Breakwater Fort, Portland Harbour, Dorset
September 2011
When I was 9 years old, I looked out my Aunty’s conservatory with a pair of binoculars dreaming of the day I could go to the Breakwater Fort in Portland Harbour and explore it. It’s been a dream of mine for over 18 years. A dream that was constantly the brunt of broken promises & false hope.
For years I forgot … Read more…
Tonedale Mill, nr Wellington, Somerset
August 2011
This site was definitely my favourite explore of our Dorset & Devon camping trip (OK, so it’s technically in Somerset!). It came on day 2 and didn’t disappoint.
After a few dead ends, near-misses with Police and nosey neighbours we finally found our way in – once again, staring right at us, so easy!
Dodging vans, security cameras & nosey neighbours (again) we … Read more…
Fremington Army Camp, nr Barnstaple, Devon
August 2011
The last day of our Dorset & Devon camping trip took us to North Devon. A disused army camp in Fremington which is laid derelict and awaiting its fate.
The camp, although abandoned, has a sense of feeling that it could quite easily be used again at the drop of a hat. Hardly any damage has taken place, nor has Mother … Read more…
Dairy Crest, Great Torrington, Devon
August 2011
Unfortunately, the best thing about this explore was the ice cream I had in the car park before we entered! A fairly uninspiring factory, with minimal interesting features.
The Dairy Crest factory has been derelict since 1993 and it shows. Every fixture, fitting and pane of glass has been smashed and torn down by vandals. Only one room held anything of … Read more…
Bourton Mill, nr Gillingham, Dorset
August 2011
On the second day of our Devon & Dorset camping trip, we stopped at Bourton in North Dorset near Gillingham to check out Bourton Mill. Having only seen one report online of a fairly battered and near-ruin state we weren’t holding out for much.
With the graffiti and sheer carnage aside, there’s still some nice features and machinery in place at … Read more…
West Lulworth ROC, Lulworth, Dorset
August 2011
Part of a three-day camping trip in Dorset & Devon we visited the West Lulworth ROC.
Cutting back the brambles in December 2008
The Royal Observer Corps were set up in 1925 as part of the RAF. They provided visual detection and identification of aircraft over Great Britain. As the years after the war passed, they also became nuclear fallout monitoring … Read more…
Holton Heath Laboratories, nr Poole, Dorset
June 2011
It’s not often I go exploring on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of the day. It’s usually fairly difficult to get in anywhere because of the higher volume of traffic or pedestrians and a lot of amateur explorers head out on Saturdays to the latest “tourist spot” and get caught by security!
So…with all that in mind, we went exploring … Read more…
Swan Mine, nr Batheaston, Wiltshire
April 2011
An early start in May, this trip was intended for us to get back up to Wiltshire and get underground. It’d been a while!
An old friend tagged along this time as he was curious as to what we got up to on these long days out! I don’t think he’ll be coming again..!!
We’d not explored Swan Mine (also known as … Read more…
Norden Railway Train Graveyard, nr Corfe Castle, Dorset
April 2011
It had always been a dream of mine to photograph a train graveyard, and while this one wasn’t quite epic, it didn’t disappoint at all.
We were actually looking for Norden’s disused Clay Mine when we stumbled across the trains parked up beside the Norden Steam Railway Station which is a huge hit with holiday-makers in the Summer months taking the … Read more…
RAF Chilmark, Underground Ammunition Bunker, Wiltshire
March 2011
This place was definitely a nice surprise. The underground was in really good condition (with exception to the offices as you enter the complex) with a lot of nice features.
Chilmark was a small limestone quarry worked to provide stone for Salisbury Cathedral. The quarry closed in 1935 when demand for limestone fell due to the increased use of concrete for … Read more…
Underground Fuel Storage Bunkers, Poole, Dorset
January 2011
The first explore of the year was a much-needed affair since I’d not been underground or smelt decaying pigeons in weeks!!
A big thanks goes to Lock1999 from 28dayslater for the random heads-up on this one. He told me about it back in October 2010 but I just hadn’t had the time to go exploring.
The site is seriously overgrown and getting … Read more…
Kidlington Grain Silo, Oxfordshire
October 2010
Coming back from the 28 Days Later 5th Birthday celebrations in Birmingham we noticed this huge building along the side of the A34.
Pulling up outside the building, which has been used as a dumping ground, we got suited & booted and headed on in.
Most of the metal fixings and fixtures have been stripped by thieves. However there’s still a lot … Read more…
Farleigh Down Tunnel, Batheaston, Wiltshire
August 2010
As part of a long day in Wiltshire we thought we’d pop to Farleigh Down Tunnel. The tunnel was linked to the Monkton Farleigh Central Ammunition Depot approximately 1 mile away. Ammunition would be brought to the railway sidings, loaded in to carts and sorted in the yard below ground.
The shells would then work their way on a mile-long conveyor … Read more…
Box Freestone Mine, Wiltshire
July 2010
Box Mine in Wiltshire holds some incredible memories for me. Our first visit to Box Mine was in March 2010 and since then, we’ve been back more times than I can remember!
One of the largest Limestone Quarries in the area, Box was mined from Roman times and grown ever since. Mining stopped all together circa 1970.
Nowadays, the mine is a … Read more…
WW2 Underground Shelter, Poole, Dorset
April 2010
You would find it hard to believe that a bunker like this would still be accessible in a busy town centre such as Poole.
It was mid-afternoon when we got to our location. A small patch of green in amongst a concrete jungle. A fake man hole cover would be our entry point, obviously put there not to arouse suspicion of … Read more…
Stoke Dameral Girls School, Plymouth, Devon
January 2010
This was one explore on a long list that we were planning on doing today, but sometimes luck just isn’t on your side. It turned out to be the only site of any real interest/or we could access.
The school closed in 1986, and to be honest, has weathered seriously well considering it’s on the English coast!
Pyestock NGTE, Fleet, Hampshire
June 2009
Visiting Pyestock was high up on our list for a long time. The site is incredible, it’s so much bigger than you imagine it to be.
It was another early morning set-off from Dorset, arriving at our chosen cul-de-sac as the sun was rising. We then started on our route through the woods and to the perimeter fence. Without any hassle … Read more…
Ilford Park – Polish Camp, Newton Abbot, Devon
November 2008
A crisp November morning saw us getting up super early and head to Newton Abbot. Part of the grounds are live so we had to choose our access route carefully. After about ten minutes, as is most often the case, we found a hole in a fence. And so we were in.
Luckily we had entered the site at it’s most … Read more…
Apostles Cathedral, Bristol
October 2008
Soon to be converted in to “luxury apartments” we took a trip here with Rookinella and Scott, from 28DL after a rather unsuccessful explore in Gloucester!
The cathedral is in a pretty terrible state, but some of the windows and the basement proved quite interesting.
St Lawrences Hospital, Bodmin, Cornwall
October 2008
After only seeing a handful of successful explores on 28dayslater of St. Lawrences Hospital we decided to take the long trip down to Bodmin in Cornwall.
There are two parts to the hospital. An abandoned part and a live part. We pulled up in to the car park of the live site, kitted up & walked through to the disused area.
Being … Read more…
