A rather nice site that me and my friend James found after a local told us "the old chemist was just boarded up years back" and still with all the stuff in it. Not one to believe it, I didn't go down to check it. When I was finally in the area I went for a little look, finding this old shop front with some very old weathered boards on the doors and windows. But there was a little hole in the door and I just managed to get enough light from the torch to see the place was filled with glass bottles! A few trips happened at night to see a way in, one night with some creative climbing I managed to get in there on my own and got a few pics.
But that wasn't enough, we wanted to know why the place was left like it was (and to get back in as it had been made more secure). So with the basic info off the bottles and a lot of digging on the internet we located the owner in Kent of all places. James got his number as he was a councillor for one of the big political parties. James made many phone calls to the owner in Kent over many weeks and no matter when we called we never got an answer. After a month or so it was looking very unlikely that we was going to get hold of him and a comment insinuating James wasn't trying hard enough to which I was told I could bloody try ringing if I wanted as he had given up. I said alright then, give me the bloody number, 3 rings in the phoned was answered! Expecting to not get through I was unprepared for this. After I managed to compose myself and figure out what to say and how to approach the call I managed to get permission to go in during the day and given the keyholders number.
Two permission visits happened and then I managed a few none permission ones before the shoddy boarding got replaced again.
The brief history I got of the place is that the owners dad was the chemist and ran the shop which was connected internally to a rather nice house that was also abandoned. His father worked there up until he retired in the late 60's. The shop then stop disused for many years with the windows not boarded until the 80's and was then mostly forgotten by the locals. The now owner couldn't travel the distance back up from Kent due to health reasons to visit the shop so it just was left. Anyway enough from me and hope you enjoy the photos
But that wasn't enough, we wanted to know why the place was left like it was (and to get back in as it had been made more secure). So with the basic info off the bottles and a lot of digging on the internet we located the owner in Kent of all places. James got his number as he was a councillor for one of the big political parties. James made many phone calls to the owner in Kent over many weeks and no matter when we called we never got an answer. After a month or so it was looking very unlikely that we was going to get hold of him and a comment insinuating James wasn't trying hard enough to which I was told I could bloody try ringing if I wanted as he had given up. I said alright then, give me the bloody number, 3 rings in the phoned was answered! Expecting to not get through I was unprepared for this. After I managed to compose myself and figure out what to say and how to approach the call I managed to get permission to go in during the day and given the keyholders number.
Two permission visits happened and then I managed a few none permission ones before the shoddy boarding got replaced again.
The brief history I got of the place is that the owners dad was the chemist and ran the shop which was connected internally to a rather nice house that was also abandoned. His father worked there up until he retired in the late 60's. The shop then stop disused for many years with the windows not boarded until the 80's and was then mostly forgotten by the locals. The now owner couldn't travel the distance back up from Kent due to health reasons to visit the shop so it just was left. Anyway enough from me and hope you enjoy the photos
