-savoye-hated-by-the-savoyes/
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Stunning... I love houses like this. Especially when they are isolated out in nature and contrast against the natural world.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Modernist charlatan Le Corbusier's famous Villa Savoye was barely habitable from the start.
Built at ruinous expense in 1929 just outside Paris for the Savoye family, they never experienced the comfort and relaxation that this country house was intended to provide. The place was damp and cold, with totally ineffective heating. The roof leaked causing rain to fall in the hall, garage and bathroom. The mildew took a toll on the health of the Savoye's. The place was looted by the Germans during the war and abandoned afterwards.

View attachment 68122View attachment 68123

Despite the place falling into decrepitude, the French government added it to their register of historical monuments and it was renovated in 1997 and has become a tourist attraction.
"A conceptual marvel but a practical disaster."

https://www.arch2o.com/why-was-villa-savoye-hated-by-the-savoyes/
Click to expand...
heard of it, it was being discussed as part of why you shouldn't let "artiste" types design houses. :D

IIRC the issues are things you could have fixed if the design had been better thought through. Like, the roof didn't shed water properly, and the materials used prevented it from having decent insulation. IIRC that giant window strip is single pane glass. Also having a floor with open air above AND below it is just... why..... looks cool, bad for thermal insulation as it increases the area you need to insulate. Oh and it has that giant window strip.

It looks like a work of art!.... it's also as drafty as a sculpture.
 
to be fair here, I think the person who built it had never used a design like this before, so wasn't sure how the plans would work in practice.... and ended up just doing what his financier wanted. He got paid either way.
 
Stack Rock Fort: Victorian island reclaimed by nature

The island fort was built between 1850 and 1852 to protect against an invasion by sea.

1_fort2JPG.jpg


The original idea for a fort on Stack Rock goes back to Thomas Cromwell in 1539 but it was not until the mid-1800s that any plan came to fruition.

0_fort4JPG.jpg


During World War I it was manned by just a small number of soldiers and eventually disarmed in 1929.

[There is] a team of volunteers working to help secure the structure but admits they are "a lifetime away" from being able to open it up to the public.

"In the meantime, we're looking to allow for some explorers…to safely access it in a way that lets it kind of live."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-6625694

Also:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_Rock_Fort

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/travel/stack-rock-fort-wales-booking-21633082

maximus otter
 
Spudrick68 said:
A mate of mine spent 12 months in Detroit via University. Like most of his student colleagues, he was too scared to go off campus for a while. He lived right behind the Motown studios. If I'm correct its a notoriously dangerous are to live (where he was).

He also said that British people cannot understand the scale of Detroit. I think he said the nearest mall to him was around 30 miles away! He said that around him block after block was derelict.

Obviously I'm just talking about the area where he lived, I'm not saying everywhere in Detroit is the same. Thats as daft as Americans being told not to go to Manchester because you might get shot.
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At the time of the above post, Detroit was close to declaring bankruptcy.
 
kesavaross said:
Am I reading about the right tunnel?
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The closed branch is described on the Wikipedia page:

The Birkenhead branch tunnel (known as the Rendel Street branch, or Dock Exit) was closed in 1965. When travelling in the Birkenhead direction, the branch can still be seen inside the tunnel on the right just before the left hand bend towards the Birkenhead exit. The exit of this branch can also be seen on the outside from Rendel Street near the junction with Marcus Street, just north of Cleveland Street in Birkenhead. This branch also carried 2 way traffic, single lane each way. It was also controlled by traffic lights inside the tunnel. This branch mainly served Birkenhead docks and for people travelling to the Wirral resort of New Brighton. These are now best served by the Kingsway Tunnel.

I very vaguely remember it being in use, when the tunnel was part of our route into North Wales, way back. For some reason, curves and branches underground are especially sinister! The whole tunnel scared me but that branch was horrid and especially so, now it is disused! :omg:
 
JamesWhitehead said:
The closed branch is described on the Wikipedia page:

The Birkenhead branch tunnel (known as the Rendel Street branch, or Dock Exit) was closed in 1965. When travelling in the Birkenhead direction, the branch can still be seen inside the tunnel on the right just before the left hand bend towards the Birkenhead exit. The exit of this branch can also be seen on the outside from Rendel Street near the junction with Marcus Street, just north of Cleveland Street in Birkenhead. This branch also carried 2 way traffic, single lane each way. It was also controlled by traffic lights inside the tunnel. This branch mainly served Birkenhead docks and for people travelling to the Wirral resort of New Brighton. These are now best served by the Kingsway Tunnel.

I very vaguely remember it being in use, when the tunnel was part of our route into North Wales, way back. For some reason, curves and branches underground are especially sinister! The whole tunnel scared me but that branch was horrid and especially so, now it is disused! :omg:
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Ah.... right. I didn't realise the branch tunnel mentioned was the same tunnel. I thought it was a different tunnel. Do you have any idea why it was closed?

I tend to find any tunnel that goes underground very creepy. I once had to walk through a railway tunnel that by train takes minutes. Walking it took ages. All I had was my railway issue bardic lamp which hardly had what could be called a bright beam. I found my mind playing tricks on me with the shadows and the sound from walking over the ballast (granite clippings) seemed to come from elsewhere. To say I was relieved to reach the other end was an understatement.
 
JamesWhitehead said:
Decline of the docks, I should think. Presumably they could close a tollbooth. :thought:
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So it wasn't any structural faults or anything like that, just an economic decision? I am simply curious as the building of these tunnels costs a lot and to close one seems a bit odd.
 
kesavaross said:
So it wasn't any structural faults or anything like that, just an economic decision? I am simply curious as the building of these tunnels costs a lot and to close one seems a bit odd.
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politicians are the ones making decisions, and may or may not know much about how useful it'll actually be.
 
kesavaross said:
Ah.... right. I didn't realise the branch tunnel mentioned was the same tunnel. I thought it was a different tunnel. Do you have any idea why it was closed?
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The traffic lights were causing too much congestion.
The other branch tunnel (on the Liverpool side) is still in use, but only as an exit now (that one also used to be two-way with traffic lights).
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@JamesWhitehead @kesavaross

I've been trying to find a good article I read years ago about the tunnel, but I can't find it anywhere.

Anyway, it mentioned that back in the 60s (I think) they reversed the lanes depending on the time of day ie more one lanes way in the morning and more the other way in the evening (they do this in the Kingsway tunnel now).
There was a snafu and one of the lanes ended up having traffic going both ways on it at the same time, resulting in at least one death.

It also said about how the police that patrolled inside had to deal with all the fumes and their faces were streaming after only a few minutes. Must have knocked years from their lives.

In the centre there is only 4' of rock above and there is a void underneath the road-deck where the plan was to run a tramline but never came to fruition and is now used as a refuge and for ventilation.
 
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