I need a Fenix ffs! - 22/02/08

When bungle calls you at about lunchtime and says, 'fancy doing something tonight?', I get a dread feeling in my stomach, here we go again, 'what you got in mind, Bungle, son?'.

A terrace and a tunnel he tells me, up Halifax way (I hate Halifax, I used to live there a few years back, or as near as damnit), get to his about 6ish. Fearing my lighting would be a little inadequate for lighting a tunnel, I called the Wino, 'need to borrow your fenix, mate, Bungle has a tunnel...and a terrace'.

So a quick trip down to Wino country to collect the beast of a torch and I'm set, well, after buying some wellies in B&Q, and some cheap jeans in ASDA (I know, I know, should have gone to Tesco, think of the clubcard points)!

We arrived at Wainhouse Terrace in Halifax and spent a good forty minutes waving torches around and dodging used syringes, got some decent pics out of the place too, as well as some funny looks from the locals.

We then headed over to errm..Bacup (I think it was anyway), whatever, it was tunnel, and it was dark. Fenix powered lighting though works wonders in dark places and soon enough we'd exhausted all opportunities a disused tunnel can offer, thoroughly enjoyed some of the pictures I got though.

Was a good night in the end, cheers Bungle.

You can find the torch in question here.

TnM :->

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Wallerscote Island - A slight return - 24/02/08

We were on the way back from Chester and thought we may as well take the Jaff Fox into Wallerscote, it being on the way back to Stockport. Making our usual way to the site we realised security had put some measures in place with the intention of keeping us out, didn't work though, they seem to underestimate the determination of the busy and industrious urbexer!!

Site access was as easy as ever and soon we found ourselves wandering about the site at will, up and down gantries, in and out of control rooms, it's like walking in a winter wonderland, the soda ash is so quiet underfoot, just like last August when we first visited.

Sadly, since then, the access to the top of the silos has been restricted (come on guys, we only want to take pictures, leave the staircase door open won't you? Promise not to sue if we trip or fall!!) lol.

We probably spent a good three hours once again having a damn good mooch until I went to check if there was any personnel on site and clocked a bloke parking his car and walking into the office building at which point we decided to leave.

Wallerscote makes for a great beginner 'live site' explore, what's next you may ask...?

TnM ;->

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Countess of Chester, Deva Asylum - 23/02/08

I've never really enjoyed exploring hospitals or asylums, always preferring to mooch about in some filthy industry, but we were in the area checking out another lead and thought it would be churlish to not give the place a look over.

We were immediatly clocked by security as we walked the perimiter of the fence and noticed he was straight on his radio to someone, unperturbed we carried on round and found a nice easy access. This is only the second asylum I've done (the other being a whistlestop tour of High Royds, Yorkshire) and I must admit I rather enjoyed this.

I was surprised that the place hasn't been pikied or chavved up, what little damage there is appears to be entirely natural decay, the asylum closed its doors for the last time in 2005.

We were unfortunately pushed for time on this visit and probably spent two or three hours in one building alone before we headed across town to have quick look at the Lead Shot Tower near the station. It was VERY pigeony inside, and not actually that interesting either.

Following our all too brief visit to Chester we piled back in the car and headed to Mond country...

TnM :->

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ThenewMendoza Salt Mine excavation (of back yard fame) - 20/02/08

Ok chaps, here is the problem, fearing my drain pipe was busted following the great sewage flood of last week I decided to investigate the wonky flagstone at the east end of my estate.

Upon liftage of said stone I was faced with a gaping chasm, I immediately reached for my head torch and headed in a little closer, documentary evidence of what I was faced with can be found in the picture SaltMine1.

I donned my Phil (cornish bloke off time team) hat and began carefully excavating the shitty mess that lay before me. I faced brick, soil (of all varieties), lady products and other monsters of the deep. I finally hit the object of my diggage, the drain, I'm naming it Supershitter.

I went for my drain rods and gave the damn thing what for until the flow of water which was quite an immense build-up, began flowing freely, I could hear it trickling away into the main public sewer. A most welcome aural pleasure.

The picture SaltMine2 (above) shows what I am left with, it seems there is half a pipe (cut lengthways??) that is causing the problem and needs replacing with a closed variety. Unfortunately there are a number of bricks (possible foundations for the carriage house) leaning on the pipe which I am too scared to move, lest said carriage house comes collapsing down upon itself.

The gaping wound in my back yard needs sorting, chaps, what would you do?

Captain Mendoza (of the 45th drain dig battalion) ;->

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Ineos Silicas - Live infiltration - 16/02/08

Well, well, what a stunning place. Havoc and I recced this behemoth of industry in Warrington earlier in the week and realised it was entirely doable, if we were in the right kit. So, we met up nearby on Saturday morning in suits, shirts and ties and proceeded to the entry point in our hi-viz vests and hard hats. I think the biggest surprise of the day was the fact that Jaff actually owns a shirt and tie.

It was all so easy. The glorious sunshine made the factory look stunning against a deep blue sky. We wandered about as bold as brass taking pictures willy-nilly before finding a door that led us deep into the...err, derelict bit.

Which was an unexpected pleasure, so off we went mooching about in the labs and offices before finding a huge industrial section of pipey metal goodness that reminded me a little of the Wallerscote site in Northwich.

I think we spent about an hour and a half inside before deciding that we should probably make a move before our luck ran out.

Visited with Havoc and Jaff Fox. And it was great.

TnM ;->

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Wow! What a weekend - 09/10/02/08

I think we've hit seven sites over the weekend, including three new, unexplored places. First up was a HUGE textile mill in Manchester, a pleasant surprise, as part of a live site it was great fun stealthing about the place, we even returned on Sunday to check out a few areas we missed.

After that we did the tiny, but 'bootyful' Hyde police station, it was rubbish really, but there were a few interesting bits and bobs left lying around.

Following that we had a look at the York House Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne, it was an absolute hellhole, but it's off the 'list' now. Then Havoc and I headed up to Greenfield to have a look at the huge Knoll spinning mill, which was absolutey fantastic, I'm surprised more people haven't done this place considering it's two minutes up the road from Fletcher's Paper Mill.

Then we headed to Barnes Hospital in Cheadle, one of those places that has always been there, but we never got round to doing, so again, it's done and off the list.
As already mentioned we returned to the huge textile mill on Sunday with Romanian1, who seemed to enjoy it, despite the fact we had to make a sharp exit when I heard the sound of large angry dog somewhere on site, could have been police, could have been security, either way, we weren't hanging round to find out!!
After that I had to do a couple of jobs for work then headed back to Stockport's Dodge Hill shelter again, this time with a bag of tealight candles. It was a complete mither, lighting 72 of them, I couldn't even be bothered doing the top flight of steps!!

Was a great weekend though, fantastic weather and fantastic exploration fun. On top of that, between myself, Bungle666 and Havoc we managed to get Mr Mister X banned from Derelict Places, what a way to win. Great.

TnM :->

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British Sugar silos, Kidderminster - 06/02/08

Well, we were in the area to go on the tour of the Drakelow Tunnels complex (it was a former Rover shadow factory during WW2, then a RGHQ, and then a RSG). It finally shut up shop for good in 1992.

The tour was fantastic, the chap leading us round was a fountain of knowledge on the history of the place and you could tell he really held the complex close to his heart. He didn't even seem to mind when we kept wandering off to mooch about when we shouldn't have been.

A top class place, it just a shame the current owners don't allow photographs of the interior, I could have had a field day in there.

So following the slightly extended two and a half hour tour (probably 'cos our little group kept wandering off) we thought we'd head over to Kidderminster's British Sugar factory.

The factory is being demolished at the minute but the only thing we wanted to do was the silos, so after finding access to the site we headed straight for them.

Upon my first glance I got a rather sick feeling in my stomach, not having much of a head for heights, they seemed very tall. However, there apeared to be an interior staircase that went straight to the top, so I thought it might not be too bad. And it wasn't, until the very last ladder.

Everything you touch in the silos building is sticky with sugar, it was like being in some cheap nightclub mooching about, the sound of your footsteps was comedy as they shclurrp off the floor. And the staircase handrails were absolutely horrible, sticky with sugar, then throw in a handfull of pigeon poo!

But, eventually we made it to the very top, and the views, well, they were OK, nothing special really, but at least I'd done my first silo, although I definately prefer to keep my feet on the ground. I probably will do in future too.

Visited with Bungle and Havoc, Jaff Fox was there for the Drakelow tour.

TnM ;->

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Stockport Air Raid Shelters - Dodge Hill&Brinksway - 02/02/08

I've been meaning to get down the Stockport air raid shelters for so long but always seemed to find some reason or other for not doing so. And I'm kicking myself for not doing them sooner, they are absolutely fantastic!

First up we hit the Dodge Hill shelters, located, as you would expect near Dodge Hill. These shelters are probably the best preserved of the two abandoned ones (the third, Chestergate is now a museum, and meant to be very good too, although I haven't visited myself).

Upon entry you realise how claustrophobic they must have been during an air raid, the tunnels themselves are probably no more than 7 or 8 feet wide, with bunk beds down one side of them. Imagine how they must have been teeming with people...

The shelters were excavated in the 1930s when the prospect of war seemed ever more likely..

After spending an hour and a half or so mooching round we exited Dodge Hill and headed over to the Brinksway shelters, which, although much more extensive, don't seem to have the same appeal as Dodge Hill. They appear to have suffered at the hands of vandals a little more over the years.

It's a real shame these shelters are being left to rot, although I must commend Stockport Council for the work they have done at theChestergate shelters, but these are an important reminder of what our parents/grandparents went through during the Second World War.

Anyway, I certainly intend to go back to Dodge Hill, Brinksway didn't really do it for me (besides, I was with Havoc so we got lost!! lol), a return trip is in the offing.

TnM :->

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