Last week was my birthday, I was spending a weekend down in Newbury with my girlfriend. A few days prior to that I was browsing various Urbex websites to kill some free time one evening. By chance I stumbled upon a report of Crookham school manor, not initially realising where it was located. When I saw how close it was to where we were staying it was the obvious Saturday afternoon activity. Especially as my GF has never been on an urban explore and seemed really keen to go.
This is place that has already been explored and reporting a fair few times before, so this is nothing new to a lot of you.
However it has (so far) been the best and most interesting place I have visited.
Not exactly how everyone spends their birthday, but I certainly enjoyed it
The history of Crookham school Manor (Or Crookham Court School) is rather notorious. The private school became part of a nation scandal in the late 80s when it was found that one of the teachers was molesting the students. In the end three members of staff where convicted and the school was closed down.
However the terrible things that happened here don't take away from how great this place is. The building is stunning and the small buildings surrounding the main manor are completely open and are a photographers wet dream. Places like this make me want go and buy lots of new camera lenses.
I'll have to make do with my kit lens till I can afford a nice Fuji prime lens next year
Despite all the reports I'd read of people that had succeeded to gain access, we couldn't get into the main manor house. The whole bottom floor was completely sealed up. Some of the top floor windows where open, but as neither me or GF had any climbing gear or Spiderman like abilities, so we had to admit defeat.
It was still a fantastic explore.
There appeared to be some kinds of hut/cottage just behind the front gate, so we went through the woods and emerged round the side of the building to avoid it.
A fake CCTV camera?
The garage door had been ripped open.
The top windows is open, but way too high to get to.
So we went for a look round the buildings surrounding the manor.
The old gym
The best part for me was the old science room.
It was in a bit of a mess, but some of the desks still had old exam papers on.
There was an old music room upstairs
This is place that has already been explored and reporting a fair few times before, so this is nothing new to a lot of you.
However it has (so far) been the best and most interesting place I have visited.
Not exactly how everyone spends their birthday, but I certainly enjoyed it
The history of Crookham school Manor (Or Crookham Court School) is rather notorious. The private school became part of a nation scandal in the late 80s when it was found that one of the teachers was molesting the students. In the end three members of staff where convicted and the school was closed down.
However the terrible things that happened here don't take away from how great this place is. The building is stunning and the small buildings surrounding the main manor are completely open and are a photographers wet dream. Places like this make me want go and buy lots of new camera lenses.
I'll have to make do with my kit lens till I can afford a nice Fuji prime lens next year
Despite all the reports I'd read of people that had succeeded to gain access, we couldn't get into the main manor house. The whole bottom floor was completely sealed up. Some of the top floor windows where open, but as neither me or GF had any climbing gear or Spiderman like abilities, so we had to admit defeat.
It was still a fantastic explore.
There appeared to be some kinds of hut/cottage just behind the front gate, so we went through the woods and emerged round the side of the building to avoid it.
A fake CCTV camera?
The garage door had been ripped open.
The top windows is open, but way too high to get to.
So we went for a look round the buildings surrounding the manor.
The old gym
The best part for me was the old science room.
It was in a bit of a mess, but some of the desks still had old exam papers on.
There was an old music room upstairs
