Another night spent upon one of London's many roofs...there's a turn-up!
Maydew House is very typical of its time with it's 1960s brutalist architecture, and towering 255ft above Bermondsey, it's certainly become a prominent feature over the last 50 odd years. However, in 2011, Southwark Council were forced to evacuate all residents for safety reasons, after a large build-up of asbestos was discovered. The tower then stood empty until renovation work began in 2016, and has since undergone minor redevelopments. But, with funds rapidly drying up, work on Maydew Tower has seemed to come to a halt, leaving it in a state of decay, and making it a target for us explorers
)
So, I gave my mate Chris a call, and we decided to give it a bash. With finding the ground and first floor to be completely sealed, we proceeded to spend the following hour banking up Heras fencing against the base of the tower and essentially free climbing it up to the second floor. After managing to find a loose window and prying it open, we squeezed in, and with all 23 formally residential floors looking much of a muchness, we made for the roof.
But to our dismay, we found the door to the roof to be locked, and so of course, we had no option but to work a bit of magic...then hey presto! it popped right open.
This was well and truly one of the more challenging rooftops to access, but was all made worth it for the incredible views. And I can confidently say a well-earned beer was thoroughly enjoyed at the top
)
Maydew House is very typical of its time with it's 1960s brutalist architecture, and towering 255ft above Bermondsey, it's certainly become a prominent feature over the last 50 odd years. However, in 2011, Southwark Council were forced to evacuate all residents for safety reasons, after a large build-up of asbestos was discovered. The tower then stood empty until renovation work began in 2016, and has since undergone minor redevelopments. But, with funds rapidly drying up, work on Maydew Tower has seemed to come to a halt, leaving it in a state of decay, and making it a target for us explorers
)So, I gave my mate Chris a call, and we decided to give it a bash. With finding the ground and first floor to be completely sealed, we proceeded to spend the following hour banking up Heras fencing against the base of the tower and essentially free climbing it up to the second floor. After managing to find a loose window and prying it open, we squeezed in, and with all 23 formally residential floors looking much of a muchness, we made for the roof.
But to our dismay, we found the door to the roof to be locked, and so of course, we had no option but to work a bit of magic...then hey presto! it popped right open.
This was well and truly one of the more challenging rooftops to access, but was all made worth it for the incredible views. And I can confidently say a well-earned beer was thoroughly enjoyed at the top
)
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