Hellingly 23/08/09

EPIC FAIL

So I leave the kids at home in the capable hands of Mr Ant and off I trot to Hellingly with my cousin and 'urbex peg' [the dog]. An hour and halfish drive from where we live. Park up and try to find a way in....

I was informed there is a little house type thing as you come into the 'drive' and to pop there and find a way. The door was open so we were very hesitant about going any further and walked down to the bottom on the feild where i saw a gate on my reccee last week.

The gate had barb wire, not too much to cause a problem but we weren't too sure if it would take us where we wanted and was very out in the open so decided to walk back and up 'the drive'.

We pop back to the 'house', cant find owt, walk a small track next to the house and get some old fart appear from the back of his private house and ask if we are ok. I tell him im looking for somewhere quiet to have a wee! [what is it with me and my stupid mouth?].

Decide to walk up the drive and no longer than 2 mins security car pulls up.

'what are you doing girls' asks the donut eater with a huge dog in the back of the car.

'walking the dog'

'you cant go up there its private property'

So we turn on our heels and go back to the car, donut eater watches us and no doubt takes a note of the reg plate. He then started down the road slowly so we guess he knows that we were telling lies [of sorts] and was prepared to follow us.

For him to appear and know who he was looking for he must have had a tip off. Was it the 'old fart' or is there CCTV there that we didn't see that picked us up?

So we drove back home, defeated, and stopped for a wander in Ashdown Forest.

No pics i'm afraid so have one of a spider that I took the other day as way of consolation....

Hellingly 15/08/2009

Right, lets do things a little differently seeing as Blogger has changed the way you can post photos. Blog first, photos after. Makes life simpler for me, otherwise I have to sod about with the HTML which i'm not a genius at....and the pics are all backwards!

So....Mr Ant was off to Horsham for a drink with the lads so I decided I would take the kids somewhere. Hellingly was calling me, however Hellingly is about 50 miles in the opposite direction from Horsham. I looked on the web and enquired about things to do and see around Horsham but decided that Hellingly it was. Printed myself a map, dropped Mr Ant off and made our way there via country roads through West and East Sussex. Piece of piss and no need for satnav or directions from passersby, except what should have been a 45-60 minute drived turned into an hour and half because I couldn't find my sodding way out of Horsham and ended up on the council estate!

Ants doesn't do satnav. Never have, I can usually look at a map and see how to get there without that or asking for directions. At least my brain has one function.

I arrive with two sleeping kids in the back of the car, who I woke with a WOAH as a deer wanders out infront of us, it stood there for a while until I produced my camera. Obviously it was camera shy.

Where to park? I chose to plonk the car in the most obvious place right opposite the old Admin building. Post widdles done (and to remain discreet i used the urbex potty that i sat in the footwell of the front of the car. No handy bushes you see. Car doors make for the perfect discretion, apologies if anyone in Hellingly did see my arse though) changed Boris in the boot of the car much to his amusement. Picnic given to the kids and off we go.

Admin is totally trashed. No roof, no nothing, just a shell. I thought Cane Hill admin was trashed but jesus this one was trashed beyond belief. Opposite stood the Chapel which was in one piece for a change. Obviously the scum who trashed Hellingly have a bit of respect for holy places.

We take the route I believe will take us to follow the outside route of the hospital, bearing in mind this is only a perimeter walk as I have the kids with me. Chops spots a picnic bench and wants to sit there and finish her grub, mummy obliges and has a hell of a time wheeling the buggy on the boggy grass and round the million and one molehills. The bench is a little creaky and wobbly and is graffitti scratched with the word 'deadly'. To add to this some bloke walks by on the road and stops at the 'Badgers Rest Cafe' opposite where we are sitting and stands watching us. Giving me the creeps.

We go on a little further over the boggy field and watch the rabbits running wild. It becomes apparent that there is a live bit of hospital next to us so I decide we should walk the other way. When we find the pathway I notice the maximum security bit of the live path, all 50ft fences and a woman roaming inside pulling at her hair and mad wailing noises.

Walking back from where we came Chops says 'mummy, a bird!' and we see a pigeon on it's back legs in the air. Closer inspection reveals half a pigeon. Skinned. No feathers showing there has been a struggle so to me that ruels out foxes and the like, and no maggots or blood, so that tells me fresh kill. It is missing it's head and neck.

No sign of creepy man.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek............

We walk on, quite frustratingly as other than the bit around Admin and what I later find out was where security hang out there isn't anything to see because the hospital is hidden away behing some dense trees and bushes. If I hadn't viewed it that morning on flashearth I would never have believed that if you get past the fences the place is huge.

We see a few cars go past and some people who I assume stay at the live bit (not the fenced off live bit) and I do believe from info I gave and got back that security walked right past us but never said a word. So bravo for a reccee without the hassle. Helps having the kids and just looking like a random family out for a stroll.

We head back to the car and encounter creepy man again, he gave me the willys the first time and now I see him again after the pigeon incident so we load up back into the car and head for home.

Not an epic fail though because i've found out a few things and noticed a few things for the return which will be very soon.

Enjoy the pics........

the rest of the pics can be found @ http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v89/AnthillMob/Hellingly%20150809/

Return To Crystal Palace 19/06/09

My partner in crime wanted to go to Crystal Palace so we went without the kids. As kids only moan about walking long distances and Crystal Palace is huge.

The most hair-raising experience of the day has to be when my PIC and driver for the day drove down a 'one way' bit the wrong way. Still, we made it there in one bit and to be fair the road junction was rather confusing.

Wandered around the ruins, Peg the urbex-dog had a whale of a time trying to entice big dogs to have a go if they thought they were hard enough. She's only a little Patterdale but she's very hard.

If you read the history bit on the last blog about Crystal Palace, you'll know that once upon a time this place housed the worlds largest marine aquarium. All thats left now is a huge hole in the ground with tunnels and stuff that contain green water and rancid pigeons that shoot out and scare the living crap out of you. It's also fenced
off for safety reasons so the pics I took came out shit.

Whilst we are having a look at the Sphinx's, Peg decides she has had enough of it all and throws herself from a plinth onto the harsh concrete steps. The 'clang' noise a s she hit the concrete was horrible, but she is hard as nail and lived to tell the tale.




I wonder where this tunnel once lead? Nearby we find a graveyard of old odds and sods from the park like old litter bins, posts, signs, benches etc.

Decide to go in search of the illusive Pterodactyls that we both remember being in the trees when we went there as kids. My cousin is also certain that when we were kids you could climb on or touch the dinosaurs. I must say I don't remember the lake being their either but the only place i recall climbing on dinosaurs in was Chessington Zoo [before it became a theme park].


And what do we discover sunning themselves on the dinos? Not ducklings this time but terrapins, millions of the bastards!! What a fabulous find. Also came accross two swans and their signet which they were fiercly protective of. Daddy swan came over and hissed 'no photos', at least he didn't confiscate my camera. And witnessed a proper bitch slap using feet between two Coots all in the name of love over the female. Was half expecting her to pipe up 'leave it Baz, he ain't worth it'.

Anyways enjoy the pics.

Orchard Hill & West Park Update

Orchard hill now has a security guy sat in a deckchair outside a hut on the main road in. However it is accessible, I believe, by driving towards the posh new houses and going in via the back. There is also a public footpath somewhere near here that runs round the back.

MC Hammer is no more at West Park aparently. Further examination showed the security car which I always assumed belonged to MC Hammer to still be there but instead of he there was a fat bloke donning the hi-vis. Hereinafter known as Donut Man.

Ghost Ads

I am obsessed with 'ghost ads' as well as the abandoned, it's an extension of the abandoned.

Walk down your local village and you may just spot a ghost ad wether its painted on the side of a building or the ghost of an old shop sign. If you do and you read this then take a pic and send to me.

Some friends from http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk have kindly agreed to me using their ghost ad pictures for this, they all get the credit for their photos but I host them as thats only right.

An insight to the past....

The first are ones I have come accross so can give a bit of info on where they were seen.



at the side of what used to be the old Co-Op at Rosehill, Carshalton. Carved in stone so this will, hopefully, never go. I'm old enough to remember when the Co-Op was in this building and not where it is now.



outside The Dolphin [pub] in Sutton, Surrey.



outside The Watershed [club] in Wimbledon, London.

recently went on a wander round london with the OH [which I will blog about soon] and i found these gems:



a ghost shop!!!!!! what a find!!!!



this was taken at the side of the Ten Bells Pub which was frequented by some of the victims of Jack The Ripper.



taken in Petticoat Lane



taken in Clapham, London, I was the passenger in a moving car hence not the best shot.



taken in Tooting and again I was a car passenger so not the best shot.

Saw an absolute beauty in Balham but it was the same journey and behind us in moving traffic so will have to grab a photo of it another day.

So for now you have my ghost ads, though I do have one more but need to figure out [or ask the OH] how to load from my mobile. There will be more to come from my friends @ Derelict Places. But for tonight I leave you with these.

West Park - 18/06/2009

Another glorious day for a spot of urbex, accompanied by my cousin and 'urbex peg' the dog.

That morning I got some rather good information through various phone calls that I wont post here just incase, though i'm sure security have better things to do than read my blog, let's just say I know how to get permission to be there providing its external only.

So using this information we head off and bear this in mind should security be an arse. No need for worries, absolutely no sign of him so I drive into the grounds and park up right down the back and approach the little villas where I found the piano the last time. A brief look around but concentrating more on the main hospital we head off round the back further, Peg rolls in deer poo, and soon find a trampled chainlink fence. Not very secure I think you'll agree...what else could we do but go over.

Did find this great mug outside one of the villas



We are now in 'no mans land', I immediately go into panic mode thinking we are being watched, about to be sprung, but my companion has no fear and assured me that we were ok if we are trespassing as it is a civil offence and therefore not arrestable. And anyway 'Urbex Peg' will alert to anyone approching. My heart is absolutely racing, i'm convinced MC Hammer can hear it from wherever he was.

How wonderful, to be where we shouldn't really be and get the opportunity to have a poke around.

Most pics are taken through holes in windows as the place is securely boarded up/inaccesible (I would love to know how people do get in here without the use of tools) but what an absolute treasure trove of decay and abandonment.

'Shit your pants' #1 moment involved my companion getting a text message. Her ringtone for texts is the ruddy Tardis. When you are sneaking about, being quiet as you can you don't expect to hear the ruddy Tardis noise.










I could post all the pics as it was such a fab visit but as always there's a link at the bottom of this for the full days pics.

My fave photo though is this one, taken through a hole in a window of what would have been some single cells off of a dayroom. I love how nature has totally overtaken the place.



We come accross a building, called Nightingale House, I haven't a clue what it was used for but i'm guessing some kind of staff quarters by the fact there were many bedrooms and communal shower (still intact and not smashed to fuck which is unusual). The door was open so it would have been rude not to go in. Then I start panicing about spongey floors. Help i'm tuning into my mother, panicing about every silly little thing.

A concrete, therefore safe, staircase took us to the 1st floor where all the little bedrooms and shower room were











All was going well until 'shit your pants' #2 occurs, in the middle of the 1st floor was a door, as my companion approached it she heard a voice. You have never in your life seen 2 people leg it so quickly, followed by a small dog who never made a sound the whole time we were there. If I had taken my dog he would have alerted the whole of Epsom that we were there because he is an arse with an incessant bark.

We recover from the underwear browning moment and carry on with our explore. All the time wondering when MC Hammer will make an appearance and put and end to our escapade. Afterall he pounced me previously when I had only been there about half an hour if that.



What I would give to tread this corridor, it takes you places that explorers dream on. Sadly the only way in we can find is through a large broken pane of jagged glass. Having had an argument in the past with glass and the possibility of losing me leg if it wasn't for sheer luck, we decline, which is a shame. Any other way in there and I would have been off like a rat up a drainpipe. Which confuses me somewhat as rats tend to go underground and not up.

We forrage around through the undergrowth, poking our noses in anywhere we can, such an extensive hospital and here we are alone without the keys to the loony bin. There is a padded cell somewhere (I now know of the location of sorts) but the pikeys have had it away on their toes with the door. As you do. Theiving twats.

'Shit your pants' #3 came in the way of a deer poking it's head out from a bush. If you've never been there and do go please note there are wild deer all over the place. Security deer?

We then come accross the main hall, close but still no cigar, the closest I have ever been to it and still cant actually find and stand in what remains of it.



I am wondering where the fuck MC Hammer must be. We were being very quiet but he had urbex radar when I went on my own yet this time we just waltz striaght on in, poke around, enter one building because it was easy and absolutelty no sign or noise to give him away.

The wonderment of the buildings, how huge the place was and imaging how big it must have been when in use. And the decay of the place is absolutely stunning.



We sort of get lost and keep ending up in the same place so choose to take the pathway of overgrown trees and bushes and stop for a spot of lunch at an airing court, probably how the inmates did in their time, though I doubt they ate Tesco sausage rolls and cheese and onion sarnies. Wonder if the food was as shit as when I had a recent stay in St Helier Hospital.



We near the road that runs round where Admin is located and I fully expect, as we are the wrong side of the fence, that we will have to find a fence to climb and cut ourselves to ribbons on or have to go back the way we came but we find a very small gate, like a garden gate, fully open and through we go to the perimeter road. What is going on here? They want to keep you out yet it seems the place has been left accessible for some kind of open day.

A brisk walk around the part where Admin is



as this is where I got bust the last time. I put me camera away so we just look like dog walkers and not urbexers, just incase we are pounced upon by the happy hammer weilding security guard.






Abolsutely no sign, very strange. His hut was open as we came in so he must have been there. Maybe we were just lucky or he was busying himself with hammer porn. Take the route down past the Chapel (not the original, the original was destroyed at some point), I took this pic of the inside via the lovely iron gate and the blacked out windows, had to play with the contrast etc just to show what was in there




The Chapel door

and then took the walk I took in my 1st visit. Discover a few more open doors to somewhere...one to the courtyard by the water tower but was put off entering by a brand new motor parked in there although no signs of life and one open door that just has a sheer drop



but this will be remembered for next time as may well be a way in somewhere. Rely heavy on windows and their boards offering gaps for photos to be taken.

A workshop through a knothole





We nip into the bit just off to the right of where we were, I believe this may have been the female epileptic building. Pics are on my 1st visit. And we encounter 'shit your pants' #4, a strange ross between a wail and a scream. I think its her, she thinks it's me. There is no wind so it can't be that through the roof of the building. It sounded sort of like some disabled owl. The only explanation I can come up with is possibly the squirrels nesting in the roof space but at the other end of where the noise came from. We decide to leave because it's freaking us out and don't wanna go home with crusty cacks.

Back at the villas no change of getting to see the piano as the door wont open and the curtains are closed. Bugger, I wanted to see if it still worked. We did find an abundance of white goods though and commodes and them trolley things they bring your hospital shit on a plate, sorry food, round on. And a drinks machine.



HOORAH!!!! I 'did' West Park, albiet external, but I did it without being once approached by MC Hammer. Even when we left he was no where to be seen. Maybe some kind urbexer had tied him to his chair in his hut or something? His car was there.

Who cares, he wasn't around to annoy us and for that I am thankful. We had a couple of hours left before I had to go pick the kids up so headed to Atkinson Morleys as my companions mum worked there but we didn't find anything different to my previous visit (see below), very tight security fencing, no way in and the way in the have a nose at the old files and brain slides ruined by a collapsing roof when we gave the door a shove.

(pics of the day - possibly repeated once or twice as photobucket was being an arse - http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v89/AnthillMob/West%20Park%20180609/ )

Reigate Castle & Fort - 13/06/2009

A sunny Saturday thats free as my mum was going out (she usually comes round on a Saturday) so I spend early morning on Google looking for anywhere that may tickle my fancy and the kids may enjoy.

I discover Reigate Castle, having never been there and not knowing what could be there other than a castle ruins I made a picnic and off we went. Girls Aloud on the car stereo once again (it's a fave of the kids, honest!!)

We arrive at Reigate and I drive round the one way system twice before pulling over and asking someone 'where is the castle'. The yokels laughed and pointed beyond the high street to the centre of the one way system where the castle is hidden. Expecting a gem of a find I park up in the town hall car park and spend about 4 hours trying to get the sodding money machine to take my money for a window sticker while the kids roast in the car on gas mark 8. A kind soul eventually explained, after I have half the population of Reigate queuing behind me that you need to enter the numbers from your reg plate. A tip that I passed on to other irate drivers when we returned to the car.

We arrive to find this



which i find interesting to say the least although I haven't a clue what they are (later discover they are dragons-teeth anti tank blocks)



So I assume the only way up is via this path through the blocks and have to drag the buggy up the path, it swang to and fro and Boris was screaming at his first white knuckle ride. And who can blame him. At one point I got stuck and really could have done with a hand but Mrs Newspaper sat on a bench at the almost top ignored my struggles and kids squeals. If she were me I would have leant a hand, maybe im too nice.

Once I finally make it to the precipice I look down to discover there was a perfectly good footpath that would have taken me here. Oh well, good exercise and a lesson in how to shit yourself for Boris.

We turn the corner to walk up a further hill, using the sensible footpath this time and encounter to dibble lazing on a bench. As soon as they saw us they sprang to their feet and the male dibble wheeled the buggy to the top of the hill for me. Probably as a silent apology for being a donut eating lazy fucker. It was appreciated though, especially by Boris who decided to chuck his snadwich on the floor which I had to pick up incase they did me for littering.

Finally at the Castle and this is what is there



That, is the Castle. Literally an archway. This was further on



and that was it. Whilst an interesting find for about 5 minutes it didn't exactly float any boats so we make our way back down.

As we were walkin g to the path going down I spot a bloke the wrong side of the fence at the top hiding in the undergrowth watching people. I assumed he was with a group of teens who were up there sat nearby.

As we came down 'a level' he was stood infront of us as we came through the arch



(English version on the link at the end)

and then walked past and immediately turned and started following us. My oddball radar was going off the scale so I abandoned any other possible walks and we took the nearest rout possible out of there. He was probably just an innocent person out for a walk but his behaviour rang alarms for me and better to be safe than sorry.

Sadly had to miss out on a tour of the caves that run underneath the hill that the Castle stands on (or its sorry remains) due to Boris in his buggy but we did see some Morris Dancers which is just so sad there are no words to decsirbe it.



From where we watched the Morris Dancers there was scratched in 'grafitti' if that's the word. I wonder though how old some of this is or wether some of it is scratched to look old, if you get what I mean.



So off to the car we go and when we get there we spot this weird bug on the car door.



Extensive Googling later tells me it is Ladybird larve. Wow! Seriously, as I would have never guess Ladybird had a larve let alone it looked like a mascara wand.

As we are driving back up Reigate Hill I remember the Fort up there as encountered by Godzilla on Derelict Places. It's worth a look while we are here. The view when we park up is absolutely stunning, I wish i brought the worm with me (child saftely wrist strap) because Chops looks like she is considering running down the very steep hill we are atop.

Walking over the bridge that runs over the A217 Reigate Hill makes me a bit uneasy, obviously the older i've got the more I discover I am not too keen on heights. Or bridges. Or both.

We walk and walk and walk, I enquire with someone if we are heading the right way, we are, 'it's not far now', liars!! Mind you i'm completely knackered anyway which don't help and little legs aren't made for such a ramble.

I can't say the Fort is the most exciting thing on earth but we found it and saw it and returned to tell the tale.









There was an abundance of dog walkers up there and kids with their parents playing frisbee and whatnot.

We had a look round then made our way back to the car. Came accross the old East Surrey Water thingumy nearby which there are photos of in the link at the end as well as the transmitters on the hill.

Then we came accross a group of knit-your-own-tofu types walking with their kids, all posh and Laura Ashley. One of the kids eyes were closed and swollen to almost slits and his mum was saying to him 'oh your hayfeever's such a shame'. WTF???? If it's that bad why the fuck take him out in the fucking wilderness full of grass and pollen and trees and other shit????

On our way back we spotted some sheep in a field alongside some wild rabbit.

I'm full of sympathy me....


(all the pics http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v89/AnthillMob/Reigate/ )