Report - West Ham Courthouse (July 2015)

[mdk]

This was quite an interesting explore, despite how small and heavily decayed the building is.

Security is virtually non-existant, though I'd warn anyone tempted to explore this place... skip your lunch, that extra weight might mean the difference between making it out in one piece, or falling through a birdshit coated floor onto more birdshit below, and likely have the birdshit coated ceiling come down on top of you after. (I struggle to imagine a worse way to die than that...)

Frustratingly can't seem to find any history related to the building, so if anyone can find anything, please share!

 

[slayaaaa]

Did you get into the morgue?
It's a nice place nice one for having a look, i have some history on my report, I'll copy it over.

 

[slayaaaa]

West ham obtained it's own Stipendiary Magistrate under the provisions of the Stipendiary Magistrates Act 1863, Before the court house was built. This Stipendiary ceased from 1954 (Due to the joint appointment with East Ham).


This becomes the West Ham Magistrates' Court of the Newham Division of the North East London Area of Petty Sessions.


Eventually, East Ham obtained its own Magistrates' Court with court buildings in the Town Hall complex and a Stipendiary Magistrate was appointed. From c.1943 -1954 a Stipendiary served the East Ham and West Ham Courts jointly. The appointment ceased in both East Ham and West Ham from 1954.



The court continued as the East Ham Magistrates' Court in the North East London Area organisation after 1965, but was eventually phased out.


Also in 1965, West Ham lost its Quarter Sessions and Recorder, and its own Coroner. The East Ham and West Ham Independent Magistrates' Courts came under the North East London Area of Petty Sessions as indicated above. There is now one Eastern London Coroners Courts for the London Boroughs of Barking, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, at Queens Road, Walthamstow, E.17. (A new magistrates' court was built in the late 1990s in High Street, Stratford).


There's not much online about official closure, but from other council reports and documents, I can only asuume eventually, due to the new court house, it seemed West Ham coroners court was phased out until 2010 when it finally was left vacant.


It was Grade 2 listed in the 1980's as being a historical building. But that didn't stop the fire in December 2013 from gutting court room 2 and destroying the upper floors.


2014 saw minor conservation work such as scaffolding holding up court room 1 and a temporary roof to prevent further decay.


It is part of a conservation prder and plan of the Stratford area but as of now not much has been done.


Convictions and Criminal History


Notable convictions include the Rolling Stones, Here is a small section of text from an article: “The band were passing through the area after a gig in Romford, and wanted to take a pee. Denied access to a toilet, three of the band took matters into their own hands, and left their mark on the wall of a local service station. Three of the group were subsequently arrested and four months later fined £5 each, at West Ham magistrates court, for "insulting behaviour".” - See more at:http://www.e7-nowandthen.org/2015/03/50th-anniversary-of-rolling-stones.html#sthash.0OIElJgN.dpuf


Here, in this book you can see a few of the cases taken out inside West Ham Coroners' and Magistrates' court:https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JaUDhjsMdcEC&lpg=PA488&ots=9XNp2qBFaj&dq=west ham magistrates Court coroners&pg=PA447#v=onepage&q&f=true


If the link doesn't work, it's Chapter 19 (A matter of confidence) Part 1 (I). Page 447 to 451

​

 

[mdk]

Did you get into the morgue?
It's a nice place nice one for having a look, i have some history on my report, I'll copy it over.

was that the big metal door under a staircase? I suspected something very interesting would be behind it, but it wouldn't budge and chickened out to use a bit of force with how fragile the building looked

cheers for the history mate - such a shame the fire, and likely the water used to put it out, destroyed so much of the interior.

wasn't able to find another report on this place... is yours NP?

 

[slayaaaa]

Yeah it was put in NP by an admin. Im not fussed about it really.
Nah, the morgue is in an outer building, no way in from inside the main court house. Easy enough to do if you think outside the box.
Nice one

 

[host]

Beautifully shot mate, if it wasn't so far i'd be their in a shot...

 

[DirtyJigsaw]

This is awesome. Nice shots. Def a place id like to look around.

 

[GRONK]

Great report mate, the place looks great.

 

[Lost Explorer]

Very nice shots mate! Great report

 

[The Wanderer]

do you need the masks on and is there any security at all ?

 

[mdk]

do you need the masks on and is there any security at all ?

none that we could see. wore masks because of the state the building was in, dont know if there was asbestos or anything else... better to be safe than sorry!

 

[The Wanderer]

none that we could see. wore masks because of the state the building was in, dont know if there was asbestos or anything else... better to be safe than sorry!

Yeah Absestos scares the s*** out of me

 

[Cloudseed]

Liking all the fire damage.

 

[George Staden]

Hi I am looking for information about Stratford Magistrates Court that was in West Ham Lane Stratford. it was transferred to the present site April 1994 is this Building you are viewing in West Ham Lane, do you have the actual address of your Courthouse West Ham. I would be very grateful for the information GHS

 

[mockney reject]

@mdk

your photos are being used here

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734768170091126/about/