I wasn't going going to post this one, as it was a fail, until on forum I spotted a daft comment along the lines of "2 hours drive and I couldnt even get in the grounds" which to be honest is just rubbish (see scrote).
Built in 1880 is Grade II listed property was a seminary serving the North West of England, the site closed in the late 1990s.
The grounds are large and also include a church, small golf course, small grave yard, pond and gardens - which are all maintained by full time gardners.
The site has hi-tech security in the form of numerous security cameras monitored off site which when they spot you phone thru to a guard in a hut at the front door of the main building. In winter the guard sits inside the main building.
The only way into the building is to breakin or find where someone has broken in very,very,very recently - not my scene to be honest and cameras have recently been upgraded inside due to a spate of recent breakins. I don't do criminal damage as I have a family to support and a good job.
- oh they do know about sleepovers as strangley the owners and security do have the internet.
The church on the grounds was filmed for the funeral of Molly Dobbs in Coronation Street with the Kevin and Tyrone fight scene, amongst other tv and film productions.
Other points of interest is that the site is also used for police and police dog training and the odd police BBQ.
So how to I know this, well the guard told us !! We simply walked into the grounds and the cameras picked us up and the guard was phoned to greet us (with a golf club in hand).
Urbex tip - always have a packet of cigerettes on you, most security guards smoke and I find its an ice breaker to defuse your meeting (I'm sure this will not generally apply if your committing criminal damage or hanging out of a window).
Bottom line is dog walkers and photographers welcome to walk the grounds - no hoodies allowed, if you look like a scrote (*) your out.
So as I say big fail but we got to mooch the grounds, a bit of history, a ghost story and a cheery wave goodbye.
(*) Scrote - A worthless obnoxious person; a gobshite or toerag; Abbreviation for scrotum.
Nice Post Fragglehunter. I was there, cigarettes are a fine form of currency in border crossings, terrorist situations and when soothing a hard looking scouse guard with a golf club in hand. I'm sure getting inside would be interesting, but with a building like this I think you miss a trick by focusing on how you get in ,how you brag about it online! Look-at-the-building!! Beautiful in its slumber. A fine day out.
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