explorations | 2005


This is a handy log of my explorations, ranging of one-off visits to small installations, through to multiple visits to large sprawling areas (the later which forms the basis of the project section of this website). It breaks it all down into handy "Day Trip" activities, a dossier of what can be seen in one day, and fun for all the family.

My diary of urban exploration if you like.

Which brings me onto another point. Some of these sojourns were simply recces, designed to scout potential targets out before attempting infiltration with a team (Severalls and Warley are high on the list to visit). Some were interesting in themselves (such as setting the scene at Cane Hill or discovering what was at Rauceby) but it you wanted the excitement, musty interiors and broken toilets, then you’d be disappointed.

Others were complete and utter disasters. The first return trip to Rauceby was an excellent example of things going completely wrong. I included it here to point out that urban exploration can be a frustrating exercise at times.

So, I’ve implement a handy scale so if you want the get to the fun stuff quickly then you can just select and click:

Recce. Scene setting stuff. No internal explorations.
Limited access but mostly walking around in the rain outside.
Full infiltration. Access all areas.



Whitefields/Uplands 12|02|05 (With Smorgy and Major Tom)
I'd not been anywhere local since my explorations of RAF Wyton and RAF Upwood. So, perhaps it was time to find something within spitting distance of home. And luckily, there was a rather odd site that needed some urgent urban exploration.



Severalls 16|04|05 (With Mr. C, Marlon, MooseOfDoom and Major Tom)
Grudge tour of the oft visited Severalls, where it was finally time to conquer the asylum, the final outlying villas and the chapel.
St. Johns 17|04|05 (With Marlon, MooseOfDoom and Major Tom)
Two tours in one: first my recce, a collection of exterior shots and vistas; and then, after returning with the group, we edged into the darkness of the oldest asylum we've explored.
Warley 04|05 (With Mr. D) Demolished/Redeveloped in 2006
After walking around the asylum in 2002, it was time to return to shoot the interiors.



Queen Elizabeths Hospital 11|06|05 (With Marlon and Laura) Demolished/Redeveloped in 2005
This was the big disappointment this year. For the moral of the tale was never to leave a site until you were ready to explore it; because the site might not be ready for you.
West Park 11|06|05 (With Marlon and Laura)
However, all was not lost. After the disappointment of Queen Elizabeths, finding a second location was easy as we were close to West Park. It had been about two years since I'd last visited and now the asylum was far more accessable.
West Park 18|06|05 (With Marlon, Rhodri and Ben)
After becoming familiar with West Park, we returned a week later, this time with a journalist and photographer in tow.
Aldington Prison 23|10|05 (With Laura B, Marlon and Smorgy)
And now a first for the urban exploration community. It was time to sneak around a derelict prison.
Severalls | Asylum Of Mystery 03|12|05 (With Mechanised and Major Tom)
Not a traditional tour, I decided to turn a trip to Severalls into a comparison of two asylums.