# Crookham Court Manor - Newbury - December 2014



## Gromr (Dec 21, 2014)

Last week was my birthday, I was spending a weekend down in Newbury with my girlfriend. A few days prior to that I was browsing various Urbex websites to kill some free time one evening. By chance I stumbled upon a report of Crookham school manor, not initially realising where it was located. When I saw how close it was to where we were staying it was the obvious Saturday afternoon activity. Especially as my GF has never been on an urban explore and seemed really keen to go.

This is place that has already been explored and reporting a fair few times before, so this is nothing new to a lot of you.
However it has (so far) been the best and most interesting place I have visited. 
Not exactly how everyone spends their birthday, but I certainly enjoyed it 

The history of Crookham school Manor (Or Crookham Court School) is rather notorious. The private school became part of a nation scandal in the late 80s when it was found that one of the teachers was molesting the students. In the end three members of staff where convicted and the school was closed down. 
However the terrible things that happened here don't take away from how great this place is. The building is stunning and the small buildings surrounding the main manor are completely open and are a photographers wet dream. Places like this make me want go and buy lots of new camera lenses. 
I'll have to make do with my kit lens till I can afford a nice Fuji prime lens next year 

Despite all the reports I'd read of people that had succeeded to gain access, we couldn't get into the main manor house. The whole bottom floor was completely sealed up. Some of the top floor windows where open, but as neither me or GF had any climbing gear or Spiderman like abilities, so we had to admit defeat.
It was still a fantastic explore. 

There appeared to be some kinds of hut/cottage just behind the front gate, so we went through the woods and emerged round the side of the building to avoid it.













A fake CCTV camera?






The garage door had been ripped open.
















The top windows is open, but way too high to get to.
So we went for a look round the buildings surrounding the manor. 
















The old gym
















The best part for me was the old science room. 
It was in a bit of a mess, but some of the desks still had old exam papers on. 





















There was an old music room upstairs


----------



## urban-dorset (Dec 21, 2014)

Nice pics - thank you. 

Not seen the security camera before - whereabouts was it? I can't really tell from your photos. Hard to see how they'd get electricity to it (unless it's battery operated?? I don't know about such things). Then again, the place is about to be redeveloped so I expect they are trying to take more care of it now. 

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2014/plans-to-restore-crookham-house-approved

It does looks pretty sealed up, especially with that new door grey round the side.


----------



## HughieD (Dec 21, 2014)

Looks like you had some fantastic light there. Great set there.


----------



## Gromr (Dec 22, 2014)

Thanks! I used a video light with an orange filter for the darker rooms. First time using one and I'm really happy with the outcome.


----------



## DirtyJigsaw (Dec 22, 2014)

Shame you couldn't get into the main building, but some great photos none the less. Nice one


----------



## krela (Dec 22, 2014)

Lovely photos, thanks for posting and welcome to the forum!


----------



## flyboys90 (Dec 22, 2014)

I do like these, and thanks for sharing.


----------



## Gromr (Dec 22, 2014)

urban-dorset said:


> Nice pics - thank you.
> 
> Not seen the security camera before - whereabouts was it? I can't really tell from your photos. Hard to see how they'd get electricity to it (unless it's battery operated?? I don't know about such things). Then again, the place is about to be redeveloped so I expect they are trying to take more care of it now.
> 
> ...



The security camera was right out the front of the house, above a door. It has been pointed upwards the sky, so fake or not it is no use at all.


----------



## cunningplan (Dec 22, 2014)

some nice shots you've had from there, good idea with the light  same as us could not get in and looking at your photos the place is more trashed than it was, the scales look like they are missing from the lab and the piano smashed up


----------



## urban-dorset (Dec 22, 2014)

I think the camera was there before, although I'm not sure about the white cable next to it. Anyway, as you say, it's pretty useless now!


----------



## brickworx (Dec 22, 2014)

Nice work here - need to visit this place.....thanks for sharing


----------



## trainman (Dec 23, 2014)

the white cable was there when I visited here , and there were some cameras on the walls , but theres no power to them , so fake. there are cameras on the gate where the gate house is, not sure if they work but there are people living there so the may do!


----------



## Snips86x (Dec 24, 2014)

Great to see another report on this place! I went here on Monday and spent about 4-5 hours wandering the outside and the inside. I must say, through all their attempts to stop people entering into the building, they missed one of the most obvious 

I'd say the CCTV is fake as we spent a considerable amount of time within the grounds and met some other photographers, 2 college girls taking shots for their photography project, and we were never approached or caught.

Thanks for sharing, will also try and get my report up in a few days


----------



## ExplorerAnt (Dec 25, 2014)

Merry Christmas Peeps...

I've been in this place and believe it or not it still have electricity follow into the building as me n a friend found the electric meter. :/ We also went into a room in the main building that had an alarm, we opened the door and the alarm went off. Although we was startled at first we continued with the explore and no one came to sort the alarm out. It was still going when we left about an hour or so later.


----------

