The Explore
I explored with Session9, Hamtagger, Southside Assassin, Shagrat and Matt Inked. Last time I tried to explore this site I had to abort due to me nearly chopping off my left index finger on the access point. This time however, the homeless had made access far easier. This explore was somewhat of epic proportions, great fun and such a laugh – guys it was really nice to explore with you all. It was a great site, beautiful architecture with typical Northampton finds inside.
Some of the highlights included: Standing on the top floor and watching smack heads climb over the boundaries of the South facing buildings into other parts of the site.
Watching Southside Assassin bravely trying to climb a stair well full of bird shit so thick that it was acting as a slide, getting half way and then thinking “bugger this” before retreating.
Taking cover as somebody in the nearby street starting shouting at the top of their lungs “Get out of that building!!” and then us all realising that it was just another local wino who probably had drank too much methylated spirit
Finding dens hidden all over the site; One still with fresh milk in it.
History
In 1836 St Edmunds was designed by George Gilbert Scott and originally built as Victorian workhouse to house poor. Originally designed to manage 300 inmates and cost £7,000.
In the 1930’s the workhouse closed for good, it was bought by Northampton Borough Council and used as a geriatric hospital for the next 70 years. My partner’s mother worked here as a nurse in the 1980’s. Eventually one by one, the functions were shut down and moved elsewhere. The hospital eventually closed for good in 1998 whilst receiving a grade 2 listed status.
In 2010, a firm called Rochmills bought the site for redevelopment work, hoping to make office blocks and a retirement home for the elderly. After some alterations to the building, including pulling some of it down, the developers realised that its grade 2 listed status prevented from doing what they had originally planned. In the end only a restaurant was built in one building and Tesco in another. The building was then sold to Cyprus based developer and all other work was abandoned.
In 2013 an application was made to English heritage to remove its grade 2 listing. The idea behind this was to knock it down and rebuild on its current site. The application was rejected and St. Edmunds kept its grade 2 status.
In 2014 a planning application was submitted to Northampton Borough Council for further redevelopment. Some of the latest comments around the town regarding the faith in this project are relatively mediocre as the building currently stands empty and rapidly decaying. It is currently home to countless tramps, winos and smack heads. Many rooms all over the site contain make-shift beds in rooms that stink of puke and piss. The floor is extremely unstable, there are literally hundreds of used heroin needles lying on every part of the floor – as a hospital; it seems many previously used needles are being re-used by the smack heads already in there. The site is covered in vast amounts of broken glass – every window is potentially a jagged weapon awaiting an accident, not to mention lift shafts being wide open awaiting a fatal fall.
The Pictures
Thanks for viewing my report, I hope you enjoyed.
The Lone Shadow
I explored with Session9, Hamtagger, Southside Assassin, Shagrat and Matt Inked. Last time I tried to explore this site I had to abort due to me nearly chopping off my left index finger on the access point. This time however, the homeless had made access far easier. This explore was somewhat of epic proportions, great fun and such a laugh – guys it was really nice to explore with you all. It was a great site, beautiful architecture with typical Northampton finds inside.
Some of the highlights included: Standing on the top floor and watching smack heads climb over the boundaries of the South facing buildings into other parts of the site.
Watching Southside Assassin bravely trying to climb a stair well full of bird shit so thick that it was acting as a slide, getting half way and then thinking “bugger this” before retreating.
Taking cover as somebody in the nearby street starting shouting at the top of their lungs “Get out of that building!!” and then us all realising that it was just another local wino who probably had drank too much methylated spirit
Finding dens hidden all over the site; One still with fresh milk in it.
History
In 1836 St Edmunds was designed by George Gilbert Scott and originally built as Victorian workhouse to house poor. Originally designed to manage 300 inmates and cost £7,000.
In the 1930’s the workhouse closed for good, it was bought by Northampton Borough Council and used as a geriatric hospital for the next 70 years. My partner’s mother worked here as a nurse in the 1980’s. Eventually one by one, the functions were shut down and moved elsewhere. The hospital eventually closed for good in 1998 whilst receiving a grade 2 listed status.
In 2010, a firm called Rochmills bought the site for redevelopment work, hoping to make office blocks and a retirement home for the elderly. After some alterations to the building, including pulling some of it down, the developers realised that its grade 2 listed status prevented from doing what they had originally planned. In the end only a restaurant was built in one building and Tesco in another. The building was then sold to Cyprus based developer and all other work was abandoned.
In 2013 an application was made to English heritage to remove its grade 2 listing. The idea behind this was to knock it down and rebuild on its current site. The application was rejected and St. Edmunds kept its grade 2 status.
In 2014 a planning application was submitted to Northampton Borough Council for further redevelopment. Some of the latest comments around the town regarding the faith in this project are relatively mediocre as the building currently stands empty and rapidly decaying. It is currently home to countless tramps, winos and smack heads. Many rooms all over the site contain make-shift beds in rooms that stink of puke and piss. The floor is extremely unstable, there are literally hundreds of used heroin needles lying on every part of the floor – as a hospital; it seems many previously used needles are being re-used by the smack heads already in there. The site is covered in vast amounts of broken glass – every window is potentially a jagged weapon awaiting an accident, not to mention lift shafts being wide open awaiting a fatal fall.
The Pictures
Thanks for viewing my report, I hope you enjoyed.
The Lone Shadow
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good to see it hasn't changed to much in the last year.
