# Empty village? Big pics warning.



## rikj

Well OK, it might not be a derelict village but I'm not really sure what it is. There's such a mix of buildings of different ages that it's hard to know what to make of it. Originally it must have been a large industrial site, complete with workers' and managers' houses. The older stone builings are quite large and arranged in a big quadrangle. Of the same vintage is a small church or chapel, so maybe hamlet would be a better description than village.

Oddly, there are a lot of much newer residential buildings surrounding the older core. It makes the whole place seem like a film set. You see houses of this age (1970's?) occasionally empty, but to see everything boarded up is very strange. It has a very Portmeirion feel if you know the place. Just like everybody upped and walked out one day.

Here goes, this is the entrance, it seems to be just at the point that active maintenance has stopped.







Below is a pic of what may have been workers' houses, not sure.






Next is what looks like a grander house, maybe factory manager or offices. This forms one side of the quadrangle or courtyard which is inside.






Another side of the inner square leads down to the church.






And the church:






It becomes a little surreal with these streets of newer houses:






There are several more of these, which I just find odd, that they are all abandoned.






Anyhow, just a reconnaissance to see what this place was like and it certainly lived up to expectations.


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## Reaperman

Looks bizzare, The boarding all looks quite recent? possibly not been closed long?

It may be possible to find out its former use by searching local records offices or the net for old maps of the area. Possibly the local town planners may also be worth a look to check for any preposed change of use / demoliton.


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## krela

Spooky!

There's an area in bristol full of old boarded up 1960s council houses that they're tearing down soon to make way for barratt boxes, it has a similar spooky feel.

I wonder what they're doing there though, do let us know if you find out.


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## robsey

I love the look of that church, did you get inside?


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## rikj

No, didn't try to get in, the church is the only building that is obviously alarmed. That broken window seems to be about the only one in the whole place.

It was quite spooky enough just wandering around the outside! Very strange (and enjoyable) to spend an hour or more there by myself.

The older stone buildings all surround a courtyard which would be great to get into.


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## sam

that's really odd. other than the boarding it looks tidy and just a bit peopleless. it does have annoying upstairs boarding though, apart from the church, which makes the whole place black inside. but seems they boarded half of it lately, and half of it a while back?

let us know what you find out anyway. tis interesting.

sam


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## communist daughter

oooh damn look at you not posting locations...thats just mean that is. 

Looks fabulous though rick, well found! Looks like somewhere deserted due to some outbreak of disease or something, maybe youve got anthrax all over you now


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## Crisp Monster

The MOD tend to think in a very black & white way, and sometimes abandons places like this on a grand scale, ie there one minute and gone the next. The newer buildings certainly look like army married quarters, and the older ones could potentially be victorian era military. Is this in an area associated with the military, and does there seem to be an excess of signage, road markings, and other prescriptive stuff like sleeping policemen?


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## rikj

commie dottir, you make me feel so mean. Oh well.

Just to be even meaner, you pretty much go past this place twice a day on the bus!

I always give up the locations eventually, I just think that this exploration game needs a bit of mystery putting back into sometimes! It's easy to think that every empty place has been found, visited, photographed, catologued etc, but it hasn't. There are places much better than this waiting to be found. It just takes a little more work than typing "derelict xxxxx" into google.

@Crisp Monster, yes it certainly has a services look to it, though as far as I know there's no military connection. All the roads have double yellow lines, but I managed to avoid getting a ticket


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## honestrabbit

amazing find! i cant wait until you give up the area name... seriously though, bet its fantastic to just walk around, might actually destroy the spookiness getting inside. its what is not seen that does it.


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## communist daughter

damn you! thats highly infuriating. Im too proud to grovel for snippets of information....


....

......

*grovels* 


im really stumped for ideas, im usually zonked on the bus to and from work but i know the otley road/old road like the back of my hand so its no where along there. I know that just up from pool along that roman road i saw some things similar but i didnt think there were many forces things around this specific area....hmm. 

also i usually put mountains of research into finding places...like royal gardens station! theres nothing even in the library about that.


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## smileysal

Hiya,

Years ago there was a village near Chesterfield, Derbyshire called Arkwright Town, and the whole village had to be rebuilt over the other side of the road. think all the village was contaminated with methane, or summat like that. i know it was contaminated with something. So the new town was built and all the terrace house of the old village were all knocked down n flattened. if you looked at the place now you'd never know a village had been there.

Is there a pit (colliery) near there, or factory that has been contaminated?

just an idea.

 Sal


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## uksavant

This place looks fantastic thanks for posting it!! the only this is...where the hell is it?? im from Manchester way so not sure of the area. My searches arent coming up with anything either grrrrrr.
could you give us a few clues as to the whereabouts? Im thinking of goin early next week so i need to find it. any hints would be verrrrrrrry helpful.


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## Disco Kitten

Its been over a month now since you posted these pictures - can you tell us the location now please? Or even just the vague area.


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## Bishop

This location looks in good order with no vandalism. Might
be an idea to keep its exact loaction to PM's?

b


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## sheep2405

Yeah that is true, be there but not be seen, and I think if people start finding this place we will loose it, and it look amazing to take some pictures of the area.

S


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## Disco Kitten

Thats fair enough  would anyone like to enlighten me via PM please? Ta


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## Macguyver

Please tell everyone who is itching to do it. 

You must know they are gunuine by now. After all people are still interested over one month in. 

No pressue no hassle from anyone just interested parties who would like a glimse of this unseen lo-cal.


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## Pennywise

It looks good  

D.


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## Pennywise

http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l150/davehalliwell_ww/UE/Village/

Some photos of the village I visited...

Some of my favourites below...





















D.


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## smileysal

hiya, 

please (pretty please!) can you give us a clue on the whereabouts in the country this village is? desparate to know now. would love to have a look around here. pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeee!!!


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## rikj

Sal, anyone coming up Yorkshire way and asking for the location by pm has been given it. If anyone wants to put the location up it's fine by me, it's not something I own or have control over in any way shape or form.

Cheers

P.S. I don't know if it's worth making a long trip for, ask Don.


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## ben

hi they are great photos like the look of it any chance of getting the location


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## morphine

Please please please could i get the location of this


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## Pennywise

You both have PM.


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## King Al

nice very nice, any chance of a PM as to the location i think i might actualy die if i miss a chance at a place like this .


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## Pennywise

Last I knew there was no security as such, plenty nosey people though. There are actually some lived in houses on the far end of the site, near the prison bit. Also, don't know if alarms are alive or not. Be sure to check the mini golf course at the start .

PM Sent.


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## rikj

I heard only last week from communist daughter that there has been some arson here. Shame as it might mean the beginning of the end. If the fences start to go up then it'll lose its Marie Celeste feel (well, you have to pretend a bit!)


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## staffordshireranger

thats plase really is a village...wont be long before we see the barratt flags outside lol opps i live in a barratt house


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## King Al

Does any one know the story behind this place? I mean an abandoned village is pretty extreme! I was thinking zombies in a dawn of the dead style incident:icon_evil or maybe a nuclear accident coupled with a government cover up.

any idears?


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## King Al

O and err is there a pub?


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## Foxylady

King Al;11358; said:


> O and err is there a pub?



Good to see you've got your priorities right, KA. 
Not that I'd ever enter such an establishment, mind!   
Cheers
Foxy


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## King Al

Well you know, after a hard days exploring…

I am going to have a look next weekend, it turns out after a bit of Google earthing on the post code (thanks for that by the way Pennywise) that I have some family not to far from there so a weekend visit might allow the time to try a full infiltration of the buildings! That’s why I was wondering what happened there, I don’t fancy having my skin eaten by mutated rabbits etc. any way I will let ya all know what I find.


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## sassylad

King Al;11361; said:


> ... any way I will let ya all know what I find.



Sounds like it could be fun - is this ex-military, or is this just a dead village? Seems odd if it's the latter.

I'd be interested to know where it is, do a little digging.


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## Potter

This really is fantastic!

Bloody shame it's had some arson though. Bloody chavs.  

Yes, I like to go to the pub after an explore too.


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## smileysal

yep, you definitely have to go to the pub after, would be great if there was one in the village  with loads and loads of beer still there.  now that would be good. 

 Sal

Has anyone else been here yet?


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## Pennywise

sassylad;11493; said:


> Sounds like it could be fun - is this ex-military, or is this just a dead village? Seems odd if it's the latter.
> 
> I'd be interested to know where it is, do a little digging.



Ex living accomodation for "intelligents".


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## Kel

Hi,

Please could you pm me the location, we are in West Yorkshire & would love to have a look round here & take some photos.

My boyfriend & his mates are quite into this & are registered & quite regularly post on the 28dayslater forum

Thanks


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## Mel

Pennywise said:


> http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l150/davehalliwell_ww/UE/Village/
> 
> Some photos of the village I visited...
> 
> Some of my favourites below...
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> D.



the photobucket is private and the piccies arent working 

any1 foudn any of the history of this place? i like the spooky feel the pictures have.


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## Virusman26

This is only the first time I've posted on this thread, but I've been looking at the pics since before i joined up. It looks like a wicked place, but I doubt it's still left as it first was found. If it is, then all the more reason to get up there and shoot the place!!!!


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## Dirus_Strictus

I

Can somebody please pm me the location/postcode? The mention of "Otley Old Road" and "Pool" in an earlier post, makes me wonder if this place is on my doorstep - I live in Rawdon Leeds. I am more interested in finding out the history of this site, than actually visiting same.


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## DJhooker

Pennywise said:


> You both have PM.




Can I have a PM too?


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## GJPhotography

yep same here, im getting an inkling that this place is up north, whats the big secret on the location it would save a lot of pm's being sent out if it was just put on here, does anyone actually know where this place is?


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## smileysal

Has anyone been here yet? really interested to see any new pics, and maybe a location of it. Its been driving me mad for the past 12 months lol.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Foxylady

smileysal said:


> Has anyone been here yet? really interested to see any new pics, and maybe a location of it. Its been driving me mad for the past 12 months lol.



I know! It looks great, doesn't it! Be really interesting to see if anyone has visited since the original report.


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## Dirus_Strictus

My brain must be Adel-ed, should have recognised this - not an abandoned village as such. It is the old Reform School, Tile Lane, in whose grounds has been built the New Eastmoor Secure Unit for children. (The prison referred to in one of the posts above). Not been in that lane for thirty odd years.

The site was originally developed as the Leeds Reformatory School. I surmise it was built originally in the 1870s/1880s - nothing on the 1851 map, but clearly shown on the 1893 edition. - and was then added to/altered over the years. When the school was originally opened, it would have been very much like a small village - staff housing, laundry, workshop, etc., as well as the dormitories and class rooms. It was a mixed school, in the Victorian sense of the word, and the regime would have been very harsh. As in the asylums of that era, the inmates were expected to clean the institution and do other work.


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## DPW2008

How strange - they look like very liveable premises but they're not being lived in. Makes you wonder about the shortage of houses we keep hearing about.


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## DarkTransparent

Me and my gf went there today, it's student housing for Leeds University. (found some sheets for the rooms). Sorry to kinda spoil the excitement there, I thought you might want to know about it. We got into 2 of the apartment blocks, they are practically empty. Although we haven't infiltrated the prison style building yet it's one for the list for sure. It's probably much more interesting than the apartments. 

However we had a look inside through a loose panel, it looks to have been abandoned for a lot longer than the houses. 

Anyway I shall be posting a full report in the next few days I'll give more info and some pictures for you all then.


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## Dirus_Strictus

No it is not student accommodation, do your research properly. When the old reform school closed down, the University of Leeds tried to use the 1960s buildings - most of these were built as staff houses - as a student residence. The university soon abandoned the idea, the students did not like the remote location and lack of facilities. The site is owned by Barratt Homes who have applied for planning to build 71 houses on the site. Only the Chapel is listed, but this is now showing severe structural failure and its survival must be questionable. All the rest of the buildings are coming down - The 1960s buildings exhibit the typical wood rot of that era and the Victorian buildings are now so vandalised to be beyond economic conversion. In fact Leeds City Council offered to do the demolition on completion of the sale to Barratts, who refused to pay the estimated £200,000 costs!

The occupied house at the back of the site is owned by former members of the reform school staff. My wife and I met them whilst we were all walking our dogs, and got talking about the history of the place. They have worked and lived there for over thirty years, purchasing their house when the school closed. In the 1970s there were 100 boys at the school. the dormitories being the upper floors of the large stone building. The ground floor contained class rooms and dinning rooms etc. The old headmaster's house was so badly damaged by fire that it had to be demolished some time ago. A roofless, fire damaged 1960s building still stands.

The sight of the original reform school, that housed 100 boys, without high boundary walls/fences, makes a telling comparison with the new Secure Unit alongside. This unit surrounded by a high anti-climb fence, double locked gates and full cctv coverage, houses just 34 young offenders. A clear sign of the lessening standards in society today.

A word of warning. The occupiers have got so fed up with the nightly vandalism, that they now phone the security company every time they see or hear people in the abandoned buildings ( their dog has very good hearing). Security always attend accompanied by the Police. Whilst we were taking this afternoon, there were three persons banging about inside the Victorian building. Security had been informed, I was told, and sure enough they arrived with two police cars in attendance.


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## DarkTransparent

We found welcome letters and rules of living in the building scattered around Theaker House and posters of music events and adds for student events that points to it last being used as student accommodation.


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## strange

i think the people who have lived there for *30 years* should no what it was used for! clearly the leaflets have just been dumped there. theres noway that a place like this would be student accomadation as theres no shops or pubs near by. i should no i was a student.

strange


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## Dirus_Strictus

Like the old Baptist College in Cragg Wood - used by Trinity College, and the 1960s buildings on the Reform School site - used by Leeds University. These places are well off the beaten track and students were not happy or settled there. University students did occupy the reform school site for a very short period. That it was not kept as overflow accommodation, is evidence enough as to its unsuitability, for this purpose.


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## smileysal

Cheers for the info DS, and the history of the site. Been searching google earth for months trying to work out where it is, and now eventually have found it lol.

I always think its great when there are people who used to work in these places, and now still live there to be able to talk to and find out the history of them. 

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Olveres

So I take it that there's no issue with wandering around the place providing you don't start breaking and entering?


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## Dirus_Strictus

No, it's the idiots that start fooling around and making a disturbance that upsets the owner's of the occupied house. A quiet nosey round the site should not cause problems. People banging about inside the buildings are obviously up to no good and just bring attention upon themselves.


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## medion

plz could i have a postcode or area of this place me and my friend have looking all other for it so far we have manged to find the old bunker in adel woods which is alrmed and also a steal door plz could u pm me with location plz


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## krela

medion said:


> plz could i have a postcode or area of this place me and my friend have looking all other for it so far we have manged to find the old bunker in adel woods which is alrmed and also a steal door plz could u pm me with location plz



No you can't.


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## Dirus_Strictus

medion said:


> plz could i have a postcode or area of this place me and my friend have looking all other for it so far we have manged to find the old bunker in adel woods which is alrmed and also a steal door plz could u pm me with location plz



My post of 11th March gives you all the clues you need to find same - read it carefully!!


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## boxerheaven

went for a look the other day thanks to dirus strictus cryptic clues was quiet as we walked round but could here shouting from within here are a couple of photos from my look.

[lb='http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/imagehosting/406647e94e6045344.jpg']




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[lb='http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/imagehosting/406647e94e60c4286.jpg']



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