A Primer on Urban Exploration (UK and Overseas)

My love of Urban Exploration started last year in Malta. I picked up a book while in Valletta and read something about an abandoned night club.

After struggling to find Mystique, I jumped over a large wall and stuck my head in the entrance before my will broke and I legged it.

When I enter somewhere I technically shouldn’t be, there is a feeling of trepidation and excitement.

Maybe that is what the attraction is; sometimes you can get an adrenaline rush when you realise you are entering a lawless place or it appears that way.

Fast forward 8 months and I have done over 30 explores but am seeing few others post about this topic. I find this disappointing as the photography opportunities are boundless.

This is an attempt by me to encourage others to have a go at this fascinating hobby that will put you on the edge of the law without actually stepping over it.

The information below is based on the laws of England, it is different even in Scotland and surely is outside the United Kingdom.

• Accessing a derelict or empty property constitutes civil trespass; it is not a criminal offence to be ‘caught’ within these places.

• If the police are called by the owner, they will NOT arrest you unless you refuse to leave so make sure you do just that.

• Some places do have security but it is rare that they are permanently on-site (Camelot below) is an example of this).

• If you trigger an alarm, don't panic. The security guard will be woken up from his comfortable chair and likely complain to himself about the disturbance to his nap. Security will arrive and turf you off, but it may take 30 minutes. You will be done by then and gone.

• If there are security signs, it doesn't mean that the security team is active. The owner may have stopped paying for their services. How do you find out? You can't.

The following rules likely apply to all places regardless of country.

• Some places are in remote locations. Neighbours and locals can be nosey bastards and generally don’t want you poking around.

It’s best to invest in a Harry Potter invisibility cloak, or if you can’t afford one try not to invoke suspicion by wearing a dodgy looking balaclava.

Source

• Don’t expect to gain access to a property even if the last report you read was, ‘Easy Access’. Some owners visit their properties and place concrete slabs over the access points that used to be doorways and windows.

• If you visit by car, don't park it right next to the location. You are effectively saying, ‘I'm inside' to the outside world.

• When planning a trip, target 3-4 explores. That way you have a good chance of success even if you only manage to access one of them.

Some trips I do are scouting missions. I don’t expect to gain access but I can do them solo. Mills are a place I generally don’t access alone as they can be deadly. One bad move and you can fall through the floor doing yourself injury or die horribly.

This is a scouting trip I visited recently with a very unwilling @bingbabe in tow. The last report was 2 years ago which tells me there may be no access now.

I found 2 points of access but even so, the place looks like it’s boarded up well. I will re-visit soon likely with @mender1 for a crack at getting in.

See those security cameras? They appeared to be the only ones. Easy to avoid once inside and are they actually working? They look a bit worn out to me.

Drones

While they may be expensive I may be tempted at some point at buying one for the aerial photography I can gain. @for91days recommended the Spark but they are £500 or so. If @dronegraphica does attend SteemCamp2 it will be a talking point for me.

How to find an Urbex when I live? (UK only)

Visit www.28dayslater.co.uk AND www.derelictbuildings.co.ukand create accounts on both of them.

Make a note of where you live. If you don’t know where you live then visit the local hospital and ask for the Amnesia ward.

Use the Search facilities on both sites entering the closest town to where you are. You will likely find something in your area.

Percy Brothers in Manchester has a recent report and may be worth a look. (above example).

Be a Detective

You may have the name of the place, but where is it? Urban Explorers are tetchy on revealing where places are so you will need to look.

Google Maps may tell you directly, just enter the name and check.

If not, search the internet for references. You may find an address or a postcode. It’s really not that difficult if you give it a few minutes of your time.

Use the overhead maps feature and street-level maps to pinpoint your find. Old places sometimes have bad roofs and this can often be viewed on these maps.

When Visiting

Wear some sturdy shoes. Nails in planks are common, and you don’t want them in your feet. Glass is generally all over the floor so don’t wear slippers or go barefoot.

Wear a used jacket. It may get torn and ripped when climbing through windows, accessing areas with narrow passages or squeezing through fences.

Walk around the entire location. If there’s a way in WITHOUT damaging anything then you can go inside. This is called an access point.

Don’t break in as that is technically criminal damage. If you can’t gain access without breaking stuff, then walk away. If someone else has already broken a door/window then they did it and not you.

If someone challenges you about access, take it on a case by case basis. If they are not the owner it’s often better to be polite (and then still go inside regardless of what they say).

Source

If the challenger is a 7-foot muscle man who is built like a brick shit-house and looks like Lou Ferrigno but with no sense of humour then disregard my last bit of advice.

Explaining who you are and why you are there sometimes can work in your favour when encountering busybodies.

I hope after posting this, I see some posts that use the #urbex tag. If you can write articles about your explores like the ones I produce then I will give you big votes, that’s a given.

For those who post to sites such as www.28dayslater.co.uk or www.derelictbuildings.co.uk, why not post to the STEEM blockchain and earn some crypto-currency for your work?

If you earn a just a few cents then it’s a few cents more than you are currently earning.

>>> ALL Photography unless cited is my own <<<