Ive had a couple of chances to visit this place before but have never quite been able to make it. Its been bugging me most of the year so when winch suggested a northen roadtrip to end the year on it went straight to the top of the list, no questions asked!
To be honest when it first showed up on the scene back in 2006 i didnt really notice it at first but since then its become one of those legendary places that seems to have status way above the bread and butter. Its gone through a typical exploring cycle, discovery, exploration by the more 'on the ball explorers' degrading to exploration by 'every man and his dog' leading to pointless vandalism, much arguing over whos fault it is, supposed 'lock down' and the inevitible period of no one trying because its supposedly 'not do-able'
Ive been hearing about people visiting for most of the year but information has been vague, some people have been getting tours, some people claiming to have explored it by just walking in the front door, most people just being really vague for no apparent reason other then to spite others!?? In the end we just waked up the front drive and asked the guy sitting outside if we could take some photos and he said yes with out any real hesitation. We just had to wait an hour or so untill the film crew that were working inside had finished and in we went, free run of the whole place. In a way it feels like a bit of a cheat, id rather have seen it first time around but then again we had free run of the lesser explored ground floor areas which made it a bit more of a real explore, not really knowing what we were going to find around the next corner rather than an urbex sight seeing mission that it could have been.
I think we saw most of the place, the libary is still locked however, along with a load of rooms used for filming and several unknown areas of the ground floor. Pictures came out a bit crap, the winter light was too harsh for me i think, could have done with my film camera really!
And there you go, i was prepared to be disserpointed by the place after the hype yet i attulay came away quite impressed. Id encourage anyone who wants a look to go up and do the same as we did, even if you have permission its still a mint place.
To be honest when it first showed up on the scene back in 2006 i didnt really notice it at first but since then its become one of those legendary places that seems to have status way above the bread and butter. Its gone through a typical exploring cycle, discovery, exploration by the more 'on the ball explorers' degrading to exploration by 'every man and his dog' leading to pointless vandalism, much arguing over whos fault it is, supposed 'lock down' and the inevitible period of no one trying because its supposedly 'not do-able'
Ive been hearing about people visiting for most of the year but information has been vague, some people have been getting tours, some people claiming to have explored it by just walking in the front door, most people just being really vague for no apparent reason other then to spite others!?? In the end we just waked up the front drive and asked the guy sitting outside if we could take some photos and he said yes with out any real hesitation. We just had to wait an hour or so untill the film crew that were working inside had finished and in we went, free run of the whole place. In a way it feels like a bit of a cheat, id rather have seen it first time around but then again we had free run of the lesser explored ground floor areas which made it a bit more of a real explore, not really knowing what we were going to find around the next corner rather than an urbex sight seeing mission that it could have been.
I think we saw most of the place, the libary is still locked however, along with a load of rooms used for filming and several unknown areas of the ground floor. Pictures came out a bit crap, the winter light was too harsh for me i think, could have done with my film camera really!
And there you go, i was prepared to be disserpointed by the place after the hype yet i attulay came away quite impressed. Id encourage anyone who wants a look to go up and do the same as we did, even if you have permission its still a mint place.
