When some local explorers arranged a permission visit to this hidden piece of military heritage I jumped at the chance to tag along – thanks guys! History (abridged and amended from wiki) RRH Neatishead is a Royal Air Force Remote … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #141 – RAF Neatished R12 Bunker, Norfolk (permission visit) – September 2015
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Explore #142: The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Welwyn Garden City – September 2015
A very short report here from one of the my least successful explores ever! History (from wiki) The Queen Elizabeth II hospital is located in Welwyn Garden City and run by East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. The first full … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #143: Reims-Gueux Race Track, France – October 2015
Explore #1 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ This was a great long weekend of exploring in France and Belgium. After rendezvousing on the outskirts of London, our gang (comprising my usual exploring buddy James and his girlfriend Jade, and our … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #144: War Planes, France – October 2015
Explore #2 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ After our middle-of-the-night stopover at the derelict race track at Reims, we arrived at our next location just after dawn on a foggy and cold late Autumn morning: some old war planes left … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #145: “The Foot Factory”, France – October 2015
Explore #3 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ The next stop on our France and Belgium trip was this abandoned textile factory which specialised in manufacturing stockings and hosiery. We really enjoyed the colours, decay, and old machinery still left behind … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #146: Chateau Colimaçon, France – October 2015
Explore #4 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ Next up was this beautiful decaying old Castle with a rather special staircase… History Formerly a manor house built just before 1900, over time it was extended to a large mansion. Apparently the … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #147: Manoir Cacophonie / Chateau Musique, France – October 2015
Explore #5 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ Late afternoon on the first day of our France/Belgium weekender, the next location was a quick visit to a beautiful old manor house, buried in overgrown woodland on the outskirts of a French … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #58a (revisit): Chateau Verdure, France – October 2015
Explore #6 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ After leaving Manoir Cacophonie we raced against the setting sun to squeeze in a sixth and final explore of the day – a revisit (for me) to the crumbling beauty of Chateau Verdure. … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #148: Théâtre – Cinéma Varia, Belgium – October 2015
Explore #7 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ Day Two of our weekender began with an explore of a grand old place which I’d wanted to see since the days before my first European exploring trip. Somehow I’d never quite got … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #149: The Blue Power Plant, Charleroi, Belgium – October 2015
Explore #8 of ‘The Royal Variety Tour’ The final explore of our packed weekend was this mammoth derelict power plant, nestled in the middle of the industrial heartland of Charleroi. The whole area is a fascinating mix of long and … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #150: Lostock Power Station, Northwich – December 2015
When visiting the in-laws for Christmas, I took the opportunity to duck out on what turned out to be a cold and rainy Boxing Day for a couple of nearby explores – complete with a turkey sandwich packed lunch! First … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #151: Tata Chemicals soda ash works, Northwich – December 2015
Having explored ‘The Snow Factory’ disused soda ash works earlier in the year, this was a welcome return to explore more of the the huge Tata Chemicals site. History Founded in 1873, Brunner Mond & Co became the UK’s largest … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #152: Leybourne Grange Manor house (aka Medway Manor), Kent – December 2015
Just before the end of the year James and I made a quick dash down towards the South coast for a couple more explores… first up was this crumbling old Manor House, which once formed part of a Mental Asylum… … Continue reading ![]()
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Bonus Explore! HMS Victory, Portsmouth – December 2015
Okay, so this doesn’t count as a ‘proper’ explore, but it was too fun an experience to leave completely unreported! After exploring Leybourne Grange Manor my usual partner in serial trespass James and I made our way down to Portsmouth, with … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #153: Royal Hospital Haslar, Gosport, Hampshire – December 2015
After our fun and games of an impromptu explore of HMS Victory the previous evening, it was an early start for my final explore of 2015: a huge disused military hospital with a long and proud history. History (amended from … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #154: Zeche P (Polsum), Germany – February 2016
Explore #1 of ‘The Smell of Cheap Cologne Tour’ It had been a very quiet start to 2016 on the exploring front, so I was itching to get away for a long weekend of euro exploring japery. My usual exploring … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #155: Prison H19 (aka Prison 1893), Germany – February 2016
Explore #2 of ‘The Smell of Cheap Cologne Tour’ After exploring Zeche P we had a fail at our next location, so moved on to the final explore of Day One – a nice relaxing late-afternoon visit to this abandoned … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #156: Zeche M / Heinz Mine P, Germany – February 2016
Explore #3 of ‘The Smell of Cheap Cologne Tour’ It was a pre-dawn start on Day Two of our German weekender as we knew our next target had active on-site security patrols, and the cover of darkness (or at least … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #157: Preventorium Dolhain TB hospital, Belgium – February 2016
Explore #4 of ‘The Smell of Cheap Cologne Tour’ After our epic morning exploring the kaue of Zeche M / Heinz James and I headed across the border into Belgium. We were on our way to our next target when … Continue reading ![]()
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Explore #158: Usine S, Belgium – February 2016
Explore #5 of ‘The Smell of Cheap Cologne Tour’ After our unexpected stopover at Preventorium Dolhain we continued our roadtrip on this this beautiful derelict wool and textiles factory… History This large factory was founded in the late 19th century, … Continue reading ![]()
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