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Moonwalker + Baptiser Drains, Birmingham

2012-01-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

Very much mimicing the start of a brand new year, last year, I headed off to Manchester which then evolved into a trip to Birmingham, to see what the city had to offer drain wise. I turns out quite a lot.

Visited with Gone and Millhouse

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Set this up and chances are it will get updated much more frequently.

Cheers for visiting, Rookie.

Tour Descartes/IBM, La Défense

2011-11-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

We'd only been in Paris for a few hours. Doing much of the normal tourist-y things, it's was on the Eiffel Tower's viewing platform we noticed a cluster of tall buildings on the horizon and just like that we had our first European target; La Défense.

Making our way out of the city centre, negotiating the crazy Parisian traffic, we got to what looked like France's answer to Canary Wharf. Looking like tramps in our least bit inconspicuous rental van, we found our building, with it's guard asleep, done the usual business and the rest is as follows...

It was only when making our way back down, that we got into a bit of bother. Starting off with the security guard who we bumped into on the stairs, who looked like he'd seen a ghost, clutching onto his Maglite. After discovering we were english, he sent us down to his boss who turned out to be a decent enough fella and apologised saying that down to procedure, he had to ring the Police, so that they could come and "interrogate" us. Nice.

To wrap up the story, plain clothed police officers came. They were dressed in hoodies and trainers, with the handles of their pistols just poking out of their cargo pants. I though we were in for a good beating, but all turned out well.

35mm B&W FR

2011-11-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

Took my trusty 1000FN and a couple of rolls of black and white film with me on our trip to the continent.

I imagined the streets of Paris in black and white.

More to upload soon when Ilord get their arses into gear.

Rookie.

Liverpudlian Wanderings

2011-09-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Latety this blog has been just as abandoned as the many places featured on here; Really it's just fell victim of my own laziness. Recently though, I've been taking frequent trips to Liverpool and this post is just a colaberation of photo's from an assortment of places within the city.

Most recent was the rooftop of the famous Lewis's department store, which is currently under a massive renovation project. Unlike the inside of the building, the roof did not disappoint.

Another stop was the neighbouring Central Villiage development. Police helicopters and BTP/Network Rail make for shaky work.

Then the dawn raid on the Town Hall

Photo: GoneEightyFive

Even though I grew up only down the the road from Liverpool, I'd never taken the Radio City Tower tour or even been up to the viewing gallery until last week. I know it's not exactly UE but nevertheless relevant.

Plenty of back-dating to do, so watch this space...Cheers, Rookie.

Central Hydraulic Tower, Birkenhead

2011-08-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Checked this place out for the first time over a year ago now, so it just goes to show how good things come to those who wait. This place really took us back to our early days of UE, wandering around filthy abandonments, covered in bird shit and wondering if the next step you take forward, will send you falling through the floor. Happy days.

This place is another one of Jesse Hartley's creations and was built to provide power to the many locks and bridges around the Birkenhead Docks.

One from the ground section

The staircase

And finally the top

Hope something good will come from this place in the future. Cheers, Rookie.

Cornbrook Drain Part One, Manchester

2011-05-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Cornbrook Drain is renowed for being a back breaker, with its distance and its stupidly low ceilings. Once again, I was back in Manchester and with the UE scene drying up a bit in Manc, we were at a bit of a loose end on what to do. Gone would have done this drain ages ago, if he had someone to do it with, but with Jimmy now retired from UE and just generally being as useful as a condom machine in the Vatican, it was up to me to fill the role and accompany Gone.

This really was tough. We were welcomed with a passage of about 4ft and then to our relief it opened up, only to discover that we were wading through silt, which went up to our knees. Our progress was painfully slow from there. On a plus note though, you can pick up 3G in this drain, so it was google maps all the way!

Hopefully crack the second half soon.

HSBC/Midland Bank, Manchester

2011-05-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

It's coming upto two years since I first had an opportunity to do this. Gone and OnebyOne asked me one night if I was up for "doing some bank in Manchester" and I declined, to instead spend the evening with a lady friend. Naturally, a good idea, right? Wrong.

After missing this opportunity, the inevitable happened; lockdown. Thus having to wait a very long time for my turn and even then it was a bit of a hollow victory. It has been stripped of most of it's key features and the vaults are now locked. Needless to say I kick myself.

This place is still rather impressive though. First off, the roof.

Now for a bit of disappointment

As close as I could get to the vault.

Me and Gone always used to debate on what came first, women or exploring. He was right; exploring.

DOANUE Beach Party

2011-03-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

Music, booze and laughs. All in the country's second biggest culvert.

St. Michael's Church, Manchester

2011-03-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

With Manchester having a great deal of well explored locations and an even greater number of explorers, it's hard to believe that this place has been ignored, atleast by the urbex community, for the seven years it's been closed. This could be due to the way the exterior of the building is kept so well maintained, by it's devoted parishioners.

The church was built in 1858, in the Ancoats district of Manchester, to cater for the Catholic Italian and Irish immigrants, who mainly worked in the area's cotton mills. Sadly the church was closed in 2004 by the Diocese of Salford, who said "It no longer wanted the church" because of it's falling congregations.

Thanks for Returning. Rookie.

St. Joseph's Seminary, Upholland

2011-03-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

This really was heaven and hell, crammed into 15 hours.

By some, St. Josephs is regarded as one of the last “classic” explores left in the country. Needless to say an exploration of this magnitude did not come easy.

Leaving a rain-soaked Manchester just before midnight, Gone and I made our way to Wigan, where we met up with Millhouse and Sho. I couldn’t help but feel an air of tension in the room as the others discussed our plan of action. It dawned on me that I was maybe taking this a bit too light-heartedly. Anyway, after a while, the decision had been made that we would make our way to the Seminary straight away, rather than making a dawn raid on the place.

After stocking up on energy drinks and snacks, we took a short drive up to the village of Upholland. After parking the car, we continued the rest of the journey on foot; through the village and into the woods, in the dead of night.

Once in the confines of the Seminary, progress was slow and with Mother Nature clearly not on our side, it was very wet too. But after a lot of patience, nerve and Sho’s balls of steel, we were in, but that didn’t mean it got any easier...

First off, we had to find somewhere to dry off and to sleep. We decided on a room on this corridor.

The sleeping bags were out and we were all pretty much set for the night and drifting into a well deserved sleep. It was sharply disrupted by the slamming of one of the doors on the corridor and the unexplainable slamming continued until dawn.

Daylight broke and we left our room and things started to look up until Gone noticed paw prints on the floor. Then we heard voices coming from the floor below us. After a short while, we had realised that this site, was used to train Police dogs. On this day in particular, they came out in force.

After this sobering realisation, we agreed that we would carry on exploring the building and if we got caught, then we would just have to take the wrap. This decision paid off and for hours we had free roam of the place.

After a series of ambushes and cat-and-mouse moments, we waited for everyone to leave the site and then we did the same. The relief of making that whole visit without being detected was immense and it was well worth the hard work, but in the end we all just wanted to get the hell out of there.

For history on the Seminary and other photo's check out Sho's report on 28DL.

If you bothered to read all of the above then thanks and thanks again for returning.

Sackville Telescope, Manchester

2011-02-18T17:31:00.001-08:00

I really enjoy scaffhold climbs, so to do two in a week was quite a treat. I had been on the roof of the Sackville Building before, back in 2010, but with recent developments happening on the building, not only is the roof now accessible, but so is the observatory. This was something I didn't want to miss out on. Cheers to Gone, for the tour.

First port of call was the observatory, housing the telescope.

And then a roof shot.

Cheers for returning. Rookie.

Council House Extension, Birmingham

2011-02-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

After winning a mid-80's race bike on eBay, Gone and I made a trip down to Stafford to collect it. There we met up with OnebyOne, who suggested going into Birmingham to check out some scaffholding he had spotted. On the way into the city we attempted topping Fort Dunlop, which ended with a run-in with the Law. After that minor set-back, we made it to the scaffolding on the Council House Extension buiding.

We made our way up the scaff, with everything going quite smoothly, until we spotted a dome camera on the corner of the roof. Needless to say this hindered our progress and an alternative route needed to be devised. Luckly it paid off and with no detection.

"I fought the law and the law won."

Cheers as ever, for returning. Rookie.

Lowry Footbridge, Salford Quays

2011-02-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

I climbed this bridge just over a year ago, but never managed to get any shots. Thanks to GMP's finest hovering over us, we had to make a quick decent. This time round though, it was very chilled out. The weather seemed to be on our side and there wasn't a soul on the streets. Perfect.

This bridge shits all over Media City's new one.

Millenium Tower, Salford Quays

2011-02-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

Sat at home bored out of my mind, with almost a week off work ahead of me, I decided to pack up and make a trip to one of the places I love the most; Manchester. So after a few phone calls and a hellish train journey, I made my way to Gone's place, to see what we could plan for the night ahead.

One of the places suggested was Millienium Tower, which Gone had cracked recently, so in the early hours, we took a ride down to Salford Quays on a couple of 80's road bike's, which he had recently aquired.

Once there, it couldn't have gone more smoothly. From front door to roof hatch.

Looking over to the city.

Cheers for returning...Rookie.

Park Plaza, Leeds

2011-01-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Our third and final stop in Leeds, before we had to bail to catch our return coach back to Manchester.

The Park Plaza stands at 253 ft. The hotel tower was built in 1966 and kept the title of the tallest building in Leeds for seven years between 1966 - 1973

Thanks to Gone, Appo and Megabus for making this trip possible. Thanks for returning, Rookie.

Opel 3, Leeds

2011-01-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

Second Stop in Leeds

I really enjoyed this rooftop. It's definitely one of the one's to do in Leeds.

The Opel 3 building is private student accommodation and stands at 23 stories high.

On our way out, we noticed the place had a common room, kitted out with sofas, vending machines and a nice big telly with Sky, so we set up camp. We drifted off to sleep, killing a couple of hours and then woke to find a security guard sitting behind us. He wasn't bothered, but we thought it was best not to push our luck and so we left.

The Queens Hotel, Leeds

2011-01-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

It's 1:30am and a plan has been hatched; One which I was not at all enthused about. We would catch the 5:45am Megabus service to Leeds. Why? Because we heard the city had a deal to offer, but mostly because the bus fare was only £3.

We stepped off the coach and none of us had even the slightest idea of where we were in the city. Not before long though, McDonalds became our refuge, until it was time to get down to busting some rooftops and in the merky morning light, the Queens Hotel stuck out like a sore thumb.

In absolutely no time at all, we found access.

Photo of the Queens, taken from the Plaza rooftop

After a bit of shut-eye on the roof, it was time to continue...

Tempus Tower, Manchester

2011-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

A long awaited return to Manchester.

Shouts to Gone for showing us this one. It was a cracker.

Happy New Year Y'all

Great Northern Tower (Lower Roof) Manchester

2011-01-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks again to Gone for showing us this. Just a shame the higher roof isn't accessible yet.

By no means, is it the highest rooftop, not by a long shot. But it was a chilled out little roof, nonetheless.

Duke of Lancaster (Mostyn Funship)

2010-11-27T19:25:00.001-08:00

I said I would do it, didn't I?

Some of the worst weather of the year was rolling in. Warnings were issued and temperatures were well below freezing. Not the optimum conditions to execute such a mission, or so it would seem.

When finishing my long day at work, I wasn't expecting to end it, completing one of our most anticipated explores but after a year and a half and a surprise visit to Wales from Gone, Appo and Jimmy, the time seemed right to take another crack at the Duke.

Walking down the long, desolate country lane with only the moon lighting out way, we got ever closer to the looming target that was the Duke. After much discussion, we made out accent to the deck, which was a ball buster! After hearing many stories of cat-and-mouse chases between explorers and security guards with baseball bats, we were extra vigilant when we made it on deck.

Info on the Duke of Lancaster can be found here.

I think we all agreed that, even though we did love this location, we would never want go back. Thanks for returning...Rookie.

That time of year again...

2010-11-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

After trying to scope out some high points in Llandudno, I didn't have much luck, so I hit the beach and watched the pier display.

Not exactly UE but I though I ought to put up a new post. More updates coming soon.

35mm Film Shots (Take 1)

2010-10-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

These shots are my first attempts at using film. It's a bit hit and miss using film but if you get it right, it's pretty rewarding. These were taken with a Pentax Espio 115, given to me a while back from my Grandad.

More to come.

Littlewoods Building, Liverpool

2010-09-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

My exploring antics seem to be getting less and less frequent these days, so when Gone give me the heads up on the Littlewoods rooftop in Liverpool, I jumped at the chance to do it.

This was done with Gone and OnebyOne, on a night were you could feel the cold Autumn air creeping in, but with a brilliant crystal clear sky.

In three words these roofs were soft, crunchy and wobbly. Another word, scary.

NEI Dock Crane, Birkenhead

2010-08-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

Climbed by myself and Gone, this was also my first outing with Aos. This was hopefully the first of many dock cranes to come.
The difference I found with a dock crane compared to your average run-of-the-mill tower crane is a dock crane not only gives you the thrill of a good climb but it also has strong, attractive industrial features, which for me gave it a lot more character. Not to mention they look superb.

Birkenhead shown quite a bit of potential for future outings, so there could be more to follow...

Bristol Britannia Series 305 / British Eagle G-ANCF

2010-07-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

The aircraft first flew on the 19th November 1958 and was purchased by British Eagle International Airlines from Transcontinental Argentina in 1964. G-ANCF has now been saved and is being restored by enthusiasts at the former Speke Airport, Liverpool.

As well as the Bristol Britannia, there was a few more aircraft dotted about the area.

Other included the British Aerospace Jetstream 41

And these unidentified aircraft

The last aircraft shown was poorly stored, so much so, it looked like it had been left out for the bin men to take away.

The Andrew Carnegie/Lister Drive Library, Liverpool

2010-07-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone and OnebyOne

This was a fantastic location with a lot of stuff left behind. Apparently the main reason for the library's closure was it's very leaky roof. Inside the floor was damp and the smell was horrendous, but the architecture and the woodwork was beautiful.

Access was the easiest to date, with the front door being open. So when the Police and a very red-faced council worker turned up, they didn't really have much to say.

Safe to say the front door is now locked. Sorry Halfway.

Liverpool Overhead Railway Tunnel / Terminus, Dingle, Liverpool

2010-07-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone and OnebyOne

This is definitely an explore for the die-hard car enthusiast, with the collection of cars spanning several decades.

The LOR was opened on the 4th February 1893 by the Marquis of Salisbury and was 6 miles long stretching from Alexandra Dock to Herculaneum Dock. It was the first overhead electric powered railway and the Dingle Terminus was originally meant to be a run through station, It closed along with the rest of the LOR on the 30th December 1956.

As you can see, the cars were the main attraction of the location.

Double Trouble Drain, Runcorn

2010-07-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Big shouts to Gone for showing us this. It was one of the cleanest drains I've been in.

The name 'Drouble Trouble' becomes apparent in the pictures.

Cheers Gone. Didn't know something so good could come out of Runcorn.

Waterloo Tunnel + Victoria Tunnel, Liverpool

2010-06-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

It was quite refreshing to meet up with Gone, Appo and Jimmy Halfway, outside of Manchester. Unfortunately because of my late arrival in the city, I had missed out on the Adelphi Hotel roof, so I was eager to get an explore under my belt before the end of the day.

Running at 862 metres and opening in 1849, the western end of the tunnel was Waterloo Goods Railway Station. After 1895 this was extended further to the Liverpool Riverside Railway Station. The tunnels eastern side led to Edge Hill Railway Station, with a short cutting between both tunnels with a width of 4 tracks. This cutting is sitauted between Byrom Street and Fontenoy Street and connects the Waterloo Tunnel and Victoria Tunnel.

Both tunnels ceased to be used and were closed on the 19th November 1972, and although they are effectively one long tunnel from Edge Hill to Liverpool Waterloo Dock. Both tunnels was given separate names due to the nature of the trains involved. One tunnel was used for cable hauled trains whilst the other would be used for locomotive hauled trains.

Info from Jimmy Halfway's blog...

Network Rail have put some interesting security measures in place...

Cheers for looking... Rookie.

Coastal Artillary School, Great Orme, Llandudno

2010-06-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Another Billy-no-mates explore.

During the Second World War, Llandudno played host to the Royal Artillery School which was transfered from its original home in Shoeburyness to the Great Orme's head.
The school became fully operational in the 24th September 1940.
Training at the school reached it peak in 1942, when 150 officers, 115 cadets, and 445 other ranks were accommodated and upto 14 courses could be run at any one time.

At the end of the war the armament and equipment were removed and in 1946 the land was returned to the Mostyn family. The buildings became derelict and most of them were demolished in the mid 1950's.

Not a lot to see, but still quite interesting...

Conwy Suspension Bridge Climb

2010-06-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Mouth was dry, hands were sweaty and my legs were shaking as much as the metal cables, I was laying my life on. Being on my own didn't help either. No one there to egg you on and encourage you to go further and no one to talk to whilst you climb, which made it so much easier just to turn back and leave. I knew the disappointment would eat me alive, if I did turn back, so I just clung on to the supports and soldiered on.

Conwy Suspension Bridge, was one of the first road suspension bridges in the world. It originally carried the A55 road but is now used as a footbridge. The bridge is now in the care of the National Trust.
Built by Thomas Telford, the bridge was completed in 1826. Telford matched the bridge's supporting towers with the castle's turrets, in the same style as one of Telford's other bridges, the Menai Suspension Bridge. Telford's bridge was the only crossing of the river at that time.
Part of the castle had to be demolished during construction in order for the suspension cables to be anchored into the rock.

Might not be the biggest bridge in the world, but it was certainly an achievement for me. Cheers for looking. Rookie...

Department of Employment Building, Manchester

2010-06-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone in the dead of night...and came out the next day.

The 5 storey Department of Employment Building, later known as the Department of Social Security was completed in 1951, in the final year of King George VI reign and was one of the first new builidngs to appear in Manchester following the end of World War Two.

Last explore in Manchester for a while...

Victoria Square Scaffold Climb, Manchester

2010-06-04T02:28:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone, Appo and Jimmy_Halfway-ish

I had wanted to do this climb for quite sometime, but when the time came, I was overcome with a sense of uncertainty. Not only did I find creeping past peoples' bedroom windows abit dodgey, but the first three stories did not have any ladders, meaning we had to climb up the outside of the scafolding. Normally I'm quite confident in my climbing abilities, but this really did make me question myself abit.

Victoria Square was Manchester's first social housing project and was built in 1894, to help clear slum residencies in Manchester. It is refered to as one of the most iconic buildings in Manchester’s history and is now Grade 2 listed with over 166 residents.

The reason behind the 'Jimmy_Halfway-ish' remark at the begining of this post is, by the time Halfway made it to the top, myself, Gone and Appo had got out pictures and were ready to leave, plus with the GMP's finest hovering over in their helicopter, it was time to make swift exit.

Never mind Halfway!

City Gate Apartments, Manchester

2010-06-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Visted this place various time during the week. This has to be one of my favourite roof's.

And a night time shot for good measure

Courtesy of Gone and Rookie guided tours...

Streamlight Alberta Development, London

2010-05-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

This second installment of my trip to London focuses on the Streamlight Alberta Development, which is situated just a stones throw away from Canary Wharf. After passing it on a couple of occasions, we throught this would make up for our previous failed attempts in the city and be a good end to our trip, before our departure for Manchester.

Access was more than easy and security wasn't very on the ball. When reaching the top, we were greeted by one of the most stunning cityscapes, I have ever seen. For me it was breathtaking.

The development itself is 25 story tower along with a further 2 smaller developments next to it. Alberta will altogether hold 133 residential flats but also commercial and community areas in the north east corner of the Isle of Dogs. Cranes were also erected on the site, but as time was pressing on, we decided to leave them.

Also, a trip to London would be nothing without a couple of tourist shots.

"London's a great place, but I wouldn't live there."

Spillers Millenium Mills/Rank Hovis Mill, Royal Victoria Dock, London.

2010-05-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is part one of two installments, covering my trip to London last weekend. The trip was made with Gone, Appo and OnebyOne. Much thanks to OnebyOne for doing the hell-ish drives to and from London.

Our trip to London began with two failed attempts, of new developments in the city centre, with the police being involved with one; We had a lucky escape with that one. Major Sat Nav fail did not help either.

Putting that behind us, the next day we made a trip to the docklands, to make a return visit to Millenium Mills, which is regarded in the exploring community as one of the best industrial locations in the country.

Few facts about Millenium Mills

The Spillers Millennium Mills was designed and built in 1905 by William Vernon and Sons and bought by Spillers shortly afterwards.
Millennium Mills was partially destroyed by a massive explosion at the neighbouring Brunner Mond’s works in 1917.
1970`s saw the decline as the docks and the building was de-commissioned in the mid 1980’s when Spillers moved their milling activities East to Tilbury.
The mills were also used in the filming of Stanley Kubrick’s "Full Metal Jacket"; and several music videos, including Arctic Monkey's "Fluorescent Adolescent", then more recently the "Ashes to Ashes" TV series.

Very picture heavy, I know, but it was such a big place.

Helter Skelter, Manchester

2010-05-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Visited once before, I decided to go back, to try and get some better shots than last time; This proved to be quite a task. Unlike last time, the flow of the water was surprisingly strong, which gave my tripod hell. This resulted in my camera nearly falling in the water twice and my torch being carried away in the flow, never to return.

Anyway, second time round, I took the trip with Appo and Jimmy Halfway. We named the drain 'Helter Skelter' because of it's twists and turns and varied gradient.

This photo is to give you some idea of the size of the drain. Further upstream, the ceiling falls to around 3 and a half foot.

Whilst wadeing up by the riverside, a security guard from the neighbouring Peninsula (previously blogged) approached me to ask what I was doing. I told him what I was up to and he left. As he walked away he said "I remember you from last time, when you were in here" and pointed to the Peninsula.

Had to laugh.

Excelsior Printing and Bookbinding Works, Manchester

2010-05-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone, during our Urbex marathon, a couple of weeks ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed checking this place out, not just because former Industrial locations interest me greatly, but because of the many artifacts that have been left behind.

The Excelsior Printing and Bookbinding Works was originally opened on the Monday 4th July 1870 with Mr John Heywood owning the property. At the time the works could employ up to 750 people and was one of the largest of its kind. The history of the place appears to be hardly documented till the late 80’s/early 90’s, when some of the site was occupied by Clare Tooling Systems.

A little more pictures than usual, on this post, as there was just so much to see.

Anglican Mortuary Chapel, Manchester

2010-05-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone, we decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery, on our way back from doing Big Humpty Culvert and came across this beautiful little chapel. Afterwards, when reading up on the place, I learnt that the cemetery is very rich in history.

Philips Park Cemetery was Manchester’s first municipal public cemetery when it opened in 1866, though work was in fact not completed on its grounds and structures until the following year. Manchester Corporation recruited unemployed cotton mill workers to carry out the laying out and planting work.
The site was divided into separate areas for different denominations, The Church of England, Dissenters, or non-conformists and Roman Catholics. Each portion had its own mortuary chapel, all built in the gothic revival style but to different designs. A fourth mortuary chapel and burial area, for Jews, was later added. Of the four mortuary chapels, only the Anglican chapel now remains.

Night shot taken in March

Big Humpty, Manchester

2010-05-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone

The culverts name carries reference to childhood character Humpty Dumpty for it's egg-like shape.

'The Great Flood' of Manchester in 1872 saw the River Medlock burst it's banks, after two days of torrential rain. One area of severe flooding was the bank ajacent to Philips Park Cemetery, were the water was reported to have washed away not only tombstones but bodies out of their graves, from the cemetery. In response to the flooding, work began on a red-terracotta brick channel, which has carried water ever since. Big Humpty culvert was apart of this development.

Dry-Sack fishing.

The Media Enterprise Centre, Media City, Manchester.

2010-05-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

The word epic is thrown around far too much, so it's hard to use something different, especially when you're trying to put a night like this into words.

Visited with Gone, Appo, Jimmy_Halfway and Agour, this was, by far, the most eventful and certainly the most memorable nights of exploring ive had so far.

The Media Enterprise Centre is expected to be completed in 2011 as the first phase of the Media City completion. The 53,500 sq ft building which will have had over £8,000,000 spent on it once completed is set to house editing, data storage, data transfer, and video conferencing facilities.

With a military precision entrance, we made it to our chosen building, got the photo's and made our way back down. Only when we thought we were home and dry, did we realise that we were spotted by security; the only thing to do was run. Guards looked on, from their posts with astonishment, as they seen a team of guys sprinting through the site. Safe to say, we did not stop running till we were well out of the area.

Again, well done to everyone involved.

Macintosh Mill, Manchester.

2010-05-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Past this place countless times without ever looking at its hidden potential, so the other day, Gone, Jimmy_Halfway and myself decided to take a look inside. The place itself is pretty much just a shell but was a great subject for a few pictures.

Macdonald Hotel, Manchester.

2010-05-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone, Appo, Agour, Jim Gillette and Nckt.
We done this location pretty much on a whim and was a very smooth explore.

The Macdonald Manchester is a 4-star hotel and is situated in the city centre of Manchester. The Macdonald provides meeting and conference facilities, luxury bedrooms, a fitness suite and spa.

The roof stands at only 8 stories but provides unique views of the city centre.

Easy as.

Supercharger A&B Manchester

2010-05-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Traipsing across Manchester with a rucksack and a plastic carrier bag with smelly waiders, during a heatwave wasn't the best idea. Infact it was quite horrible. We passed the time though, by making fun of Jimmy and questioning his sexuality (another favourite past-time) until we got to our destination. It wasn't the most welcoming of areas. Once underground though, I felt a lot more safe and a lot cooler. We spent many hours under Manchester that day.

By the end of this explore, I was dead on my feet. We must have walked some miles. Dedication, right there.

Some Green Quarter Roof, Manchester

2010-05-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what this apartment building is called and out of everyone, I think I was the last person to know about this roof. The view was rather impressive.

I doubt the Green Quarter residents are aware of how many rooftopping visitors they get a week. I think they would be unplesantly surprised.

Hyde Falls & Myra Culvert

2010-05-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to Nckt for showing us this place. It offers so much. Nckt told me that he named the culvert Myra, after Moors Murderer Myra Hindley, who comes from the area where the culvert is situated. Nice.

And the falls themselves

Thrills and many spills.

Chips, Manchester

2010-05-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Visted with Gone and NickUk
It's a bit of a marmite building this one. You either love it, or you hate it. I think it's rather hideous and one of it's residents wasn't much better. The busy body neighbourhood watch type, who asked us if we were residents and then told us to leave the building. Bit of a two finger gesture to him, when around 2 minutes after, we popped a smoke hatch open and was on the roof.

A force not to be reckoned with.

Ancoats Hospital & Dispensary, Manchester

2010-05-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

Felt like another solo explore was needed.

Ancoats Hospital was build in 1873, in the New Islington area, to serve the densely populated regions of North and East Manchester.

In 1987, the hospital started to reduce it's services and closed it's casualty unit and in 1995 the hospital closed it's doors for good. The building and the surrounding area, including the neighbouring Stubbs Mill is under a redevelopment project, by Urban Splash.

Would recommend a look inside, only if your passing.

Britannia Hotel, Manchester

2010-05-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

This was done on a whim, with Gone, Jimmy, NickUk and Appo.

The Britannia Manchester is one of Manchester's premier architectural buildings and is Grade II listed with outstanding details including a balconied stairway throughout the building. It's by no means the highest rooftop in Manchester, but it's certainly central.

Impressive staircase and slidey bannisters.

Ryland & Sons. Warehouse (Debenhams) Manchester

2010-05-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

Didn't like this one very much, purely because of the tense atmosphere. However, I did like the exclusivity of the place and how countless people shop at this store everyday and not have a clue that preserved pieces of history, are just over their heads.

The Rylands Building is a grade two listed building and was designed by Harry S. Fairhurst. Construction to completion was over a 3 year time period (1929-1932).
This building was one of the last Manchester cotton warehouses to be built.
In the 1950’s the warehouse was converted to a department store for Paulden's whose own store, Close to The Manchester School of Art had been destroyed by fire.

Paulden’s had been taken over by Debenhams in 1928 and has remained the same till this present day.

And some from the roof.

Very nice indeed.

Vanson Raivan Crane, Manchester.

2010-05-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

Out of the cranes I have climbed so far, in my life, I would say this one was the least satisfying.

Climbed with Appo and Gone

The Crane, built by Carlo Raimondi in Italy, stands at 80ft and is remotely operated, so sadly no drivers cab.

Processor Drain, Manchester.

2010-05-05T01:04:00.000-07:00

Out of all the drains I have explored so far in my time of UE, this has to be one of my favourites.

Middleton Mine, Derbyshire

2010-05-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

After camping in nearby Goyt Valley, we couldn't leave the area without checking out Middleton Mine. With a knackered Jim Gillette being designated driver, it took quite a bit of persuation, for him to take the trip to the mine, instead of just going home. I think at the end of the day, he himself was glad we didn't. The place is massive!

Making the trip was myself, Gone, Appo, Jim Gillette and Nckt. Apologise for the poor photo's. With the mine being ridiculously big and with the group having nowhere near enough torch power, the camera was set to a stupidly high ISO. Note: the photo's do not give an accurate representation of the size of the place.

The only picture worth posting.

All the girls say i'm pretty fly with a slackline...

2010-04-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

The practice of slacklining has become increasingly popular within the Manchester urbexing community and Appo, Gone and I tried our hands at it earlier on this week, on the roof of an empty multi-story.

Pictures taken with my phone camera, with a fisheye convertor placed over it.

£5 cargo strapping provided hours and fun, but be warned, it can be very addictive.

The "V" Apartments, Manchester.

2010-04-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

Known to its residence as the "V" because of its shape, this cluster of apartment buildings offer some fantastic views of the city centre.

Credit to nckt for suggesting hitting this place up. Visited both day and night.

Chilly willies.

St. James' Building, Manchester.

2010-04-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

St James’ is a Grade II listed building and one of Manchester’s most stunning period properties.

St James’s Building has a canal that runs underneath it and was at one point a famous theatre and music hall, home to the famous Tiller Girls and their infamous dance routines. The ninth floor was made up entirely of executive toilets.

After being asked what we were doing up there without our mum's, by what I can only decribe as a stuck-up bitch, Appo had gone for gold up a drain pipe and allowed a point of access for the rest of us.

Kapow!

S.S.S.I, Manchester

2010-04-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

S.S.S.I - Stinky Skanky Sewage Interceptor. Or something along the lines of that.

This has to be the most disgusting place I have ever been to; and how enjoyable it was.

No.2 Harter Street, Manchester

2010-04-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Could hardly find any history on this place. I did say though, If I had the money, I'd buy this place because it's beautiful and oozing with potential.

Visited with Gone.

HFLB / UMIST Manchester

2010-03-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hulme Flume's Little Brother & UMIST
Visited with Ojay, Gone and Urban Soldier. This was olso my first outing with Morse.

Some of Manchester's best right there.

Great Ancoats Cranes, Manchester

2010-03-18T03:17:00.000-07:00

After hearing security was almost none existant, coupled with the fact that we hadn't done a crane in a while, it was time to get back on the ladders.

From Gone's research, this Jaso Tower Crane stands at 181ft and is remotely operated.

With it being remotely operated, there was no drivers cab and hardly anywhere to stand when at the top. Not the best crane of the bunch.

The Edge Apartments, Manchester

2010-03-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Second crack at these. Success.

Very chilled. Didn't even disturb the resident footballer this time.

Sackville Building, Manchester

2010-03-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

After seeing a report of this location on 28 Days Later, it was only a matter of time that I visited this place for myself.

Overhearing a coversation, I learnt that the Sackville Building is the largest red brick building in the country. Interesting.

Visited with Appo and Gone, the rooftop itself didn't provide breath taking views but nevertheless this roof was an explore in itself.

After being spotted and lecturers shouting at us through the windows we left. First time I'd experienced Teacher/Pupil-like rebelion in years.

The Peninsula, Manchester

2010-03-15T03:02:00.000-07:00

Well this one was another unexpected visit with Gone.

After what was a very smooth climb to the roof, we thought all was well. I think we pushed our look when we decided to take a wander inside.

Wandering round on the top floor, we thought we were alone; How very wrong we were.

To cut a long story short, we were approached by a lone security guard, told him we were architect students and had permission to be there, from the site manager. Got to the bottom floor and who should be there, but the site manager. Ended up making a string of lies, making it out to be a misunderstanding, due to a lack of communication and made our own way out.

Winner.

A Con-Artist in the making.

Paramount Theatre/Odeon Cinema, Manchester

2010-03-12T19:43:00.001-08:00

In all the time I have been into Urban Exploration and out of all the places I have been to, this has to be one of my favourites.

Built in 1930 to the designs of architects Frank T. Verity & Samuel Beverley for Paramount Theatres. Originally containing 2,920 seats, the Paramount Manchester was the largest of Manchester's picture palaces to survive as a cinema.

In 1939 the Paramount circuit was obtained by Odeon. It was twinned in 1973, triplexed in 1979 with a further four screens created in 1992.

The cinema was closed in September 2004 due to competition from the AMC Great Northern 16, which had opened nearby in. With the cinema not being a listed building, demolition has started inside and plans have been unveiled for a 14 storey office block to stand in its place.

Glad I got to see this place, while I had the chance.

Palace Hotel Rooftop & Clocktower, Manchester

2010-03-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

Fot the 6 months I have been living in Manchester, this place has always had one of the top spots on my to-do list. Then something very unexpected happened today; we cracked it.

With having quite an unsuccessful history with this place (once getting lost inside and another 3 times being asked to leave) I didn't really have much faith in Gone's latest ideas. But after abit of free climbing, stealth and silence, that was it, ticked off my list.

Ye of little faith.

Lowry House, Manchester.

2010-03-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

Lowry House is a very ugly 1970's office block, smack bag in the middle of Manchester city centre. Even thought its a platform for some crackin' views of the city, no-one has ever topped it. So me and Gone thought it was only right for us to do so.

Very happily surprised. Credit to Gone for suggesting hitting up this site.

Ramada Hotel Rooftop, Manchester

2010-03-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

Done this place on a whim, after being asked to leave Picaddilly Place, and with mine and Gone's acting skills (pretending to be on the phone to a resident infront of security) it turned out to be a great success.

This place provided some great views of Picaddilly Gardens and the snow topped hills afar.

After doing this roof, I read on the forums that the last explorer to go up there got arrested. Glad I read it afterwards, as I probably wouldn't have done it otherwise.

"Treasures" Culvert, Burnley

2010-03-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

This was a long but great days exploring, in a town which we were all very unfamiliar with.

Visited with Gone and Jim Gillette, with hilarity all day long.

And yes; I now have waders.

Causing chaos in Burnley town centre. You could say this lady took abit of a shine to Gone.

Medlock Culvert, Manchester.

2010-03-03T01:25:00.000-08:00

Not really much to report on this. Nice little explore. Visited with Gone, Appo and Ojay.

When using stepping stones to cross the river, I stood on this, thinking it was a manhole. Under closer inspection, I realised that is was infact a Jewish gravestone, which dated back to 1917.

River Croal Walkabout, Bolton

2010-02-28T22:31:00.000-08:00

These culverts run under the centre of Bolton and contains some of the coldest water I have ever had the misfortune of coming across. However this place also contains hidden gems which almost makes it a drainers haven.
Everyone else has waders, bar me. I'm still waiting for mine.

Sneaky giggles in the dark at other peoples misfortune.

Llanddulas Jetty. North Wales.

2010-02-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

First solo explore. Tip Top.

Couldn't really find much info on this place but what I do know is that this site was built in 1940 and was used for loading crushed limestone (that is quarried in the Llanddulas Quarries) onto boats for export to various destinations.

Sea, Sand & Urbex

A Night in Birmingham.

2010-02-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

What the title says; We went to Birmingham, on a guided tour round the city with a sound bunch of fellas. Cheers!

A few from Five Ways Tower

And a couple from ITV studios rooftop

After these successes we tried our luck with Cumberland House, a well known building in the city centre. After climbing around 16 floors with out a hitch, we tripped a sensor and the alarm rang. The objective after that was just to get down, get out and get away as quick as possible.

Stubbs Mill, Manchester

2010-02-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

What was meant to be my first solo explore had came to be short lived, when I bumped into Appo_91 when I got to the mill.

Over and Out

Walkers Croft / Victoria Station Underground, Manchester

2010-02-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

I had no idea of this place until Ojay suggested it. Unlike many of the locations I'd explored in the past, trespassing on this place was a bit of an unerving concept for me. The word terrorist kept coming to mind. Must soldier on though...

Three tunnels were discovered in 1972 underneath Victoria Station close to the present entrance to the car park on Long Millgate. They were found during tests for the proposed Picc-Vic Tunnel.

The station also occupies Walkers Croft which was once the site of a 19th century church and graveyard, linked to a nearby Victorian workhouse. It is here that hundreds of poor families are believed to have been buried under the station, many falling victim to the cholera epidemics of the mid-19th century.

Also, the remains of a Pacer diesel multiple unit's cab is under the station. On 8th October 1991, the Pacer 142059 'ran away' from Edge Hill Station in Liverpool and rolled all the way down to Liverpool Lime Street Station, were it smashed in the buffers. Needless to say, it was withdrawn for service. Pictures of the Pacer can be found at http://stuarts-phots.fotopic.net/p39778845.html

Big thanks to Team Tunnel Trash for helping make this possible.

Victoria "Six Face" Clock, Liverpool.

2010-02-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

Victoria Tower is a Gothic style clock tower located alongside Salisbury Dock in Liverpool. Positioned between the two river entrance gates to the Salisbury Dock, the tower acted as an aid to ships.

Victoria Tower was designed by Jesse Hartley and was constructed between 1847 and 1848, to commemorate the opening of Salisbury Dock. It is often referred to as the "Dockers clock".

Good things come to those who wait.

Rodney Court Highrise, Manchester

2010-02-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

Visited with Gone and Jim Gillette.

Basically Rodney Court is a sky high crack den, but on the roof, its a whole different story. This place provides some stunning and unique views of the city.

13 Floors (Roof: 38.4m)

Drug addicts or Pigeons? Pigeons are much worse.

Sarah Tower Crane, Manchester.

2010-02-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

Back down to the base of the crane we were approached by a lone security guard, who told us "we could not sleep up there, its dangerous". Obviously thinking we were homeless, we played along and he sent us on our way.

High and Dry

Sarah Point, Manchester.

2010-01-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

Second time round. Visited with Gone, Appo and Ojay.

Hartford Mill, Oldham.

2010-01-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

Cold and Wet.

Sacha's Hotel, Manchester

2010-01-15T12:54:00.000-08:00

Yet another Manchester hotel rooftop.

I'd only gone into town with Gone to get some new footwear and before I knew it, I was on the roof of this place. It's never a normal trip. This rooftop wasn't neccessarily impressive, but it was another one to cross of the list. I've always thought of this place as being a little sleezy and I don't really know why.

After taking the shots we wanted, we made our way back down, through the maintanance rooms and out the coded door, where it appeared a guy with a walkie-talkie was waiting for us. I aknowledged him and said "Hello" and carried on making our way to the lifts were he followed us in, saying nothing. We then got out the lift and he just didn't move. I still debate whether he was waiting for us, or just happened to have good timing.

Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester

2010-01-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Visited this one several times. On the last occasion, we were spotted by a tram driver, who gave the most typical response.

"Are you fucking stupid?! Get off the tracks!"

(We weren't on the tracks. We're not 'fucking stupid', you know.)

Then followed with the typical sign off.

"I've called the Police. They're on their way"

Yeah, alright mate...

Ten minutes later, an Incident Response van rolled past. They didn't have a clue. Result.

Origin / WolfKrann Cranes, Manchester

2009-12-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

These are truely awful photo's and I can only apologise.

After meeting up with Gone in the early hours of the morning, we went to scope out the then-new MMU cranes, but with security being very tight, we opted for the abandoned Origin cranes in the city centre instead. After not much time at all, we were at the top and getting the snaps, when it dawned upon me, that December wasn't really the ideal time of year to climb a crane. Not only was it a bitterly cold morning, but it wasn't half blowing a glale. This made the crane slightly sway from side to side, which made me feel very uneasy. After no time at all, we were back down to stable, safe ground.

Climbing cranes in deepest winter is not recommended.

Gripper Drain, Manchester.

2009-12-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Being about 250/300 yards long it is not a big drain but has an array of different bricks and stone with a large grilled area at the end.

Short and Sweet

Barnes Convalescent Hospital, Cheadle

2009-12-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

Visited with Gone and OnebyOne, on one of the coldest December afternoons.

Barnes Hospital, also known as Barnes Convalescent Home, in Cheadle, Greater Manchester. The main building is Grade II listed, and lies on green belt land.

A donation of £26,000 for the founding of a new convalescent hospital in Cheadle was made in 1869 by Robert Barnes. Construction of the hospital, named the Barnes Convalescent Home, started in 1871 and was completed in 1875. It was constructed of bricks, the clay for which was provided locally.
During World War II the hospital was used as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers. The main use for the hospital in its later life was for geriatric care and stroke patients.

It closed in September 1999 while Manchester Healthcare Trust was undergoing a £2 million cost cut. It was also featured on Most Haunted Live in September 2005.

I chose to do this set in black and white, as I thought it was fitting with it's eerie atmosphere.

Mayfield Train Station, Manchester

2009-12-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

I really like this place. It's almost like an oasis of calm in the middle of one of the most busiest locations in the city; Piccadilly. On the other hand, it's quiet eerie. Your standing in an abandoned, decayed station and you can still hear the sound of trains firing up and tanoy systems announcing platforms numbers, like ghostly noises of the stations once busy past. Ofcourse They are coming for the neighbouring Piccadilly Station.

Mayfield Station was opened in 1910 as an overflow station for Paccadilly. During WWII the station was badly hut during the bombing raids. Piccadilly was electrified and modernised in the 50's, which meant more services were being diverted there. Mayfield closed to passengers in 1960.

The site was converted into a Royal Mail parcel depot in 1970, until Parcelforce's decision to abandon rail transport for road haulage in 1986, sealed the fate of the station and the site has been disused ever since.

The overlooking enemy

Great place but security have been known to be on the ball here.

Premier Inn, Manchester

2009-11-21T14:49:00.000-08:00

Of all the rooftops I've had the pleasure to have been on, this has to be my all time favourite. Not because of it's great views, but because during my time living in Manchester, this was almost a second home for me and others alike. Most of the time, this was the starting point of new Manchester explorers, Jimmy Halfway being included. Gone and I made endless trips to this place, giving guided tours to noobs and meeting new faces. In terms of rooftops it was quite a whore, but there was a really for that. It was easy and pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, with more and more people taking this great rooftop for granted, pranks and stunts were made on and off the roof, including a television being dropped off the edge. I don't condone it, nor am I a fuddy duddy about it. It's just quite a shame it's locked down now. I have faith that someone will make it accessible again. Cheers for looking, Rookie.

Cathedral Arches, Manchester

2009-11-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

This was done with Gone, OnebyOne and a few fellas from NWEX, who we met by lifting up lids in a carpark, looking for the Salford Junction Canal.

"Cathedral Arches" is regarded as one of the best locations in the country to explore and is certainly a right of passage for any Manchester explorer. Massive thanks to the NWEX lads for making this explore possible, with their climbing gear and knowledge.

During the War the Arches were converted and used as an Air-raid shelter, new entrances were installed along with flooring, seating and lighting. Based on National guidelines, the shelter could hold upto 1030 people for 6 hours in unventilated conditions or as many as 5600 in an emergency if ventilated.

Massive seal of approval by all. Top quality explore!

Cheshire Constabulary Headquarters, Delamere

2009-08-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

Visited with OnebyOne, Gone, Appo and Warbie.

This was a very unusal day. This was the day we made the long awaited introduction to the world of Urbex for Warbie, but Warbie will only remember it as the day he crashed his car on Speke Boulevard (On the way to an Urbex). He still blames us till this day for his crash. Nonsense.

I couldn't find any info on this place, but I do know it was built in 1892. Pretty much all the features had been ripped out of it, but the place still had cells, so atleast it wasn't a completely wasted, car wrecking journey.

Wasn't really worth all the hastle to be honest.

Llanberis RAF Bomb Depot.

2009-07-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone, OnebyOne and Ash. Photo's taken with my old Fujifilm S8000fd, hence poor quality.

This place is tucked away well, in all the Llanberis greenery. Found it after a while though.

Interesting Info taken from Sub Brit

On 18th August 1939, the Air Ministry sought approval to acquire the disused Glynrhonwy Isaf slate quarry which had closed in 1930; the quarry, near Llanberis in North Wales, was deemed suitable for the storage of 18,000 tons of bombs.

Overhead protection was given by forty feet of broken slate. In response to pressure from the treasury efforts were made to cheapen and accelerate the construction of Llanberis, but unfortunately the cost cutting had disastrous consequences only six months after the depot was opened.

On 25th January 1942, two-thirds of the structure collapsed within seconds under the weight of the overlaying backfill, completely engulfing a train of twenty seven wagons which was in the process of unloading. The collapse buried over 14,000 tons of bombs which at the time represented 14% of the total RAF stock. Most of the bombs were recovered and although the remaining tunnels were eventually cleared of debris, no ammunition was ever stored underground at Llanberis again.

Quite ironic graffiti

Sorry for the lack of photo's, but these were the only one's decent enough. I would recommend a visit though. If you can find it, that is.

Lead Shot Tower, Chester

2009-06-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have very fond memories of this day. Firstly getting lost in Chester because Appo couldn't read the directions and after a stern telling off, he had a tantrum and threw the directions out the window. Obviously we found the tower in the end. One we got to the tower, everything was straight forward; Climb up the horrible rickerty spiral staircase. I can safely say I never never held onto a bannister so tight in all my life.

Probably never again.

Garnette's Cabinet Works, Warrington

2009-06-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

This was a great afternoon with many a laugh. Really chilled out explore, which lasted a few hours. Info and history is very hard to come by on this place, so sadly none to post. Here's the snaps...

Not sure if it's locked up now, but it's still worth a visit. Just incase.

Thelwall Viaduct, Warrington

2009-06-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone, OnebyOne and Appo. This was one of my first ever explores.

This location was rather boring and repetitive, with no interesting features what so ever. Wouldn't really recommend it, but it was one crossed off the list, I guess.

Boring, boring, boring.

Latchford Viaduct, Warrington

2009-06-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Visited with Gone and Appo back in June 09. Photo's taken with my old Fujifilm Finepix s8000fd

Latchford Viaduct was opened in 1893 and carried the former LNWR Stockport to Warrington line over the Manchester Ship Canal. It has a span of 250 feet and weighs more than 1,200 tonnes. The line saw its last passengers in 1962 but continued to carry freight until July 1985.

Beautiful piece of engineering.

Stanley Dock Steel & Iron Works, Liverpool

2009-06-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Visited on a couple of occasions with Gone, Appo, OnebyOne, Sui and others.

One of my favourite locations and yet the simplest. I love this place.

Lovely.

Tate and Lyle Silo, Liverpool

2009-06-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

One hell of a crazy day back in June '09.Visited with Appo, OnebyOne, Sui and Gone.

Henry Tate established his Liverpool refinery in 1872, and Tate & Lyle built their huge concrete sugar silo in the 1950s, close to the Liverpool docks. A huge conveyor tower was constructed next to it, and this was used to bring sugar up from ships in Huskisson Dock. The sugar was then transported via several other conveyors into the top of the silo.The art-deco style silo is Grade II listed and is still in use today.

Photo's taken with my old Fujifilm s8000fd, so they're poor quality.

Well worth a visit.

Duke of Lancaster, Mostyn Docks.

2009-05-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

This ship has been haunting me for quite sometime and even more so since my failed attempt, back in May last year.

Spent a good couple of hours just circling it trying to figure out a way of getting on/in. Then a Toyota pick-up came speeding in, which by that time we had bailed over the barbed wire and onto the dirt road adjacent.

Then we thought we could try and reason with these men and explain that we were just taking pictures (naive I know). So we walked back down the road were one of the men confronted us. He asked for our names and addresses, in which we replied "No". He then ended with calling us "little w**kers" and that was that.

Compared to some of the previous stories about security, I would say we got off pretty lucky.

The way they (whoever they may be) have allowed this vessel to sit there and rust away, to me, is absolutely criminal.

It was truely gutting not being able to explore this. One day though; One day.