Report - St John's College - Portsmouth

[wesleybrown]

St John's College was a private day and boarding school in Southsea, which is arguably the fancier side of Portsmouth in Hampshire. It shut its doors in 2022 but remained semi-active until last year, when the redevelopment firm getting the green light.

As a Londoner who has swapped the Big Smoke for the slightly less smoky (but more rat-infested) island of Portsmouth & Southsea for half his life, I’m always on the lookout for a good explore. This little gem is currently the crown jewel of the city. Most of the college is still frozen in time, although a bit of work has already begun on the main building. Unfortunately, the chapel and other key highlights have been stripped cleaner than a whistle.

With security patrols and a labyrinth of locked doors, navigating the site was tricky. Still, I managed to check off 80% of the buildings. This place is an explorer’s paradise, with potential treasures still lurking in the shadows. It’s not on the tour bus circuit yet, and it’s a rare find these days to stumble upon something so untouched.

Big shoutout to @british_tea_guy for helping me sneak into most of the site, couldn't of done so much without help on the day.

 

[wesleybrown]

A little pic heavy, but I usually get moaned at I don't take enough on here

 

[albino-jay]

Gonna move this back in to public mate. One of your mates has banged it all over YouTube and had his post declined on here so pointless trying to keep a lid on it.

Cool for a school though, in good nick.

 

[wesleybrown]

Ah no drama, I tried. Their are more people wanting it on youtube these days than us old skool lot

 

[Calamity Jane]

There are some really cool features here. Great coverage

 

[Explore With Alex]

Its crazy how mostly everything was left cool report

 

[Bikin Glynn]

That's a really nice place well reported, love the stained glass

 

[wesleybrown]

Guys, I have been contacted by the owner of the nursery on this location, which apparently is still in full use. Ive asked her to put a sign on the door to let explorers know that is the case. Please just be mindful of that if you take a look. Understandably she's pretty freaked out by it all.

 

[mookster]

Guys, I have been contacted by the owner of the nursery on this location, which apparently is still in full use. Ive asked her to put a sign on the door to let explorers know that is the case. Please just be mindful of that if you take a look. Understandably she's pretty freaked out by it all.

I can understand her concerns, looking back at the photos it's far cleaner and tidier than any other parts of the building and the last thing they will want is a bunch of goons messing it all up. A definite way for it all to end badly...

 

[wesleybrown]

I can understand her concerns, looking back at the photos it's far cleaner and tidier than any other parts of the building and the last thing they will want is a bunch of goons messing it all up. A definite way for it all to end badly...

Yeah its just one little out building to the side and most the rooms in it are trashed (which doesn't help her). She's been really cool about it all, she doesn't seem to have any issues with what we do or us looking at the college, just asks we please do not mess about in her nursery...

 

[dansgas1000]

Nice set of pics, did you opt for a game of pool?

 

[wesleybrown]

Nice set of pics, did you opt for a game of pool?

Secca hut below

 

[DustySensorPhotography]

That’s very nice

 

[Fatbunny]

My daughter was a teacher here (and looked after the boarding houses) and she, and all her colleagues were completely blindsided by the sudden announcement of its closure. The poor kids were badly affected too. It was a very happy community. My daughter isn’t a Catholic but neither was everybody else. I won’t show her these photos as I think it will just open up old wounds...she said it was by far the best school she had ever taught in. She still thinks about her old pupils and wonders how they managed the transition between schools and friendships. Thanks guys for the fab photos even though they did bring a tear to my eye!

 

[Nexus]

I was a student here and was affected by the closure of this school as I was still a student at the time and there were some things that I enjoyed but my time there was not the most pleasant to say the least. I was involved in the "tech team" and in the final year of the school being open was in charge of it due to the others who were older having A levels and GCSEs I was not involved in any last show that was performed due to moving schools in the last half term before the school closed. To this day I still have a key that let me open all the doors in the NBH as we called it as well as the sports hall and "D" block as it was known to us students although I doubt it would still work now due to the site being turned into housing now. I also remember the day when us students found out that the school was closing and it wasn't through the school telling us, they had told parents to keep it quiet from us students but we found out due to the head teacher having done a story with BBC news and when me and some of the people in my year found out we were in a discord call with each other and to say the least we were not happy with the school. I do want to thank you for going to the site and sharing these photos because I always wondered what the site looked like when it closed and now I know and can close that chapter of my life,