well living near hartlepool this is an esential visit
myself and philplop reccie the sight a week before the explore had a look around spotted some entrance ways which looked quite tricky or tight, then had a reccie 24th and some pikey had provided us with a perfect entrance.
anyway some history for the site (google is my friend)
Built in 1899 by the famous shipbuilder and entrepreneur William C. Gray, the son of Sir William Gray also of shipbuilding fame, Tunstall Court was the Gray family’s main residence, though they did also own similarly sized properties in Yorkshire and Devon. As well as William C Gray and his wife, 7 other members of the Gray family occupied the building for nearly 30 years, with a staff of 12 to make sure their every need was looked after. Even with all these people in there Tunstall Court would have seemed spacious and luxurious with its 30 rooms, ballroom and indoor swimming pool*.
Tunstall House was also occupied briefly by the Furness family who were also hugely famous in the shipbuilding trade of the North East of England in the 19th and 20th centuries
In 1948 the ownership of the building was given to Hartlepool Borough Council who operated a number of initiatives from the building, such as using it as a training college for various trades including a secretarial college at one point. Sadly due to spiralling costs the council were forced to give up the property in 2002 due to a yearly cost of £165,000 for the upkeep of the land and its gardens.
Shortly after this a pilot scheme was launched by the Dutch company Camelot in which people were granted cheap leases of apartments in the building (£25 a week with all bills included, less than a quarter of an average for the area) in return for the occupants acting as security guards and keepers of the property, carrying out light maintenance and generally just keeping the property in a reasonable state of repair.
Again this scheme was short lived and Tunstall court closed its doors for the last time in 2006.
well am sure you all knew all that anyway...
on with the explore
first time round me and philplop went round and explored the whole building including the pigeon poo floor on top the small staircase
second time was myself and philplop and another person who may or may not be a member if she is am sure she will have a report soon, that was just a quick photo session round the main entrance and hall
i also returned last night and had a proper explore of the tunnels and a better look at the swimming pool (*)
heres some pictures
the main entrace
the ball room (this room was amazing i was in here ages) aprently as someone we know atendted school here, the rumor went that the swimming pool (*) was under this hall we explored the tunels and rooms under the hall and the whole building and their was no swimming pool their was a labrynth of odd tunnels which wernt really meant for people to walk through (on another visit late 28th i did discover a new room in these tunnels though with the fuse box it looked like)
the stair case
the stained glass windows and dome above the stairs
picture of the bassment aea
some pipping i was geussing it is for the heating but i am unsure
and the tunnels
one burnt out room (toward the front of the building)
the other burnt out room towards the rear
the site
and one very odd looking machine anyone know what this is for?
and lastly a few fun ones
PHILPLOP in his stealth hat
out a window
in a court yard
and the pic of the day, a year 2000 diary, but a 2000ad one, what better than to write your planes down in than a book covered in pictures of good ol' judge dredd
(*) right this swimming pool, we found only one room that could of ben a swimming pool but it was tiny, and the floor was concretted not tiled, and currently has a false floor with a trap door in it, i didnt get any pictures of it, but i have seen them on here before, but i would hardly say it could be classed as a swimming pool if that is it!
myself and philplop reccie the sight a week before the explore had a look around spotted some entrance ways which looked quite tricky or tight, then had a reccie 24th and some pikey had provided us with a perfect entrance.
anyway some history for the site (google is my friend)
Built in 1899 by the famous shipbuilder and entrepreneur William C. Gray, the son of Sir William Gray also of shipbuilding fame, Tunstall Court was the Gray family’s main residence, though they did also own similarly sized properties in Yorkshire and Devon. As well as William C Gray and his wife, 7 other members of the Gray family occupied the building for nearly 30 years, with a staff of 12 to make sure their every need was looked after. Even with all these people in there Tunstall Court would have seemed spacious and luxurious with its 30 rooms, ballroom and indoor swimming pool*.
Tunstall House was also occupied briefly by the Furness family who were also hugely famous in the shipbuilding trade of the North East of England in the 19th and 20th centuries
In 1948 the ownership of the building was given to Hartlepool Borough Council who operated a number of initiatives from the building, such as using it as a training college for various trades including a secretarial college at one point. Sadly due to spiralling costs the council were forced to give up the property in 2002 due to a yearly cost of £165,000 for the upkeep of the land and its gardens.
Shortly after this a pilot scheme was launched by the Dutch company Camelot in which people were granted cheap leases of apartments in the building (£25 a week with all bills included, less than a quarter of an average for the area) in return for the occupants acting as security guards and keepers of the property, carrying out light maintenance and generally just keeping the property in a reasonable state of repair.
Again this scheme was short lived and Tunstall court closed its doors for the last time in 2006.
well am sure you all knew all that anyway...
on with the explore
first time round me and philplop went round and explored the whole building including the pigeon poo floor on top the small staircase
second time was myself and philplop and another person who may or may not be a member if she is am sure she will have a report soon, that was just a quick photo session round the main entrance and hall
i also returned last night and had a proper explore of the tunnels and a better look at the swimming pool (*)
heres some pictures
the main entrace
the ball room (this room was amazing i was in here ages) aprently as someone we know atendted school here, the rumor went that the swimming pool (*) was under this hall we explored the tunels and rooms under the hall and the whole building and their was no swimming pool their was a labrynth of odd tunnels which wernt really meant for people to walk through (on another visit late 28th i did discover a new room in these tunnels though with the fuse box it looked like)
the stair case
the stained glass windows and dome above the stairs
picture of the bassment aea
some pipping i was geussing it is for the heating but i am unsure
and the tunnels
one burnt out room (toward the front of the building)
the other burnt out room towards the rear
the site
and one very odd looking machine anyone know what this is for?
and lastly a few fun ones
PHILPLOP in his stealth hat
out a window
in a court yard
and the pic of the day, a year 2000 diary, but a 2000ad one, what better than to write your planes down in than a book covered in pictures of good ol' judge dredd
(*) right this swimming pool, we found only one room that could of ben a swimming pool but it was tiny, and the floor was concretted not tiled, and currently has a false floor with a trap door in it, i didnt get any pictures of it, but i have seen them on here before, but i would hardly say it could be classed as a swimming pool if that is it!
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so we had to call it a day as they watched us walk away from the site (BOOOO) but i will be back.. watch this space as the saying goes lol lol
