Tales of the Urban Explorer: 'Churchills'

in #hive-1043872 years ago

Four times I had tried 'Churchills'; it was a now matter of pride and what treasure it yielded was irrelevant. Not since the incredibly annoying and elusive 'St Rafaels' in Eastern Manchester had an exploration made me go back so often to try again.

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Always there was a problem. The busy car park at the rear, annoying coppers walking past fitted with the latest technological busybody sensor implants, or worse still that fucking wobbly wall that could almost be blown over.

Walls are supposed to be solid, but not the 'Churchills' wall. It was made up of some substance resembling a combination of jelly and rubber bands. Touch it and it might fall over. In hindsight a sparkling idea except I didn't want to be busted for vandalising this particular piece of jellied brick-ware.

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@anidiotexplores and I waited patiently for @lpff to arrive by train. Maybe his presence would intimidate that large black gate flanked by barbed wire and trimmed with evil spikes to miraculously open.

But wait, this time there was a pallet leaning against the wall. Could it be the corner section had a little more glue binding that decaying brickwork together?

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Oblivious to the car park attendees I scampered up and peered over the edge. It was a drop but the far side housed a few trees and what's more, the wall was holding.

I hurriedly stuck my leg over and into the bough of a flimsy-looking tree that creaked in protest. As usual, we would worry about getting out later.

The Rose Hill Hotel opened as a beer house shortly after an 1830 Act of Parliament relaxed the licensing regulations for premises wishing to be opened as public houses serving beer but not spirits.

By the early part of 1984 the Rose Hill was bought by Bandmatic, and was renamed Churchill's. It closed sometime between 2009 and 2011.
Source

In the summer of 2022, ‘Churchills’ was ravaged by fire, but that didn't make it any easier to get into as some twat sealed it up tight again almost immediately.

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Having traversed the jungle that used to be ‘Churchills’ yard area, we emerged through this hole in the ground and noted there was only one way to go.

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Large holes of death lay underneath the makeshift doors and radiator placed purposely by past explorers for semi-safe passage. One bad move and it would be curtains, injury, ambulances, and a stern telling off by the authorities.

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We moved quickly into a kitchen area filled with holy light emanating from where the cupboards used to be. Filled with glory and blessings we left the gaudy chair and bottle of holy water behind.

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I was taking note of the masses of ancient spider webs, possibly left decades previously by spiders that now could be extinct and missing from our world.

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Having been primed, I knew of the fabled snooker table, or should I say tables. Little gauze was left, with no balls and no cues. There would be no game today.

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This one was a little better, and with plenty of seating for would-be spectators.

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Taken from an acute angle one can imagine what used to be hordes of excited spiders dangling from their perches enjoying thrilling snooker matches from bygone ages.

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The cock drawn on the ceiling likely came later and hardly enhances the view. Some pert tits perhaps would have been a better option?

Moving out of the ‘Snooker Room’, what else could ‘Churchills’ throw at us; what could beat that spectacle?

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Arachnophobics would not fare well inside ‘Churchills’, although we saw little of the giant creatures that could emerge within seconds and consume us whole.

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One daring vandal must have stretched over there to paint that masterpiece. Brave souls had come and gone, and maybe devoured without a trace.

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I am quite sure these are the fixtures for the 2002 World Cup. Senegal stunned France with a 1-0 victory, I remember it well.

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That writing is remarkably similar. I couldn't write the same thing and then struggle to see any differences. They were separate sheets of paper filled with scribbles. Cleaning could do with some prioritisation I would say.

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The filing cabinet for once did open but still contained a decent amount of mandatory rust.

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We headed downstairs to the bar area in search of adventure, or otherwise.

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That is one boring bar, with no glasses, no pumps, no nothing besides dust.

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This area appears to have escaped the fire. That red covering would burn very well given a reason to.

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This area was fire damaged but otherwise untouched. Someone had stacked all the crap up together making it tough to get through.

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We headed down a corridor and spotted the mass damage, noting what was above our heads. That loose radiator and those doors probably.

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To get past this it was either jump and hope the far side floor does not collapse or gingerly edge around the hole with the same hopes. I opted for (b) and managed to get away with it.

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Another bar…, more burnt but otherwise as fascinating as the previous one.

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I opted not to go for a stroll over there, taking note of the nearby large hole in the ground.

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Look at that; so moody.

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Seriously, don’t you think it’s a little late for this ‘Churchills’?

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I didn't fancy scrambling across a blackened bar to escape so had to thread my way past that dodgy hole again.

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The sole evidence left, and from the days when beer was a little cheaper than now.

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The bills don’t half rack up if you don’t pay. Scottish Power would have ‘sold’ this debt to the debt collectors. It was a good deal looking at what it amounts to be now, and unlikely to ever be settled.

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The Rose Hill Hotel it was before 1984. A small part of the pub has retained its original feature.

Finding an easier way out, we bypassed these signs before emerging once again into the jungle backyard.

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This one looks like some American bullshit I am sad to say. 'Paid to lose weight'…, more like pay to slim down your wallet.

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£1.50 a pint, now that’s a terrific deal, you do need to bring your own glass though.

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Escaping from 'Churchills' was easier than I imagined, the not so flimsy tree helping enormously. With surging confidence, I was ready for the next climbing challenge.

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we emerged through this hole in the ground and noted there was only one way to go

The only way is up, baby!!

Those spider webs looked terrifying. Even if there were cues and all that you couldn't have played without imagining one floating down onto your head!

Those spider webs looked terrifying. Even if there were cues and all that you couldn't have played without imagining one floating down onto your head!

Oh they were much better in reality. I mean curtains of large black webs everywhere that didn't want to be photographed. Another of those surreal sights. I hear some wanker has brushed them all away.

That is a wanker. Done things you have to just leave but some people can't. Boo hiss

That snooker table looks incredible really good photo of that and every photo looks great.

Love the spider webs definitely adds to the eerily feel

Love the spider webs definitely adds to the eerily feel

Yeah..., almost as good as the tables, loved the vibe and atmosphere in there. A dangerous explore but great for a first of the day.

Glad you made it out alive! Very cool urban exploration!
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It was fun, and got our adrenalin pumping as always.

Just wait until the US finally cripples it's own infrastructure, society, and economy. Then we'll have tons of abandoned places to explore across the pond...unfortunately.

And we will be shot at the entire time.

Ah.. but in the US it's a criminal act, which is why it's not so popular there. I mean here, people always think you are up to no good. It's expected.

It is always a pleasure to read your post.

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Thanks, I don't post so often now. They take some effort.

I understand, I will be looking forward to your next adventure.

Another great exploration. I like the humor you have throughout your writing.

I like the humor you have throughout your writing.

Well thanks, I do try and not duplicate my old lines!

Never have I ever seen spider webs like those. What ever those creatures are, I'm just thankful we don't have them here in Wisconsin!

I never spotted even one of the foul beasts and it was mid-summer. You might think they were all waiting and watching us, waiting for the kill!

It gets an 11 out of 10 for its spider webbery ! And the snooker tables - thats a pretty cool find on an explore ! Too big and tough for the vandals to properly knacker up !

Hearsay tells me that it's be burnt again, though I couldn't find a online report more recent than the one I linked. The first time I tried this was in 2020, before Fire 1.

Arses

The busy car park at the rear, annoying coppers walking past fitted with the latest technological busybody sensor implants, or worse still that fucking wobbly wall that could almost be blown over.

Walls are supposed to be solid

Bloody cops always ruin people's trespassing fun!

It's amazing how attractive and interesting the humanity's detritus can be. I mean, I'd not want my house decorated like this but from the interest-factor it's always good.

I'm glad you made it in, did you partake of a cheap pint?

On our first attempt we snuck into those bushes out of sight. That's where the jelly wall is. You could literally grab it and shake.., we figured it was a bad idea to throw up a leg!

Without aid the high wall is a little much, and getting out the ladders was too public. No pint this time, not even shitty beer barrels inside.

One must consider for a few moments before one throws one 's leg over something that resembles jelly.

It is a cool spot...I wish we had some. I could urbex in some of the gyms around here, no fucker has been in most of them for years...or at least as long as they got their memberships paid up.

Have you checked the trespass laws? Is it a criminal act in Oz? Here the owners get very upset if they catch us mooching around their property and there's no guns which is significant. They use their phones as guns here, pointing them as well as yelling a lot!

It's a criminal act here resulting in prosecution; not something I'm too keen on happening.

Pointing and yelling sounds less ominous than pointing shot guns and firing. Lol. There's loads of really old properties around in the county, homesteads and all, but they're all on farmers land so getting into them is a little problematic.

Ah, well then you are going to have to wait until for a trip to England, so you can do what you like!

Look out poms, I'll be trespassing everywhere. I might start with Buckingham Palace.

Is the building like pointed on one side? That is kind of odd construction. Maybe it was just the angle of the photo. I saw an article the other day talking about anti climb paint and how it might be illegal to use it. It was a really interesting piece. It made me think of you.

I saw an article the other day talking about anti climb paint and how it might be illegal to use it.

I wish! I see it all the time and occasionally it gets one of us before we realise it's there. Horrid stuff.

I think that was part of the reason it might be illegal. It's just so hard to get off. They were saying that really you are only supposed to use it above a certain height and you better be sure you are insured for it.

Wow, a really interesting place with history... Excellent article, as well written and sequenced as always, it feels like being there exploring that place (but without risking ending up under it)... It's a shame to see those pool tables... I miss our local pool bar, it closed about 20 years ago :(... The owners left the country and then it became a Chinese food restaurant... I guess I haven't played pool since then! :(.,.. Thank you very much for sharing this new work @slobberchops friend, I have enjoyed reading and looking at those photos, I always love to look at the ones in the fired areas, they are really dramatic!...

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I always love to look at the ones in the fired areas, they are really dramatic!...

That particular day, just about everywhere we visited was burnt in some degree. Talk about the day of the burning! The next few apart from one will have many burnt images again hehe..


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You always find beautiful places!
Or are the photos that make the exploration magical heh heh!

However, it's really a pity that those bolero tables are abandoned there, in my opinion they could be recovered.

In any case, it's really fascinating to see how interesting it can be to find out what man leaves behind in abandoned places like this... every object tells a story.

However, it's really a pity that those bolero tables are abandoned there, in my opinion they could be recovered.

It could be that the new fire (so I have been told about) could have destroyed those tables now.., I hardly ever go back, so count on hearsay from @anidiotexplores who tends to know these things.

Damn really a pity!
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