That School in Cheshire (April 2014)

[Involuntary Abstinence]

Day after our Denbigh explore, my friend managed to arrange a visit for us at an old school in Cheshire.

The usual story of she knows a guy who knows a guy...who turns out to be the caretaker of the estate.

We arrived there after 90' on what should have been less than 30'. Gotta love the british motorways. Graham greeted us at the pool house (a big wooden structure that didn't get to see inside but standing at the door all the heat and smell of chlorine on that very hot day made me wanna take off all my clothes and jump in). The pool apparently is still in use, as an old lady walked out, and that is the main reason the guy is still there. He was with the school for something like 10 years and since it closed in 2010 been staying there to keep an eye on the pool and the buildings in general.

Apart from a break-in 2 years ago (during Easter holidays) that resulted in a large part of the ceiling to having been stripped off (f**rs), the school shows little signs of decay, mostly what you would see in any other building.

As always, a large number of student essays and drawings and stuff has been left behind, even an entire corridor filled with photos from excursions and other activities. Especially for a school dealing with children with special needs this really felt wrong. I don't know but I would never leave my kid's stuff behind if their school closed down. Especially if i knew pictures were left behind. Maybe it's just me.

So Graham showed us the entire place giving the history along the way. The school was built almost 90 years ago, in a beautiful location but through the years the number of students grew smaller and finally it wasn't easy to maintain it financially. Though there was a case of a female teacher being involved with a student of hers that might have led to the actual shutdown.

The school was meant for Jewish children so there was/is a synagogue. It was a boarding school too, though not all students stayed there. Some would commute to Manchester daily. But as being a boarding school too meant there were around 50+ staff working there with plenty living there too.

Oh and there is a sports hall too that is MINT! Wouldn't mind moving that next to my house.

Wouldn't call it the explore of a lifetime, but it was very interesting to be there, look at a different kind of school from up close, walk the empty corridors where once all those kids would run and laugh and generally grow up. And perfect location too. Sucks my school was in the city.

===PHOTOS===

There is always a chair

One of the class rooms

Same room different part

One of the few hints at abandonment

The synagogue

I guess some adults should read this too

The sports hall

Not that kind of monkey

The dining hall - the handprints and spray were recent as the daughter of the owner threw a birthday party or something..

Cooking class

At staff's house

One of the buildings

How they put all the knowledge in your head

Ice-cream anyone?

That was cute

One of two rooms that was filled with dead flies. I am talking about a proper genocide.

===THE END===

Thanks for reading!

 

[TCCI]

Nice looking place well done mate.

 

[Involuntary Abstinence]

Nice looking place well done mate.

Thanks man!

 

[skeleton key]

Nice work and also good to see a caretaker being understanding and allowing people to enter simply to photograph.

Makes for an easier world for all

 

[Involuntary Abstinence]

Nice work and also good to see a caretaker being understanding and allowing people to enter simply to photograph.Makes for an easier world for all

Thanks man.

There was an awkward moment at some point as the guy was telling us about the metal thieves incident and he said something along these lines "there are websites where people can go and find places like this" (*meaning abandoned/disused places). Me and my friend looked at each other but I can't be 100% sure if he was indeed talking about UE forums or places like Buildings at risk...most likely he was talking about UE forums. And to be honest it did feel a bit weird...again putting into question our role...but..but..but...so many butts!

 

[skeleton key]

Yep i get your drift and funny as just responded to Northern geeks thread http://www.oblivionstate.com/forum/showthread.php/7322-Abandoned-retirement-home-2014?goto=newpost which covers the same subject

and replied "Nice shots and do undestand and in main agree that some times placing locations in public domains can play a part in speeding up its demise.

I enjoy the images shared & dont care if some one descides to call it the beach ball hut it honest .

I dont feel there is the need to some times be so exact in naming locations etc unless already fully on the map so to speak.

The option to share with who you know and trust is simply being responcible.

Thanks for sharing your images and thoughts "

 

[Involuntary Abstinence]

Yep i get your drift and funny as just responded to Northern geeks thread http://www.oblivionstate.com/forum/showthread.php/7322-Abandoned-retirement-home-2014?goto=newpost which covers the same subjectand replied "Nice shots and do undestand and in main agree that some times placing locations in public domains can play a part in speeding up its demise.

I enjoy the images shared & dont care if some one descides to call it the beach ball hut it honest .

I dont feel there is the need to some times be so exact in naming locations etc unless already fully on the map so to speak.

The option to share with who you know and trust is simply being responcible.

Thanks for sharing your images and thoughts "

Generally I have only explored to well-known sites so far and on the rare occasion where I went to someplace that has not been widely known/explored I try to use sense and sensibility before posting any shots or comments.

Same thing with that old place in Edinburgh where again I got to know the caretaker who took me in, and on this occasion with the school, I feel that the places have withstood vandalism of all sorts and are not places left to rot, but actually there is being made a continuous effort to keep them from falling apart and redevelop.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if there were private forums, even if that would mean that by the time I would be able to post in them I would have to go through some sort of screening process. But since the forums I've seen are public, I try to work my way around the options offered.

I have found on another forum a report from this place about 2-3 years ago where they were playing games at the sports hall and such. Now if I do the math, it may look as if that report and the metal thieves break-in happened around the same time. But this is too James Bond-y for me and I like to believe that each man/woman is accountable for his/her actions. I just don't want to speed up the natural process of things as I think that would be unfair for all parties involved. {so for instance, if security is bad somewhere, I will not work my way towards improving it, nor will I do my hardest to make it public that it sucks and thus create a problem first of all to us, and then to others}

 

[Silent Night]

takes me back a few years looks a bit like my old school, cool captures and location, as said handy to have a nice fella to allow you in thanks for the share

 

[Involuntary Abstinence]

takes me back a few years looks a bit like my old school, cool captures and location, as said handy to have a nice fella to allow you in thanks for the share

Thanks mate!

 

[shaddam]

thanks for the share and agreed with the above it does make everything easier to bump into someone who can tell the difference between a metal thief and someone who simply wants to take photos and enjoy the building ! also very nice report

 

[TheBaronof Scotland]

very clean, nice share

 

[Involuntary Abstinence]

very clean, nice share

Thanks man!

 

[Nelly]

Nice stuff. I suppose we will always be dragged down by the metal thieves and vandals. Never mind.

 

[Stussy]

Good work, nice set of pics, thanks for sharing