Report - Victoria Hotel Platt Bridge (Aug 2022 nr Wigan but not the Wigan one)

[Nyrian]

Although this is a hotel and possibly should be in the Leisure forum, it's not go anything really identifying as a hotal now. From what I can find out, this was a hotel that went bust but was then bought by another firm to do up. There are photos of lots of scaffolding on the beaten up building from about 10 years ago. Then Companies House says it went bankrupt again in 2011. Certainly we saw a few sections with brand new wooden boards, new plaster, or the beginnings of wall separators. But not a lot. So whoever took this on probably realised pretty quick it was a lost cause. Couldn't find it on any listed building websites. So no idea what's happening with it. There is another Victoria Hotel that is a listed building nearby:

FORMER VICTORIA HOTEL, Non Civil Parish - 1384551 | Historic England

List entry 1384551. Grade II Listed Building: Former Victoria Hotel. May include summary, reasons for designation and history.

historicengland.org.uk

This was our second attempt as I injured myself trying to access first time. We did the same thing again this time but just slower. There is no front door and most windows are missing but it's all behind high walls and fences. I found one B&W photo of better days:

There isn't anything inside that makes it feel like you are in a hotel. It's a shell. A very cracked shell. Full of birds, bird poo, and rotten wood left open to the elements. No indicators of it's former life. Here is when someone was trying to fix it:

And here is our visit:

Basement was partly collapsed in:

 

[Ojay]

Again, this place looks proper trashed and isn't really all that interesting for our members.

 

[Nyrian]

I have found another image looking even older:

And there is a local discussion group talking about their experiences at the hotel and about the people involved:

❤ wiganworld - Wigan Album, PUBS

An information site for Wigan folk and ex-pats includes forums, pictures, news and more...

www.wiganworld.co.uk

 

[Nyrian]

Again, this place looks proper trashed and isn't really all that interesting for our members.

Then I don't get what everyone was telling me in the other thread. I'd posted about connecting with other members and a bunch started insulting me and telling me a needed to post reports more as I'd been on here over a year. I said quite clearly that pretty much everything I'd explored had been done before and there were at least 2-3 reports available on them. I also said that I do post photos in existing threads to show the change, or if it's been demolished, or if an access point has been blocked up. But I was told repeatedly that I needed to create full reports on them if I were to be 'trusted'. Not just comment in other people's threads. One person even suggested I was lying about having just completed my 30th explore to try and trick people into giving me details of other locations, again saying there were no reports to back up my claim.

So now I'm doing exactly what was suggested by multiple people but you're telling me not to report it! Is this just a case of everyone likes to have a go on the internet and 28DaysLater Forum is just the same? No matter what anyone types there will always be 2-3 people saying you suck for not doing something then 2-3 people saying you suck for doing it?

 

[Ojay]

I know but we have standards. You posted another thread which was fine, this is literally 6 internal pics of trashed content, some stock image and a bunch of externals and poorly formatted.

If you have a read of the thread regarding residential sites, you might gain some further understanding of the problems we face..

I've picked out a few points that highlight issues with this thread:

• Anything smashed up or ransacked.
• Places that are full of junk with no other interest or merit.
• Additionally, reports really do need to be formatted properly, with a suitable title and a write-up including some history of the property

 

[Nyrian]

I understand that, but I thought VIctoria Hotel was different because it went bankrupt, was trashed, then someone bought it and started trying to do it up, but ended up giving up as well. It's not photos of junk left in rooms. It's photos of a place that's falling apart mixed with photos of someone trying to repair it. I thought that was a shame. Because we always talk on these urbex forums about how certain places should be saved rather than bulldozed down. Here is a place where someone obviously gave it a go, but failed. I'd not seen that before. Everywhere I've gone over dozens of explores are either newly abandoned, trashed, or are being done up (like ormskirk magistrates court). So when you say "this is of no interest to our members" and throw it out of the reports forum into the questions section, that seemed a very quick dismissive action in the circumstances.

 

[Ojay]

Ok, got any more pics internally to post and I can help you better formatting the thread ?

Some history about the place even if short will suffice.