# Raven's Nightclub



## UrbeX (Sep 4, 2010)

I'd like to apologise in advance for the photo quality. I was using my handheld video camera. ^^;

An abandoned nightclub on the motorway, I've known of this place since I was young. It used to be approachable, but now with all the development work going in, the place has been fenced off with a few gates fences and wires with "BEWARE, ELECTRIC" signs.

I seem to have terrible luck with hitting up locations before they get messed around with, don't I?


Well, I can't find any internet information on this place at all, but according to local rumour it was a popular motorway nightclub (with a Little Chef restaurant/B&B les than a hundred metres away), but was gutted by a fire.
Now, I'm not totally sure how and when the fire started, but rumour has it that there was an argument over illegal drug dealing there which prompted arson. However, this might not be true, since I can't find any concrete evidence.

On with the photos:


View of the nightclub from the parked car - this road/pavement is all newly built, originally the club was just on a stretch on concrete at the side of the road. The fencing is also all new.





A closer shot - the side of the building and a back structure is visible. As you can see, the whole roof of the smaller building has collapsed inwards.





A view of the back building. I'm assuming this may have been some sort of storage room, or even a box for a security guard at night. Any ideas?





What's left of the sign. This wall used to be complete, then got tagged by graffiti artists (seriously, who carries spray cans on the motorway?), and then appears to have collapsed beneath its own weight. 





One of the upper-floor windows. As is visible from the inside, the upper floor has completely caved in on itself now, and the windows have long lost their glass. I'm assuming upstairs was used for accommodation as opposed to leisure, since it doesn't seem particularly glamorous.
Also note how most of the tiles are missing from the roof now, from decades of neglect and harsh weather.





A closer look at the window, showing how it's structured inside. Frankly, I'm amazed that the wooden structures are still more or less intact while brick parts of the building have simply collapsed.





A glance inside from leaning over the so-called electric fence (yeah, right. Leave an unguarded electric wire on a motorway siding and see how well that goes). This was through the side doorway. Obviously, some idiot braved the unnervingly unstable structure to leave their tag inside.





Looking down the "path" up to the club. 





The absent roof. This part of the club, for whatever reason, is very much worse for wear. Why this is in pieces while the other end is still standing baffles me. Maybe this end was built at a different date.
The metal light up on the left-hand corner of the building didn't have a bulb in it from what I could see.





Would you believe me if I told you that this was the side entrance? I think there might be a doormat up there somewhere...
However you look at it, it's obvious that this entrance had an overhang which collapsed in on itself.





What remains of the overhang of the side entrance.





My attempt (and fail) at some artistic photography.
This was the latch (I think? Curtain hook?) on one of the (completely smashed) windows.





One of the upper-floor windows in the end building. You can see the remains of the roof through the missing sections of glass.





A ground-floor window.





Another ground-floor window, this was a different style from the others. This makes me think that the building may have been divided into private and leisure areas, since the left end seems much simpler and smaller than the right. This could be storage, staff quarters or some other use.





A structure on the upper levels. I think this might have been a light at one point.





This I'm pretty sure hung a sign for the nightclub, complete with illuminating light, but which has since long been stolen or rotted away.





The original front entrance.
I honestly don't see the point of this being borded up if the windows were left unboarded. I'm assuming this was patched up before the place fell to rack and ruin. It's quite a fancy entrance for a roadside nightclub, isn't it?







Thank you! Please enjoy this thread.


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## Foxylady (Sep 5, 2010)

The twiddly bit on the window looks like an old-fashioned catch (we had some like that at the family home when I was young).
Interesting tour and pics, UrbeX. Cheers.


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