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Magnet Leisure Centre // Maidenhead // 29-01-22 | Leisure Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

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Ell-Miller98

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I've visited Magnet Leisure Centre a total of three times now. It's clearly a bit of a hotspot now since the last two reports back in late 2021. On all three occasions I bumped into several other explorers (fortunately the friendly, respectful kind). The place is pretty huge and in a varying degree of condition. Some rooms are absolutely trashed (toilets, showers etc), and others remain somewhat untouched. But anyway, more on that later... First:

History
Magnet Leisure Centre opened in circa 1975 and was one of Berkshire's largest community leisure centres. Much like the "Everyone Active" sites, Magnet Leisure Centre was almost fully funded by it's local council, Windsor and Maidenhead Council. The leisure centre offered a wide variety of sports, sessions and activities, including:

  • 135 Station Gym
  • 25m Swimming Pool
  • Leisure Pool
  • 8 Sports Courts
  • Cafés
  • Conference Rooms
  • Group Fitness Studios (x2)
  • Soft Play Area
  • Squash Courts
Magnet Leisure Centre closed in August 2020 after plans were agreed for a brand new leisure centre to takes it's place: Braywick Leisure Centre. Braywick opened in Summer 2020. Part of the deal also included the demolition of Magnet, and the erection of 439 new homes by developer: Countryside Properties. 130 of these will be affordable housing, the rest will be a mixture of one, two and three bedroom flats. Due to the development's unsightly nature, it has been nicknamed "Prison Village" after 1,700 signatures were obtained, opposing the build.

The Explore
Entry into the site varied, first time through the poorly-secured front entrance, and the two subsequent visits were via a second loading-bay- tyle back door. (There is also a cool lower ground floor warehouse part to this site, but not much to be seen or found there now). Once in, you'll soon discover that this place was clearly shut down and left in a fair hurry. Power still on (as of 30/01/22) and water was on until recently, lots of equipment, pool floats, pool chemicals, gym equipment, sports equipment (including three large trampolines), kitchen equipment, tools and more all still remain at the site - although I'm sure this is decreasing by the day as more and more things are taken/destroyed.

There is lots to explore at this site, but I will let the photographs do the rest of the talking. A few personal highlights were the trampolines, soft play area, spin bikes in the sports studio upstairs, and the highlight for me was gaining access to the roof which by all accounts doesn't look like many have done...!

A few final comments:

  • Be careful: power still on + dodgy electrics and lots of flooding doesn't always end well
  • The site is situated less than 300m from Thames Valley Police HQ. I doubt they are interested in the slightest, but don't freak out every time you see blue lights!
  • All the copper is gone, so if you're going there simply for that, you're too late.
Time to let the photos do the rest of the talking... (I'm not professional btw, these are just taken on an iPhone 12 in Night Mode with a steady hand). Enjoy!

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Landie_Man

"Landie" or Harry
Regular User
How did you get roof access! Everytime I’ve been, the inner doors have been sealed!!! Well, the door which is in the dance studio has been. There’s one directly opposite about 200ft away but I’ve never located where the ladder is.

nice photos btw.
 

mookster

grumpy sod
Regular User
Was there today, the electric still being on with it being so damp in places is an accident waiting to happen to some unsuspecting idiot messing around.

It's going downhill very very fast in there which is unsurprising really.
 

icestorm81

28DL Member
28DL Member
Spent the whole afternoon exploring in there with a mate, pretty dangerous with a load of live cables dangling from the roof everywhere. Really good explore, definitely worth the drive there.
 

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Inf1nite_void

28DL Member
28DL Member
does anyone know if this is still standing? i’m heading through the area later this month and would love to visit.
 

Wally_urbex

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member

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