This is my first report, explore and use of my camera all constructive comments are welcome, hope you enjoy the read!
History – Located at Haylers End the Incinerator was built and started operating in 1972 to burn household and trade waste from the surrounding area, medical waste was also burnt at the facility. Due to advancements in the understanding of how pollution affects us, and the atmosphere residents staged a public protest stating that their health was at risk due to this incinerator being located next to a farm, 1.1km from a caravaning site and 1.6 km from the local village. The site was eventually closed by the local council in 1995 and has remained unused since. The site was eventually sold by the local council for a discounted price to try and recoup some of the investment they had lost in the building. Many plans have been produced turn this site in to a small housing development, but residents of the village oppose new developments in the area still to this day. The owner of the land has even stated that he has thought about rebuilding the incinerator and putting it back in to use. The legal use of the site still classifies it and an incinerator and according to local news reports there are, no reasons planning would prevent this site from being reused for its legal purpose. But for now, the site is leased as grazing ground for the farmer that lives adjacent from the site to graze his sheep.
The Explore – For my first explore I decided to keep it local even though this is a well-known site I felt it was ample to find my feet in the world of urban exploring. I asked my friend who lives a short walk from the incinerator to partner me on this which she was quite interested in after I explained my knowledge of the site to her. We decided to go in the evening because that was convenient for the both of us. Walking down the road in the darkness we were suddenly aware that there was a man and his dog in the field next to us with a very high-powered torch which he kept shining in our direction unnerved but undeterred we still carried on towards the site. Approaching the site, we came across the main gate, hedges had over grown around the main gate giving the place an almost impenetrable look in the darkness. After a quick cig we lit up our lights and the gate was locked with a brand new combi lock, it turned out the public footpath next to the main gate cuts right through where the perimeter fence use to be. Partially standing heras fencing is the only method of deterrence for any intruders, but it didn’t take us long to weigh up our options as to which was going to be the best way in.
Walking around the outside of the building the elements and vandalism have taken their toll, with both sides of the ventilation hall being made from glass panes it has made good target practice for the local kids to throw rocks at. Someone has also been using the grounds as a target range, we found numerous .22lr cartridges and shot DVD cases scattered around.
We then entered via some conveniently placed steel stairs due to the floor of the ventilation hall being 4/5 ft above ground level, once inside the structure feels a lot smaller than it looks on the outside, due to all the ventilation shafts and machinery inside.
We ventured around in awe of the interior of this building and chuckling at some of the graffiti inside, in places nature has taken its course and started to reclaim small areas inside. On the side of one of the steel structures was an old St. Johns ambulance resuscitation guide and scattered across the floor were old refuse tickets some with the date on.
Whilst looking at the dates on these tickets we came across what others had used the site for… a few used condoms, an empty bottle of lube and a deflated heart shaped balloon. We ventured up to the gantries above the ventilation hall and explored some of the rooms up there, strangely enough the room that contained the viewing platform for the ash removal chute had an extreme change in temperature almost like there was still heat emanating from the bowels of this old incinerator.
We then ventured towards the control room and office area of the building when a motorbike came flying down the road we instantly cut the lights and stood in silence as we listened to whoever was riding come to a stop right outside the main gates. After standing in the darkness for what felt like an age listening to this engine idle it drove off in the direction it came, we then proceeded in darkness across the gantries to the control room door. Once we were in the control room we lit up again and were met with all the old electrical equipment and crane control station.
Overlooking a very long drop down in to the pit where the crane grabbers still sit. Separated by a towering wall there was another drop in the left window of the control bay which led down to where the fire use to be. Now full of water it looked quite ominous, these drops aren’t fenced off and if you fell in I feel like there’s a slim chance you would survive before rescue arrived, and you would be lucky not to be impaled on the bits of scrap metal sticking out of the water.
Leaving the control room, we ventured down the graffiti ridden stairwell to the old archives room which is knee height in old papers and power plant room.
This concluded our explore and as we were exiting the building the same motorbike engine came haring back down the road towards us, we quickly went over to the public footpath and was greeted by the local farmer on his quadbike who stopped to chat to us. It turns out my friend knows him, and he was quite friendly asking us if we were part of the group that has been going in there to document the bats that live inside. After a short conversation about the site he zoomed off on this quadbike to check on his sheep. Extra photos below:
Control room electrical boxes.
Weight meter on crane control.
Gantry towards control room.
I think these are old fuse boxes.
Gantry.
Storage area.
Ventilation hall.
Broken off door.
Leaky light switch.
External Ash Chute.
History – Located at Haylers End the Incinerator was built and started operating in 1972 to burn household and trade waste from the surrounding area, medical waste was also burnt at the facility. Due to advancements in the understanding of how pollution affects us, and the atmosphere residents staged a public protest stating that their health was at risk due to this incinerator being located next to a farm, 1.1km from a caravaning site and 1.6 km from the local village. The site was eventually closed by the local council in 1995 and has remained unused since. The site was eventually sold by the local council for a discounted price to try and recoup some of the investment they had lost in the building. Many plans have been produced turn this site in to a small housing development, but residents of the village oppose new developments in the area still to this day. The owner of the land has even stated that he has thought about rebuilding the incinerator and putting it back in to use. The legal use of the site still classifies it and an incinerator and according to local news reports there are, no reasons planning would prevent this site from being reused for its legal purpose. But for now, the site is leased as grazing ground for the farmer that lives adjacent from the site to graze his sheep.
The Explore – For my first explore I decided to keep it local even though this is a well-known site I felt it was ample to find my feet in the world of urban exploring. I asked my friend who lives a short walk from the incinerator to partner me on this which she was quite interested in after I explained my knowledge of the site to her. We decided to go in the evening because that was convenient for the both of us. Walking down the road in the darkness we were suddenly aware that there was a man and his dog in the field next to us with a very high-powered torch which he kept shining in our direction unnerved but undeterred we still carried on towards the site. Approaching the site, we came across the main gate, hedges had over grown around the main gate giving the place an almost impenetrable look in the darkness. After a quick cig we lit up our lights and the gate was locked with a brand new combi lock, it turned out the public footpath next to the main gate cuts right through where the perimeter fence use to be. Partially standing heras fencing is the only method of deterrence for any intruders, but it didn’t take us long to weigh up our options as to which was going to be the best way in.
Walking around the outside of the building the elements and vandalism have taken their toll, with both sides of the ventilation hall being made from glass panes it has made good target practice for the local kids to throw rocks at. Someone has also been using the grounds as a target range, we found numerous .22lr cartridges and shot DVD cases scattered around.
We then entered via some conveniently placed steel stairs due to the floor of the ventilation hall being 4/5 ft above ground level, once inside the structure feels a lot smaller than it looks on the outside, due to all the ventilation shafts and machinery inside.
We ventured around in awe of the interior of this building and chuckling at some of the graffiti inside, in places nature has taken its course and started to reclaim small areas inside. On the side of one of the steel structures was an old St. Johns ambulance resuscitation guide and scattered across the floor were old refuse tickets some with the date on.
Whilst looking at the dates on these tickets we came across what others had used the site for… a few used condoms, an empty bottle of lube and a deflated heart shaped balloon. We ventured up to the gantries above the ventilation hall and explored some of the rooms up there, strangely enough the room that contained the viewing platform for the ash removal chute had an extreme change in temperature almost like there was still heat emanating from the bowels of this old incinerator.
We then ventured towards the control room and office area of the building when a motorbike came flying down the road we instantly cut the lights and stood in silence as we listened to whoever was riding come to a stop right outside the main gates. After standing in the darkness for what felt like an age listening to this engine idle it drove off in the direction it came, we then proceeded in darkness across the gantries to the control room door. Once we were in the control room we lit up again and were met with all the old electrical equipment and crane control station.
Overlooking a very long drop down in to the pit where the crane grabbers still sit. Separated by a towering wall there was another drop in the left window of the control bay which led down to where the fire use to be. Now full of water it looked quite ominous, these drops aren’t fenced off and if you fell in I feel like there’s a slim chance you would survive before rescue arrived, and you would be lucky not to be impaled on the bits of scrap metal sticking out of the water.
Leaving the control room, we ventured down the graffiti ridden stairwell to the old archives room which is knee height in old papers and power plant room.
This concluded our explore and as we were exiting the building the same motorbike engine came haring back down the road towards us, we quickly went over to the public footpath and was greeted by the local farmer on his quadbike who stopped to chat to us. It turns out my friend knows him, and he was quite friendly asking us if we were part of the group that has been going in there to document the bats that live inside. After a short conversation about the site he zoomed off on this quadbike to check on his sheep. Extra photos below:
Control room electrical boxes.
Weight meter on crane control.
Gantry towards control room.
I think these are old fuse boxes.
Gantry.
Storage area.
Ventilation hall.
Broken off door.
Leaky light switch.
External Ash Chute.
