graylingwell | worth a try
03|09|07

People often question why I never seek permission. "Surely," they ask, "if you asked nicely then I'm positive they'd let you in." My experience to date has been the complete opposite. If I'd tried to obtain permission to explore any of the buildings featured on this website then I would’ve run up against a bureaucratic brick wall of indifference, incredulity or even hostility. Occasionally an opportunity does appear and I’m optimistic enough to try – but they always tend to end in failure and frustration.

My first trip to Graylingwell, an old asylum located to the north of Chichester, was a classic example of the permission approach. It failed – obviously – but allowed us to take lots of representative pictures of the exteriors of the buildings. And it laid the groundwork for a subsequent visit, where we didn't try to obtain permission and subsequently got the whole run of the main buildings to ourselves.

(Note: larger sized pictures are available. E-mail me if you require them.)