# The Monks Retreat - Image Heavy - November 2015



## mockingbird (Nov 11, 2015)

I have spent the better part of the last couple of weeks looking up this place, not where it was (as I knew) being a Kent lad, but the history surrounding the place. I live about 20minutes from here and often heard the odd story or two from friends when I was a child about how "haunted" this place was as a child, I guess my love for things horror and alike made scary buildings manifest themselves into this hobby I enjoy today.

So a friend of mine wanted to check this place out its local and they wanted to go with someone who has knowledge about abandon buildings, so dragging the other half along, loading the car up and driving we soon was parked as close as we could to it, at this point I wasnt bothered about photographing the place, I was more interested if the stories and history lived up to the expectation as a child, then I got the camera out 

Im unsure if it was the beautiful decaying corridors, the foliage clinging to the 3 separate buildings, or the fact I wanted to document just for the sake of it, but because of the stories here I was loving this place more an more, an documenting is what I did as a few days later I went back infact we all went back, no matter how many times I walked down the corridors each one gave a different vibe, each time I went here I loved it more an more, yet did not understand why.

The history and stories surrounding this place are either bizarre, abit dark or just possibly mad town folk, but each one no matter how many times I heard it or read it stayed in my mind, especially as I walked around each room, even the basement has a certain vibe to it. So some intensive research was needed was the stories real? is any history to this place believable, speaking to a few local towns folk youd think most of it was legit, but here is what I am putting together, based on facts and so many peoples word of mouth as im sure 11 people cannot all make up a story and know things which seem related, either way the history to this place is a tad dark so if I have used minimal writing its to not share names of those alive or deceased in respect.

_The purpose of the retreat was to offer facilities an residential living an training, also most monks would come here to "cure" the sins of the past or present, a priest who was here, through pressure of the church turned to satanity, an progressed to sacrificing people/priests in the building, towns folk speak of the basement as a place of apparent torture and alike down there. The retreat is known for its surrounding mysteries and crazy activity at night, the towns folk infact talk of the place like news. It was used up until 2004/5 a blaze tore apart most of the buildings one night, some people in the town remember the fire an said "it startled my daughter, she screamed an we heard people shouting, then for some reason most houses where left with no power until early hours"._ 

As of today it sits in the woods, vandals have smashed everything they could, so its a mere shell of the building before the fire which many believed to be arson, the 3 coats of paint are visible upon many walls, even some rooms have gone back to bare brick, poor graffiti is scribbled around the building aswel as devil symbols :evil: .

Im still unsure what has dragged me back to this place, as I dont really go back to places I have photographed or do I really find many buildings fascinating like I have this place, maybe it just has something I like, the mystery perhaps, its peaceful setting is really relaxing, even if you do or dont believe most of history or word of mouth, dog walkers keep a clear distance from the place like they may catch something, over 200 odd photos later and some weird history thrown in, here is the monks retreat.

Think this maybe its the first time its on the forum aswel. Sorry this has been long winded.

The First Building

Its heavily decayed some stairs and rooms, two corridors which look similar not much from a photography standpoint but also rather dark.


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The Central Building

Its missing its roof due to the fire.. a few rooms and a bathtub, some heavy decay inside, but other than that the wooden remains wobble in wind and fall down occasionally, you can access the basement from this building, but its wet and now home to frogs sadly no photographs from down there...


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The remaining building

This part was my favourite of the site, its corridors, really decaying rooms, found some old pieces of paper, books and bibles inside here, it is also missing half the back wall once up the top.


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If you stayed with this till the end, thanks for reading an looking, I know it was all long winded and very tiresome unless you like heavily decayed buildings and peeling paint porn, anyway thanks for looking as always  more coming soon!


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## smiler (Nov 11, 2015)

Well researched MB, Most Enjoyable, Thanks


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## Highbury (Nov 11, 2015)

WOW! Amazing photographs, i loved this place and i really loved the detail you did... as much as this place was just full of decayed walls you still made it look interesting and good! Be proud of what you achieve, you will get noticed more and more because your work is brilliant! Thank you for sharing  x


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## tumble112 (Nov 11, 2015)

Your corridor shots are stunning. You can really see the way nature is taking these buildings back.


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## TheNarrator (Nov 11, 2015)

Great photos there, and a nice write up


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## flyboys90 (Nov 12, 2015)

Stunning images.


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## theartist (Nov 12, 2015)

bit of a mess there.


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## Bones out (Nov 12, 2015)

Good report that. Access a tricky one?


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## UrbanX (Nov 13, 2015)

Despite the level of decay, I'm loving this one! 
Awesome shots as always! 
Thanks for sharing


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## mockingbird (Nov 16, 2015)

Sludden said:


> Your corridor shots are stunning. You can really see the way nature is taking these buildings back.



Thank you sir  I wish I took a picture of the basement now, but forgot the wellies it was like a massive pond down there, frogs and whatever else was swimming about, think local kids dumping fish in it to be honest, few nets there aswel.


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## mockingbird (Nov 16, 2015)

Bones out said:


> Good report that. Access a tricky one?



Cheers Bones out  access always tricky with peoples tripods everywhere waving them around like swords


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## mockingbird (Nov 16, 2015)

UrbanX said:


> Despite the level of decay, I'm loving this one!
> Awesome shots as always!
> Thanks for sharing



I dont think I have seen a place worse than this mate on the decaying front that was until earlier this week 
Cheers dude!


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## sc0ttie (Dec 15, 2015)

Great set, might have a Christmas visit there myself soon.


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## urban-dorset (Dec 17, 2015)

Interesting, especially the history, thanks for showing us around.


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## Infraredd (Dec 17, 2015)

Jesuits aka the Army of God created specifically by Rome to eradicate the blasphemy that was Henry VIII's Anglican Church. These are the ones who did exorcism & studied & worked into the occult so when they went of the rails it was spectacular. Not surprised this place has residual emotive effects on you. Your shadow photography suits this shadow land perfectly.


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## Rubex (Dec 19, 2015)

Very nice photos


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## LadyPandora (Dec 21, 2015)

What a fascinating story.
Thank you for sharing


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