Myself, like Camera Shy had this place on our radar (Ironically) for some time, and a night time reccy turned out to be a full explore! It was dark, dangerous (I was nearly lost through a floor) overgrown in some sections and fly tipped in others. But still a great site regardless!
There is some duplicity here with other explores but ours was done at night which helps accentuate some features and give some a Closed off from reality feel.
But what of the place; allow me explain:
Ferranti were very much the unsung heroes of technology from the 1880.s to the end of the last century, the National Grid was their idea, semiconductors that evolved from valves to discrete devices allowing new pioneering computers to evolve quickly in performance and reliability – were developed by them on this very site in south Manchester.
Various other ‘Departments’ were dotted around the city and other parts of the country that would produce electronics for Avionics (Aircraft) Lasers, Radar, Sonar, Missile guidance, seven track paper coding characters that would become ASCII, and Gyro gun sights used by the Spitfire aircraft. To name but a few to say the least!
Why is this building now closed and empty? Illegal arms dealing! Yes, management had a good income on paper but once the company was sold and the illegal activity ceased – it all ground to a halt and when the serious fraud office went sniffing and found that the company had been over valued by £215 million, the resulting enquiry that took place in the U.S caused so many legal and financial difficulties – this electronics power house went into bankruptcy in 1993!
The various divisions were sold off to other companies and some still operate today under different names.
But no one wanted this place!
A huge and decaying space where some technological miracles would have taken place at some point in silicon history. This is what remains of a 36 acre site that cost £1.3 million to build – a substantial amount in 1954.
Nothing but shadows of prosperity and a lost pigeon that scared the hell out of us remain!
Exchange1:
Exchange 2:
Skylight!
Lobby!
Lecture room above:
Lecture room below:
Outside:
Beautiful ornate skylight:
Overgrown workshop:
Blower:
Stores 1:
Stores 2:
Stores from above missing floor:
Ventilation pipe:
There is some duplicity here with other explores but ours was done at night which helps accentuate some features and give some a Closed off from reality feel.
But what of the place; allow me explain:
Ferranti were very much the unsung heroes of technology from the 1880.s to the end of the last century, the National Grid was their idea, semiconductors that evolved from valves to discrete devices allowing new pioneering computers to evolve quickly in performance and reliability – were developed by them on this very site in south Manchester.
Various other ‘Departments’ were dotted around the city and other parts of the country that would produce electronics for Avionics (Aircraft) Lasers, Radar, Sonar, Missile guidance, seven track paper coding characters that would become ASCII, and Gyro gun sights used by the Spitfire aircraft. To name but a few to say the least!
Why is this building now closed and empty? Illegal arms dealing! Yes, management had a good income on paper but once the company was sold and the illegal activity ceased – it all ground to a halt and when the serious fraud office went sniffing and found that the company had been over valued by £215 million, the resulting enquiry that took place in the U.S caused so many legal and financial difficulties – this electronics power house went into bankruptcy in 1993!
The various divisions were sold off to other companies and some still operate today under different names.
But no one wanted this place!
A huge and decaying space where some technological miracles would have taken place at some point in silicon history. This is what remains of a 36 acre site that cost £1.3 million to build – a substantial amount in 1954.
Nothing but shadows of prosperity and a lost pigeon that scared the hell out of us remain!
Exchange1:
Exchange 2:
Skylight!
Lobby!
Lecture room above:
Lecture room below:
Outside:
Beautiful ornate skylight:
Overgrown workshop:
Blower:
Stores 1:
Stores 2:
Stores from above missing floor:
Ventilation pipe:
