Old Police Station, South Wales - September 2015

After visiting a nearby derelict church, we jumped back in the car and drove off. I hadn't been driving for 20 seconds when Jon6D interrupted my yapping by shouting "STOP"!!! It was the first time we had teamed up for an explore, so didn't quite know what was happening at first..... now that we've been out together a few more times, I now know that him suddenly shouting "STOP" means "excuse me, would you mind pulling over as I think I've just seen a property boarded up that may be worth us investigating"..... or at least something like that! Anyway, the inscription on the building he spotted was "County Constabulary", the year 1888 carved above. As we approached the building, we saw an open door and entered. As it was completely boarded up it was pitch black inside. We instantly realised that this unfortunately was no longer the remains of an old Police Station, but a converted block of flats. It also had the uneasy feeling of potential squatters / someone else in there. Turned out that there wasn't (at that time) - but after exploring every room I was glad to leave!

HISTORY
Struggled a bit with this as I found four bits of information about the property, some of it conflicting. It was built in 1888 (that is the only fact I'm sure of!). In a Police report from 2010 it states that the Station had "not been used for a long time". But the Police Website does not list the building as closed until 2014 (but this is because they were still providing a service in the area but from a mobile police station). To confuse matters a little further - the building was up for auction on the 4th December 2013?! My guess is that the Police stopped using the building during the 1990s (possibly early 2000s)and it was converted to flats (possibly Supported Housing?), until it closed down in 2013.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the photos......



















A wonderful filing system for mail - just lob it under the stairs!



Thanks for looking!

Lovely looking building from the outside. What a waste.

krela said:

Lovely looking building from the outside. What a waste.

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Yes, sure is a sad waste - inside wasn't nice at all (as you can see), couldn't wait to leave and get back into fresh air!

Solid looking building, shame it's not being maintained although I applaud their treatment of junk mail, another goodun VR, Thanks

Though you were talking about the one in Built Wells, could have been a lot more interesting if it had still been a now it just looks sadpolice station

That's a lovely building. Shame about the interior though. This would make a lovely home!

Well excuse me Rod!!! haha another great post buddy

Blimey that's pretty scuzzy on the inside but beautiful on the outside...thanks for sharing.

Cracking facade but awful inside!Still you got some canny shots, the fungi on the staircase looks quite evil.

Great find and brilliant write up. I really enjoyed it

smiler said:

Solid looking building, shame it's not being maintained although I applaud their treatment of junk mail, another goodun VR, Thanks

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Thank you Smiler, plus I agree - think we could all learn a thing or two about their mail filing system (made me chuckle as I opened the under stair door)..... I've just been trying to view some of your posts on your profile (like the St. Uny Cemetery and a few others) - the reports are there but no photos? - am I doing something wrong? Would like to see them!

flyboys90 said:

Cracking facade but awful inside!Still you got some canny shots, the fungi on the staircase looks quite evil.

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Haha you are spot on, 'evil' fungi is the right word.... the place had a real horrible feel of a junkie hotspot, and my thought at that time was that 'evil' fungi looked very much like it was possible growing out of vomit stains When I first approached the building, I saw the year 1888 and knew that this was the very year 'Jack the Ripper' was causing mayhem in London therefore the very first officers working in this building must've been discussing this case as it was actually occuring .... this added to the intrigue of the place, until I stepped inside that is!

I actually enjoyed the write up more than the pictures - the stop part really made me laugh hard as i do it with my mrs all the time - even when we are shopping - the for gods sake not again always makes me chuckle.
The outside shots were great - i think maybe a better light for darker areas but i did enjoy it.
Thanks for sharing

tazong said:

I actually enjoyed the write up more than the pictures - the stop part really made me laugh hard as i do it with my mrs all the time - even when we are shopping - the for gods sake not again always makes me chuckle.
The outside shots were great - i think maybe a better light for darker areas but i did enjoy it.
Thanks for sharing

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Thanks for the comment buddy. Yes, I thought the 'stop' part would relate to people on here haha Wanted to resist from lightening some of the shots too much as I wanted to convey that we were in complete blackness the majority of the time! Yes, it was pretty grim - and that was the reality I wanted to convey....plus if you see my other posts I'm sure you'll know I don't play around with with my photos very much - as I love to give the realistic view for everyone..... and the view of this place was intriguing and exciting from outside..... but once inside was gloomy and rather frightening!!!

It's astonishing how some of these places are let go.

Great post, but sadly that building has well and truly had it. That fungus is the last stage of dry rot, the fungus will be spurting out loads of spores which will touch every single piece of wood it can getting worse and worse...

Vertigo Rod said:

Thank you Smiler, plus I agree - think we could all learn a thing or two about their mail filing system (made me chuckle as I opened the under stair door)..... I've just been trying to view some of your posts on your profile (like the St. Uny Cemetery and a few others) - the reports are there but no photos? - am I doing something wrong? Would like to see them!

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I deleted them from the host not realizing that, that would wipe them off here as well, I will PM them to you if you want .but they're nothing special

Ha, a bit different! Thanks for sharing

smiler said:

I will PM them to you if you want .but they're nothing special

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You are really selling these pics to me . But am intrigued, wouldn't mind seeing 1 or 2 of the best ones if it's not too much trouble?

Reminds me of a building in Swansea