# Doel Abandoned Village, BE May '12



## mookster (May 22, 2012)

This is it, the final chapter in mine and Flub's epic Belgium roadtrip. As soon as I mentioned to him there was an entire abandoned village up near Antwerp he was like 'WE'RE GOING'. And lo, we did. 

It's a weird feeling, you drive up north past Antwerp and suddenly the motorway empties and the land becomes wide and barren, we were the only car on the road for a good 10 miles until we were joined by a coach. Paying 6 Euros at the toll booth to get access to the industrial docklands and we were 'in', the land full of container storage plants, enormous dock cranes, fuel storage depots and no sign of this little village anywhere. Until the roads became twistier, we saw a patch of green and a turn-off with an electrical building on the corner, and a sign 'Doel'. With a Nuclear power station built not much more than a mile from little village the plant's owners wanted the resident out - now only a couple of houses are lived in and the only amenities open are the bar and church. We parked the car in the village and it turned out as it was such a nice day a fair few others had had the same idea, and there was also a coach party of old people going to a service in the church. We both loved it here, it's such an odd place and a great chilled way to end the trip.

Securities obviously go round and board stuff up pretty regularly however we still found a few things open including the community hall/theatre.




































































































































It was so hard to cut down 130 photos into a report, there is so much amazing graffiti there I couldn't fit in so they're all viewable here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/sets/72157629821509042/

Thanks for bearing with me through all my Belgium posts, normal service is resumed now.


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## John_D (May 22, 2012)

Great report. Some seriously talented Graph artists been working there, particularly liked the large dead animals/birds, truly making a social statement about the nearby nuclear plant.


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## strider8173 (May 22, 2012)

it looks like a film set, like it isnt real. amazing.
great work.


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## John_D (May 22, 2012)

Interestingly you can take a virtual tour of Doel on Google Earth Street View. The images are from 2009 and there is a lot less abandonment and graph, but many of the ones you have documented are there and surprisingly haven't been defaced over the last three years. The other thing I found interesting is that the nuclear power plant, that I assumed caused the abandonment, was actually started to be built in 1969 and has been in operation since 1975 and Belgium's current policy on Nuclear Power is to phase it out totally by 2015, so it should be closed down in a few years.


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## TeeJF (May 22, 2012)

Amazing!!!


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## megaangelic (May 22, 2012)

Wow... Beligum isn't far... I went there accidentally once (paris is right, not left!).. Maybe it's worth a visit :-D


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## megaangelic (May 22, 2012)

John_D said:


> Interestingly you can take a virtual tour of Doel on Google Earth Street View. The images are from 2009 and there is a lot less abandonment and graph, but many of the ones you have documented are there and surprisingly haven't been defaced over the last three years. The other thing I found interesting is that the nuclear power plant, that I assumed caused the abandonment, was actually started to be built in 1969 and has been in operation since 1975 and Belgium's current policy on Nuclear Power is to phase it out totally by 2015, so it should be closed down in a few years.




According to the good old Wikipedia, the town was abandoned and 'due for demolition' as there are plans to enlarge Antwerp Harbour.


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## PaulPowers (May 22, 2012)

Some of that graff is amazing


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## oldscrote (May 22, 2012)

Amazing place, I especially like the lovestruck gorilla, cheers for that mookster.


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## TeeJF (May 22, 2012)

megaangelic said:


> Wow... Beligum isn't far... Maybe it's worth a visit :-D



Oh you have simply no idea...  Belgium and Berlin have to be the urbexer's paradise mate!


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## djrich (May 22, 2012)

Great pics, thanks, nice report.


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## flyboys90 (May 22, 2012)

That is so sad a community gone! a modern day Keilder village,having said that the graph is bloody good and I suppose if the the village hadn,t been cleared we would never have seen it,great photos thanks for showing.


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## Derelict-UK (May 22, 2012)

Nice pics Mookster, If you ever go back (or anyone else goes), don't go when they have the tall ship race in the river beyond, not exactly abandoned lol...


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## jongriff (May 22, 2012)

Great report, love the grafeti, especially the dead rabbit, well done.


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## Silent Hill (May 22, 2012)

That's some real crazy shit. The graff is awesome too.


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## skeleton key (May 22, 2012)

Realy love this place Mooks and uve covered it so well 
Big thumbs up mate 
Was good to meet you a few weeks back at last shame about the circumstances :sad:

Great stuff cheers fella


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## UEP-Wales (May 22, 2012)

This place looks amazing and your photographs are just stunning 

Thanks for posting these!


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## chizyramone (May 28, 2012)

Nice one mooks. You've captured some amazing art work there


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## nelly (May 28, 2012)

Nice stuff Mooks


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## the kwan (May 28, 2012)

Very very nice...serious graff too


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## inceptionwave (Jun 5, 2012)

Awesome looking place! Love the rat and the dead rabbit! Looks like paradise!


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