Fawlty Towers

According to the website, this hotel "is conveniently located in the heart of Lancashire, close to the M6. It is situated near the charming village of Croston and short drive from Preston Lancashire with many local attractions on hand including Blackpool resort and Camelot Adventure Park." (Hmm . . now another Urbex tourist destination!)It "boasts 45 elegant bedrooms comfortably furnished and equipped with all modern comforts. The main areas and some rooms have free wireless Broadband internet access. Its restaurant "serves a wide selection of drinks and sumptuous meals. The  bar features a cosy ambiance in which guests can relax and sip their favourite ales while meeting new friends."      However, the above hotel ran into decline - read the reviews on Trip Advisor and you'll see what I mean. This place has only recently  closed and yet is already close to being totally trashed inside. Unfortunately, the day that we chose to visit, it had only just been completely boarded up and totally secured, after it allegedly being " a walk straight in" the previous week! Damn!        There had been photographs posted on various Urbex websites from only the previous week, with urbexers having a fun time inside - even jumping on the beds! Looking through the window, my friend spotted the name of one of these Urbexers on the wall - tut tut, should know better - they had evidently forgotten the Urbex golden rule, "Take only photographs, leave only footprints". We had a nosey round the back but there really was nothing doing here. No access. Naturally, there was a small collection of broken chairs, getting rather damp outside.   The front porch area had a collection of stained, damp mattresses piled up.         And, of course, there was rather a lot of broken glass.     We peeked through several of the windows, to survey just how trashed the rooms were. Please excuse the reflection but it was impossible to avoid it.     The main reception area was particularly trashed.      There a was an unbroken stained glass window round the back.

And finally, this sign which promised "the perfect setting for the most important day of your life." The lettering was difficult to read, as it was so faded.   Not any more . . .

All aboard! (Bus graveyard revisited)

Another visit to the bus graveyard, in a farmer's field in the North West of England  . . . even more overgrown than last time - brambles, nettles, thistles   galore! There were signs of the farmer being at home so we proceeded with caution . . .

This is the first bus we came upon. Sadly, its doors were jammed. It had travelled its last journey long long ago . . .

Its paint is nicely peeling off all over. 

 

 

There was a new addition to the collection . . . well, I say "new" but this was clearly an ancient piece of farming machinery . . .

 

There were at least 3 different buses. It was particularly treacherous, trying to get to the latter two, due to the abundance of brambles and prickly plants.

 

 

These plants were growing freely inside and around the buses.

 

It was a weird day, lighting wise - rapidly changing from dark to sunny. I tried to capture the clouds in the windscreen of this bus . . .

 

Inside the bus, brambles grew freely, wrapped around the trashed seats.

 

 

 

 

An indication of how when this bus made its last journey.

 

 
It's still a mystery why all these decrepit buses, tractors and agricultural machinery are collected here, left to rot and rust in a large field.

Abandoned Power Station

I visited this power station in December 2012 but have only just started blogging so please bear with me. This was my first Urbex Adventure, and I was accompanied by 2 experienced Urbexers.
It was a bitterly cold, bleak day in Lancashire. We were the only visitors (mad enough!) to be there.

 

 Huncoat Power Station was opened in 1956.

The Power Station had a fairly short life and closed in 1984. The cooling towers were demolished in 1988 and the main buildings followed suit in 1990 leaving this one building behind.

The building is really grotty inside. It's basically just a shell with ever-changing graffiti.

 

There is an upstairs, with more of the same. There is a good view of the main "room" from up above as well as a view of the bleak Lancashire landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The graffiti was the best part of the building for me. I like the idea that this is ever-changing and a visit a few months later will show completely different graff.

 

 

This was my favourite graffiti.

 

 

 

 

 

                                            Most of it is like a really awful building site.

 

Peeling paint on the walls in vibrant colours.

 

We had a little wander outside, round the back and I discovered this fab bit of graffiti of Tony the Tiger (of Frosties fame) smiling down at me.

 

 

The windows are all open to the elements so there are puddles everywhere.

 

 

 

Somebody had left behind their boot . . .