History
Known as a few different names, Eastmoor Secure Unit for Children, The Leeds Reformatory for Boys, Eastmoor Approved School. Located off an unsuspecting road from the small village of Adel in Leeds West Yorkshire.The Adel Reformatory was founded in 1857 by the Leeds Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders.
First opened in 1857 as the Leeds Reformatory School for boys, the School was funded by the Leeds Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders, who deliberately chose the location as it was far enough away from the temptations of the city. By 1858, the school housed 50 boys, which had grown to 150 by 1887. The south-east wing and Headmaster’s house were added in 1860, when the attic floor of the initial building was converted to dormitories. The workshops of the north-east wing, built by the boys in 1859, were rebuilt in 1881 after a fire, and a separate chapel to the south was added in 1882, designed to function also as a lecture room and subsequently as a gym, however there was no priest and the chapel was never consecrated. Surrounding land within the grounds was cultivated for crops and garden produce. The swimming pool beyond the north-west wing was added in 1887 and roofed in 1896. A boiler room between the north-west wing and the pool was inserted in 1899 to heat the pool, which was used by community groups as well as inmates.
The school closed around 1990, a new building was built behind which is in operation today named as a Secure children's home. The buildings have just been laying to waste, with abit of teenage vandalism and graffiti the buildings are just falling apart.
Our Visit
So I've known about this place for years, never managed to get chance to come up. But the other night driving about my girlfriend mentioned it so we though we'd check it out.
Its something i wish i did earlier as people's photos showed it in a better condition than it is today. Today walks on upper levels are to be treated with caution as some could go through given substantial weight.
Unfortunately on this trip we couldn't get in the pool the boiler room was flooded with some nasty smelling shit, it was a spontaneous trip didn't have the right shoes to be going through shit stained water to check behind to see if you can get in.
Its in a sorry state, was definitely worth looking around, interesting place not what you'd expect from a Reformatory school/childrens home.
So my phone camera isn't great so my girlfriend took some pretty nice ones which follow.
Thanks for reading.
EXPL0113
And that's it hope you enjoyed!
EXPL0113
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