# The Hall of Graffiti, Bradfield, Yorkshire. IMAGE INTENSIVE!



## TeeJF (Sep 29, 2011)

Seconds out, round 2! 

I posted a report on this site earlier but it is langusihing now in data hell somewhere. So here's something approximating to the original!

Having headed over to Derby to do the Ashton Hall Asylum (report to follow) Tonto and I came back via Sheffield to look at the Hall of Grafitti in the former Yorkshire Water pumping station at Lower Bradfield.

*A 'lil bit about the site...*

In the tiny picture-postcard village of Lower Bradfield just outside Sheffield, an abandoned water works sits at the side of the road, overgrown and completely surrounded by unsightly Heras fencing. The water works was built in 1913 to filter and treat water taken from the Dale Dike, Strines and Agden reservoirs in the nearby Loxley Valley. In addition to treating the water, supply pressure was raised here with huge pumps before sending it on into Sheffield. The water works was cutting edge in it's time and it even had the first telephone to be installed in Bradfield back in 1930.

Clean, safe and seemingly limitless mains water running readily under pressure from a tap 24/7, is actually a relatively recent innovation in Great Britain - it was only in 1880 that Sheffield City Council assumed responsibility for the supply of water to the city whereas previously the public had relied on local wells, stream etc. - the provision of water was the individual's own responsibility until late in the Victorian era.

In the next big change in 1974 Yorkshire Water Authority took over supply from the city authority and then finally during the Thatcher government some years later, the entire UK water industry was privatised with the Water Act of 1989, and Sheffield began to be supplied by the newly created Yorkshire Water plc. In their hands modernisation of the system began and the pumping house at Lower Bradfield was abandoned in 1994 when a new pump house and processing plant was built elsewhere. Since that time the building has remained an eyesore in an otherwise beautiful village.

The entire site appears never to have been much more than walls and a roof, and in much of the machinery area there are not even concrete floors, just a bed of coarse sand. A separate room is situated towards the front of the building where huge, blue painted, open topped, inspection tanks give the appearance of a primitive bath house. Here, workers checked the water quality and then added chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride.

The biggest open area within the building has a huge expanse of undecorated wall and inevitably that has attracted the attention of graffiti artists over the years. I am not normally a lover of the artistic efforts of your average chav - there is a limit to how many times I wish to see crude, testosterone fuelled, phallic representations crudely daubed by acne riddled wide boys; or witty and erudite one liners such as, "Daz sucks c*ck" etc. etc. etc...*yawn! This building however has attracted a totally different kind of artist, most of whom actually have at the very least a smattering of real talent and many of the paintings are actually quite remarkable works of art.

It's a shame then that the combination of damp and sunlight are causing massive and rapid deterioration, bringing much of the plaster "canvas" off the walls - indeed, the beautiful girl's face painted in the corridor at the side of the main pumping hall has already lost a third of one side including an eye. 

*And the piccies...*


* First of all, if you click on the link below you will get an interactive panorama whch you can pan and tilt to your hearts content!* 

http://360.io/SNqYRU



*The first hall you enter as you come into the building is pretty lame and gives no hint of what awaits you...*









*Lots of lovely light from abundant sky lights make the place very bright inside...*








*The water treatment hall is one of the few large areas with a proper floor....*








*These big tanks were for the operatatives to check water purity and to add chemicals...*








*Lovely light and shade...*








*Lots of crinkly paint work but sadly the plaster is coming off everywhere...*








*Holy! *








*Psychedelic spaghetti...*







*...inside the Hall of Graffiti...*









































































*...and finally, may favourite...*







*Thanks for looking, hope you liked our pix! *​


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## krela (Sep 29, 2011)

Sorry about that. =/


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## TeeJF (Sep 29, 2011)

krela said:


> Sorry about that. =/



Sh*t happens bud, don't fret on it.


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## Bluedragon (Sep 29, 2011)

Wow thats absolutly amaizing art work and fab pics too mate! Well done!


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## urban phantom (Sep 29, 2011)

Great job mate looks a mad place


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## smiler (Sep 29, 2011)

What a breathtaking place, the creative skills and imagination of the folk who did the artwork have my respect, Thanks TJ, a bit special that one.


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## Priority 7 (Sep 29, 2011)

Read your original TeeJ and had me scrambling around google maps for the site. Love it for the graff but the place stripped as it is has a feel about it too. Nice job great photos.


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## night crawler (Sep 29, 2011)

Stunning work that.


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## Silent Hill (Sep 29, 2011)

Nice job mate. I had posted some graff shots from here in the site graff thread , but due to unforeseen issues as explained by krela, they disappeared.

Been here twice now, and some of the really good artwork has been daubed with crap tagging in places which is a real shame. It's still worth a visit though as the light in there is pure heaven to work with.

In fact, I was going to post my explore here but you beat me to it


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## TeeJF (Sep 30, 2011)

Spiral Architect said:


> but due to unforeseen issues as explained by krela, they disappeared.
> 
> Been here twice now, and some of the really good artwork has been daubed with crap tagging in places which is a real shame. It's still worth a visit though as the light in there is pure heaven to work with.
> 
> In fact, I was going to post my explore here but you beat me to it



Sorry I stole your thunder bud. As it happens I'd literally just posted my report when the problem struck so I lost my first attempt too. Sh*t happens with computers though so it's Krela I feel for for having to sort it all out.

And yeah, I can't figure why some people have to be such selfish saddos that they daub their bl**dy names across what are without doubt works of pure art. It's interesting though that the "green wall" is completely untouched, at least at the moment. I was saddened to see the girl's face is falling off the wall as I really like that graf, simple as it is. 

If you ever fancy hooking up for an explore give us a shout?

All the best...


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## Em_Ux (Sep 30, 2011)

This looks a great place!

Some fantastic art work too.

Great report....thanks for posting!


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## Silent Hill (Sep 30, 2011)

TeeJF said:


> Sorry I stole your thunder bud. As it happens I'd literally just posted my report when the problem struck so I lost my first attempt too. Sh*t happens with computers though so it's Krela I feel for for having to sort it all out.
> 
> And yeah, I can't figure why some people have to be such selfish saddos that they daub their bl**dy names across what are without doubt works of pure art. It's interesting though that the "green wall" is completely untouched, at least at the moment. I was saddened to see the girl's face is falling off the wall as I really like that graf, simple as it is.
> 
> ...




I will dig out some pics from here so you can compare a before and after scenario  You may be surprised buddy. It may be a while though as I'm sharing my partners laptop, mine has suddenly given up the ghost and popped It's clogs so to speak.

As you say, It's a crying shame they have been defaced. The mentality of some idiots defy comments really.
Nice little explore all the same, and the pub over the road aint too bad either 

It's just as well we have folk like krela to sort out the comp issues. I'm no techno-nut, but I get by.

Will let ya know if anything crops up regarding an explore mate


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## Cuban B. (Sep 30, 2011)

I'm not one for graffiti in derelicts but some of this is stunning.


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## TeeJF (Oct 1, 2011)

Cuban B. said:


> I'm not one for graffiti in derelicts but some of this is stunning.



We are of a like mind I think! Most graf just irritates me - along with wanton vandalism - but this transcends graf and goes into the realms of art. Shame the chavs feel the need to tag all over the top of the good stuff.


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