# The Care Home, North Yorks, Sept 2011



## TK421 (Sep 11, 2011)

Hello everyone,

After a partial failure at another site this morning I popped over to Tadcaster to see the disused viaduct, I stumbled upon a series of really interesting buildings which turned out to be an abandoned care home and old lodge.

First things first, there are no internal shots on this explore, all buildings were well secured, but to be honest I am pleased because it gives them at least a fighting chance of surviving.

My research tells me that they were part of a former childrens orphange run originally by Barnados. An orphanage had existed on the site for around 100 years, and in 1992 it was demolished and a new building was constructed, however the old lodge and gate houses were untouched. Anyway, on with the photos:

First clues that something grand was lurking, iron railings to protect trees, but now the iron and tree have become one:






Barbed wire bokeh - welcome to the old lodge:





Behold, some shored up goodness:





Leaves in the sunlight:





I would love to see what the stained glass window looks like from the inside, this is some serious protection against the charvers:










Gatehouse:










The more modern care home:





Original gate to the old lodge:





Sorry there are no internals, but apart from breaking our moral code of no B&E there was no way in. I understand that in April this year a developer and also a care home business applied to the town council for reopening the buildings as a care home for the elderley, hopefully this will go through and the old lodge epsecially will see new life breathed into it.

cheers


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## urban phantom (Sep 11, 2011)

Ooh looks good great job thanks for sharing


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## lufc1982 (Sep 11, 2011)

I grew up on the next street from there. There was permanent security there even after it closed so never even went in the grounds of the Barnardos. Got chased of from the Old Peoples home for just having a walk through the grounds.


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## TK421 (Sep 12, 2011)

Thanks for the comments guys. Interesting to hear your experiences as a youth LUFC, was the old lodge building part of the care home then? Do you know anything about its original owners? Often when a building falls into council hanbds it previous history tends to get overshadowed, it would be interesting to hear if you know anything more about it.

cheers

Ian


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## Em_Ux (Sep 12, 2011)

Some lovely shots you have taken.

Thanks for posting


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## Foxylady (Sep 12, 2011)

Lovely find, Ian.  Some nice architecture there...even the modern buildings look quite pleasant. Though I must admit that my fave pics are of the old gate and the tree-embedded iron rail...quirky!


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## robbie1003 (Sep 12, 2011)

good report. iv seen this place myself while out on motorbike, wasnt realy dressed for exploreing so didnt get mutch of a look. nice to see.


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## lufc1982 (Sep 13, 2011)

The Buildings near the main road were all Barnardos which if I remember rightly was arson attacked in some part? Never saw the damage though. The big old care home was an old people's home but that has been empty for at a guess for 20 years. 

The Barnardos closed in about 2001 or 2002 mainly because of locals petitioning to get it closed. The kids who lived there were not always the most law abiding but I thought at the time it probably had more to do with the expensive new builds next door not wanting it on their doorstep.

The viaduct was all the local kids favourite place to smoke weed/ drink because it was out of the way of the local police. Just up-stream from the viaduct is the remains of an older bridge that must have fallen into the river at some point. The railway went near the care home because theres still bits of track and other bits in the woods around there


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## Pincheck (Sep 13, 2011)

hopefully the place does get reused quickly nice shots mate


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## smiler (Sep 20, 2011)

“I would love to see what the stained glass window looks like from the inside”
I suppose you might call that a shuttered dream for now:no:, nice report and pics, Thanks


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## dobbo79 (Nov 12, 2011)

Great pics mate...lovely architecture....apart from the big black boarding this place looks like it could re-open tomorrow..


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## Sshhhh... (Nov 12, 2011)

What a beautiful building, we can only guess what its like inside Thanks for sharing


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## Spirit Butterfly (Nov 16, 2011)

5th pic down looks like someone stood in the room (right of door) looking down.

Good pics there  shame there is no internal, but the outside ones look good enough


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## TK421 (Nov 16, 2011)

Cheers you two!


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## evilnoodle (Nov 17, 2011)

That really is a lovely building.....and that first pic is ace


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## alex76 (Nov 18, 2011)

Liking your images tk... yeap going by the look of the place defo needs to kept locked and perserved


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## Negative Plane (Dec 28, 2011)

This place I believe is called Fircroft, built around 1890, and is allegedly owned by Humphrey Smith. As long as it is under his ownership i would imagine it will just be left boarded up for years to come. Massive shame really, like most of the buildings he owns they just get left to rot


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## TK421 (Dec 29, 2011)

Thanks for the additional information NP, trawling through the internet I found the following:

@Sam Smiths also own Fircroft in Tadcaster. It is another Grade 2 listed building (built 1890's) that they bought & it has remained empty & boarded up for at least 10 years. The SS gardeners go & cut the grass & keep the gardens tidy. It used to be an old peoples home before SS bought it. Nice stained glass window & lovely grounds would make a fantastic luxury hotel or nice HQ office.

So it would seem you are correct, thanks for adding to the background of this interesting building.


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