Urban Exploration - Albion Street Day Nursery
We are Urban Explorers, we are not vandals. We take nothing besides photographs and leave nothing but footprints.
Some days suck when you are trying to explore. After failing to gain entry to Griffin Lodge (sealed up), discovering that Imperial Mill is not completely derelict, and discovering that a promising find in Samlesbury is completely sealed (again), were left with a not so exciting nursery.
I discovered Albion Street Day Nursery after some cursory searching on YouTube.
Some teenagers uploaded a short clip to YouTube and the word ‘Blackburn’ got my attention. A little pausing of the video gifted me with the name and then it was a case of some investigation using Google maps to pinpoint the location.
Was it demolished was the next question? Just across the road used to be Albion Mill which now has been flattened and I was fearing the same for the day nursery.
A visit with @mender1 revealed that it was still very much in existence and getting in a worse state by the day.
Finding information on this one was a little tougher. There was a fire in 2011 and I found another report from 2008 with information indicating it was closed the year before. There was mention of asbestos in the fire report so I was wary of this hazardous material on entering the premises.
There’s no need to be coy on explaining how to access what was Albion Street Day Nursery, you simply walk through the front gate and clamber over the mounds of shit that is blocking the way.
Oh, and don't forget to 'Close the Gate!!!'
'The major challenge is not to slip and fall on your arse.'
@mender1 likes to get in the shots sometimes. There’s no picking out any details though, he’s just a shadow in the doorway (cover shot).
The building is less than impressive. Dull, drab and made of that horrible grey concrete that is most prevalent in the Scottish town of Cumbernauld.
12 years of being empty, vandalised and fire bombed has left the nursery as mostly a shell. Evidence of burning became quickly apparent as we explored what was left of the building.
I was surprised the roof has survived better than some of these old mansions we have been exploring lately. There are some holes but less nature that I expected encroaching the ceilings areas.
The power junction box was burnt out, with little left and there was graffiti in just about every room we looked in, sadly not of Banksy quality.
Some roofs had sustained some intentional damage with holes and daylight poking through.
This may have been the main room that classes were held in, but after so many years little is left in terms of character and figuring out where for instance the staff room is, becomes harder.
It’s apparent that homeless people have been living here with the old sleeping bag. There is a decent roof in this room but all the glass in the windows is broken. It would be dryer than sleeping rough outside but there would be no respite in terms of temperature.
I was trying to find anything personal but the place is completely gutted. The BT phone connection is still intact with at 2006 date stamp if you look closely.
This was once a kid’s playground, but nature has stepped up a little in this area and moss has covered some of it. Any rides have been torn down by vandals.
I’m a little surprised Albion Street Day Nursery has not been demolished. It must be owned by someone, is not a listed property so why does it still stand?
All photographs were taken by myself.
Other articles in the ‘Urban Exploration’ series:
Allsprings House // The Latvian Consolute
Rose Bank Mill // Horncliffe Mansion Part One: The Car Graveyard
Horncliffe Mansion Part Two: The Mansion // Stand Athletic Football Club
A Trilogy of Failures II // Brodock Ltd, The Old Paper Mill (Failed)
Workhouse Farm // Hellifield Abandoned Train
Extwistle Hall // Huncoat Power Station (Demolished)
A Trilogy of Failures // Holdings Country Pottery
References:
https://www.theurbanexplorer.co.uk/
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/
https://www.whateversleft.co.uk/
https://www.britainsdecays.com/
http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/urbex-faqs
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Wow, that is definitely interesting the number of mills you have that are no longer in operation. In the states most of that is considered prime real estate and even if it gets shuttered, they tear it down and build something new right away. Unless it is in Detroit. There they just let stuff sit :P
There's lots of these mills about here. They are a legacy of mostly the 19th century when England was a dominant force and the industrial revolution was in full flow. Some have been demolished, some converted to flats or housing and others simply left.
Very interesting!
Ugh! The playground looks promising though. My brother-in-law runs a charity that restores playing fields and wasteland areas so that local kids can use them for sports. He could work wonders with that area.
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That blue thing outside is surreal. It really looks like something from some kind of video game.
it was a bit spongy and squashy, presumably to stop the little nippers hurting themselves.
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Certainly not much left of that one! Someone must not want to spend the money to flatten it.
That's what it will be, though there is a decent amount of land.
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Well another cool place anyway. When I visit the SE of England I never see many abandoned places. Of course, I'm not out looking for them and I'm only there for a few months a year, but I'm not sure if the level of abandonment is correlated to the health of the housing market, as I really would love to buy something there, but it seems every thing is SO expensive that I'm not sure a building would sit idle too long.
Do you ever do any in SE England, Kent?
I see reports from all over the UK, but obviously focus on the local ones.
If you keep your eyes open you see all kinds of derelict places. We see them, but we don't see them as we are not looking.
What a mess! Hope it does get cleaned up, one way or another!