Visited with @Chloe Explores
After some difficulty with finding the correct footpath and a bit of a walk we were greeted with a very small, boring looking structure. I’d seen photos online of this huge place and wondered if we had somehow got the location wrong, turned out we were at the back of the building and we were in the right place.
I have a soft spot for graffitied shells and this place was magnificent in that respect, ok so there wasn’t a great deal of actual artwork but i thought it was beautiful. It is set over 3 floors and has a basement that was unfortunately flooded, the internal walls are long gone and the only thing not covered in graffiti was the ceilings. As the shell is concrete there was no danger of soggy floors you just had to keep away from the edges so you didn’t fall out.
For those of you who have run out of fucks to give i found a barrel of them should you need some
Was a lovely explore, quite and hidden away from the busy road over the trees. Clearly the local hang out for kids and some evidence of raves having taken place here.
History -
you would think given its previous life as a police academy there would be at least a little history to find but there is nothing other than this from a newspaper report in October 2014 :
A security guard found evidence of drug use after being called to investigate a late night rave.
The Metropolitan Police received complaints on Saturday night regarding a supposed rave coming from the area of Barnet Road in Arkley.
Noise began at around 11am and continued throughout the night.
It is believed that more than 500 young people were attending an illegal rave on land behind the petrol station, off Stirling Corner roundabout.
Security guard ******* ********, of Proforce Security, was called by a nearby landowner to investigate the noise – but left shortly after arriving at the site, fearing the large numbers of people could get out of control.
he said: “The padlocks had been broken open, and they were using the old police station to graffiti and things.
“When you can see around 500 to 600 people off their heads, dancing around, you leave it alone. There was nothing we could do about it then.”
Mr ****** said he found evidence of drug use when he returned to check the area for damage the next day, which he collected to hand over to the police.
People living nearby took to social media during the night to complain about the persistent noise, which continued until around 6am the following morning.
*** ****** , a committee member of the Elstree and Borehamwood Residents Association, said the noise could be heard a mile away and feels not enough was done to stop the problem.
She said: “I could hear every word yelled by the MC over their PA system and words of every song, from half a kilometre away, for the entire six hours until 6am on Sunday morning.
"It was as loud as if someone was parked in our driveways with their car stereo turned right up.”
Arkley home owner **** ********** added that the Shell petrol station was forced to close due to the disturbance and said she was worried that the party-goers could easily climb the walls into her neighbourhood.
She said: "If they can break a big padlock and get into that land, they can easily climb the walls into this estate. The whole thing was as loud as a Robbie Williams concert at Wembley, and abolsutely nothing was done to stop it. It's a disgrace."
As no criminal offences had been alleged, police contacted the duty Environmental Health Officer at Barnet Council to inform them and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team are now in discussion with the owners of the land
After some difficulty with finding the correct footpath and a bit of a walk we were greeted with a very small, boring looking structure. I’d seen photos online of this huge place and wondered if we had somehow got the location wrong, turned out we were at the back of the building and we were in the right place.
I have a soft spot for graffitied shells and this place was magnificent in that respect, ok so there wasn’t a great deal of actual artwork but i thought it was beautiful. It is set over 3 floors and has a basement that was unfortunately flooded, the internal walls are long gone and the only thing not covered in graffiti was the ceilings. As the shell is concrete there was no danger of soggy floors you just had to keep away from the edges so you didn’t fall out.
For those of you who have run out of fucks to give i found a barrel of them should you need some
Was a lovely explore, quite and hidden away from the busy road over the trees. Clearly the local hang out for kids and some evidence of raves having taken place here.
History -
you would think given its previous life as a police academy there would be at least a little history to find but there is nothing other than this from a newspaper report in October 2014 :
A security guard found evidence of drug use after being called to investigate a late night rave.
The Metropolitan Police received complaints on Saturday night regarding a supposed rave coming from the area of Barnet Road in Arkley.
Noise began at around 11am and continued throughout the night.
It is believed that more than 500 young people were attending an illegal rave on land behind the petrol station, off Stirling Corner roundabout.
Security guard ******* ********, of Proforce Security, was called by a nearby landowner to investigate the noise – but left shortly after arriving at the site, fearing the large numbers of people could get out of control.
he said: “The padlocks had been broken open, and they were using the old police station to graffiti and things.
“When you can see around 500 to 600 people off their heads, dancing around, you leave it alone. There was nothing we could do about it then.”
Mr ****** said he found evidence of drug use when he returned to check the area for damage the next day, which he collected to hand over to the police.
People living nearby took to social media during the night to complain about the persistent noise, which continued until around 6am the following morning.
*** ****** , a committee member of the Elstree and Borehamwood Residents Association, said the noise could be heard a mile away and feels not enough was done to stop the problem.
She said: “I could hear every word yelled by the MC over their PA system and words of every song, from half a kilometre away, for the entire six hours until 6am on Sunday morning.
"It was as loud as if someone was parked in our driveways with their car stereo turned right up.”
Arkley home owner **** ********** added that the Shell petrol station was forced to close due to the disturbance and said she was worried that the party-goers could easily climb the walls into her neighbourhood.
She said: "If they can break a big padlock and get into that land, they can easily climb the walls into this estate. The whole thing was as loud as a Robbie Williams concert at Wembley, and abolsutely nothing was done to stop it. It's a disgrace."
As no criminal offences had been alleged, police contacted the duty Environmental Health Officer at Barnet Council to inform them and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team are now in discussion with the owners of the land
