Rylands Mill, Wigan - April 2016

I was rather taken aback at the entry to this place, the gates wide open was a little different. However the mill itself overlooks the Mesnes Park in Wigan and has nothing to stop even the smallest kids from wandering in from the park a killing themselves - NOTHING, it even has steps up from the park into the place.

And they did, well wander in not kill themselves (yet), Tbolt persuaded two not to climb the 164 ft up the ladder inside the mill chimney - one of the young lads was about 70 ft up the chimney at the time.

Rylands Mill has gone under a number of names over the year being Pagefield Mill and Gildow Works and now sits in development hell.

Built in 1866, this Grade II listed building operated as one of Lancashire's many cotton mills and in 1985 the building was taken over by Wigan Technical College, closing in 2007.

A recent fire, leaves the upper floor open to the elements, but on a day like we had its rather photogenic.

 

I rather like this place, but access is far, far too easy and a child is going to get killed or a best seriously injured.

7/10

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St John the Evangelist's Church, Crawshawbooth - December 2015

Opening in 1892 this rather large church closed in 2012 following a fall in the congregation and a series of lead thefts which left an estimated repair bill of £500,000. The church sits covered in a thick yellow/orange dust with roof damage slowly eating away at this Grade II listed building.

The building was listed on The Victorian Society Top 10 Endangered List  in 2013 and is also listed by English Heritage as At Risk with a condition of Very Bad.



Visited with ZerO81 and Judderman, Tbolt having wandered in the day before. This wonderful church had been on our radar for a while and it would seem to be now firmly placed on the tourist trail.





















Its a very long and very narrow walk up the to the bell tower, one your not going to forget in a hurry as when do finally get up to the top there is very little to see other than a roof in a shocking state of repair, lots of pigeon shit and then you have to come down again.





So if an extremely dusty, darkened church is your thing then its a 9/10 otherwise your looking at a 5 or possibly a 4.

Merry Christmas folks, see you all in the New Year.





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Vue Cinema, Pilsworth - December 2014

This 12 screen multiplex cinema opened in 1989 as a Warner Bros, re-branded as Vue in 2004, finally closing July 2010.

In March 1996 the cinema hosted the UK premiere of the John Travolta/ Christian Slater blockbuster Broken Arrow - sadly neither Travolta or Slater turned up, but thankfully John Leslie and Sonya did.

So as 2014 drew to a close up popped this little gem, we had been very patiently waiting, watching the grass and moss grow around the place for years.
 

 - and then photos appeared....

Weeks passed, with one thing and another we didn't get there, by the time we did the metal fairies and local vandals had trashed the place.

This is what we found, myself, Jdub, Urban Spaceman and a rather pleasant new chap on the scene, Shucky. With tales of roaming metal fairies safety in numbers was order of the day.



First off its a cinema, it is dark, tripod and light painting are the themes of the day, oh to repeat it is dark, very dark and I would not recommend a solo, you wouldn't want to meet anyone dodgy here.











A few of the auditoriums had been stripped bare, seats and all, thankfully not all.









 



Alas the show was over, time to leave, it had been kicking off down at the Pick n Mix.





Jolly good fun after an extended break from mooching, also interesting to note that at its time of closure in 2010 it was turning over £71,000 a week in nacho, popcorn and hotdogs sales......

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Accrington Conservative Club - August 2014

We hadn't gone to see this place, every time I had ever popped by it was sealed up, we had simply wanted to park the cars and bloody hell it was wide open and shouting at us to come in.

Urban Spaceman would be gutted, by hey grasp an opportunity with both hands and so we did, myself, Judderman and the one only known as ZerO81.





This grand building is Accrington Conservative Club, the largest in the United Kingdom, within this Grade II listed building is a grand ball room that once held 1000 guests. Built in 1890 it sits rotting, neglected and fire damaged.

It is death on a stick, so we decided to take a look as you do and I present the "best bits" for your delectation.

First off we have a mere sample of some of the eek bits....

The first one you go have to navigate to advance to your final goal.

 



Up to the ball room and main bar area.
 

Oh, big boards cover big holes with a big drop.






The ball room, despite being open to the elements is in pretty good condition and at the stage end of the ball room is a staircase which is safe, photogenic but sadly won't get you down to the exit so the only way out is the way you came up.







Spooky attic time.
 

A look back at the ball room and its time to take your time to slowly and ever so carefully walk the plank of death and rotting floors and staircases.


 

Ground floor was major derp and we made our exit to live another day, just.



A death trap with hidden beauty, 7/10.

Photos later used in a Daily Mail article

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