Report - The Royal Hotel - Kettering - April 2016

[The devil child]

This had been on the radar for a few years now with 1 1st failed attempt and being escorted off by police about 18 months ago after it closed for about 6 months. I had been watching it for a month recently as the old owner went in to bankruptcy and a few days ago i found an access. While here we bumped into a Drug addict who had basically broke in to steal to feed his habit, he was with another bloke who was taking the stuff off to wherever they were stashing it, cut a long story short i went back tonight with a couple of others to show them the building to find the very angry and not amused current owner who was holding a bat after speaking to him for about half hour he showed us some pictures of 1 of the thieves being arrested the day before. We explained that we just wanted pictures of the oak work and he let us in for 20 minutes and explained a few things about the building and plans that they had for it. It was a lucky couple of days getting to see this but even luckier that the thieves were caught at early stages and the building saved because in just 1 day they had left quite a substantial trail of damage so if they were in there a week it would have been another matter, now the owner is spending a lot more time in there and sealing up the access points the building will be saveable Going on to the history which i shall write up from the top of my head as i know quite a bit of history on this place being very local to it for all my life....

The hotel started of life in the 17 centaury as a coaching inn called the White Hart Hotel. This hotel had a few famous people of there times stay here including The Queen Victoria herself, one famous guest was Charles Dickinson who stayed here in 1835 whilst reporting for the Morning Chronicle covering the Northamptonshire Elections, after the Queen victoria stayed here in 1844 in room 12 it earned the right to be refurbished and renamed The Royal Hotel in 1879. The Duke of Buccleugh owned this hotel up till 1896. This building was listed as a grade 2 on the 5th of August 1975.

Thanks for looking T.D.C

 

[mattdonut]

No doubt all the goons will descend on it now !

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Had no idea the few pictures you posted on FB were a hotel !

 

[The devil child]

Had no idea the few pictures you posted on FB were a hotel !

Yep was in mint condition on the 1st night and it gradually got worse in the next couple of days. I think it was lucky there was 5 of us on the 2nd day when we bumped into to the druggies and 4 on the 3rd day when bumping in to a very angry bat wielding owner or the outcome could have been a bit different lol

 

[BrainL]

Nice report mate, glad to hear the thieves were caught sooner rather than later

 

[Bolts]

Very nice, some of those pics are stunning

 

[Exploring with Andy]

Wow, nicer it looked from the outside! Well done getting back there.

 

[The devil child]

Wow, nicer it looked from the outside! Well done getting back there.

Yes I was glad to catch it in time was open for 3 days only early bird catches the worm scenario rather than ya snooze ya loose as was going to leave till weekend but glad I didn't

 

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

Great stuff!

Not living in Malta anymore?

 

[The devil child]

Great stuff!

Not living in Malta anymore?

Yes still have stuff there here for a few months then going back

 

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

Good, will be heading out there in the Autumn again (for diving really), but of course we still have the unfinished explore projects out there

 

[The devil child]

we do indeed : and ill make sure in there

 

[The Lone Shadow]

Good work! Thats a lot of people to bump into at one site; The police, druggies and the owner - Always makes for an interesting explore

 

[xexxa]

Fucking awesome dude!

 

[Pinkman]

Lovely stuff this. Good set of shots & an interesting writeup