Report - Pilkingtons HQUK Canteen, St. Helens

[scotty markfour]

HISTORY- The canteen for the new pilkingtons HQ was opened in august 1965 , it was a very large canteen that had to cater for the 1,500 employees based at the st helens HQ , the site also had a dentist , chiropidist , opticians, hairdressing salon and a library and company musuem on the site !
The landscaped grounds were built with a reservoir and fountain for the diners to enjoy snd csme complete with a pair of swans.

In more recent times the pilkingtons site has been used more as a filming location as interest in office spaces for rent dwindle away . reports in the liverpool echo and st helens star , BBC , ITV, NETFLIX have used the site upto now ! peaky blinders and even one of the marvel films with SAMUAL L JACKSON has made use of the site !

THE VISIT- I had come across this place whilst i was helping my missus move to her new temporary office at the old pilkingtins HQ building, me being me !...i had to have a good nose around the site and came across the abandoned canteen building , it is from there i planned to come back !....weeks later i came back and did a quick recce of the place !
The next day i was up early as usual to attend the gym , when i noticed how foggy it was... i thought "sod the gym " , so i grabbed my big torch n dslr camera with a 10 -22mm wide angled lens and headed for st helens before the rising sun would burn the fog away !

 

[Mikeymutt]

The fog really adds to it.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Agree that actually looks better in the fog i think.

 

[scotty markfour]

going to foggy crap places... so you don,t have to !...lol

 

[Calamity Jane]

Perfect film opening pics, the ominous lake with fog. Like this

 

[Shaun]

Can't imagine what's hiding in the tower..

 

[Guernica03]

As others have said the fog makes these pics, the interior has its charm despite being stripped too

 

[Exploring with Andy]

Don't forget the month and year of your visit in the title, cheers

 

[scotty markfour]

Can't imagine what's hiding in the tower..

until a few weeks ago ......my missus ...lol ....she had an office there til she was told to move !

 

[scotty markfour]

What an epic office! Lucky workers having that pond and garden to stroll around on there lunch break..

For those who are curious there is nothing really 'hidden' in the tower per-say, in fact its disappointingly a bit modern (although of course there is hidden older attributes to hunt out).

There new headquarters, if that's what you want to call it, down the road nr Ormskirk was also very disappointing, almost all modern even the testing bays!

I had a poke around them when I was in town one day. Most of the tower is working but from memory there are a few floors that aren't. Maybe I should dig my photos out?!

dig them pics out !