It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of exploring a few ruined sites in one day so the feeling has come right back. After a last minute weekend change of plans I organised this trip with one of my long-time explore friends and we had a jolly good time.

First up was a revisit to a care home that was one of my favourite locations last year. Back last summer it was beautifully decayed, the sunlight was streaming through the windows and it was all lovely and dry, but what a difference eight months makes. The place felt very dark, dank and unpleasant and I don't think either of us really enjoyed it. The floors have also gone from 'a bit dangerous' to 'outright deathtrap' as well, it won't be long until someone goes straight through a floor upstairs.

I took these photos with my 30mm prime lens.

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After leaving we headed for the main target. A location I had wanted to explore for many years but never found the time, or myself in the right place. A huge animal research facility spread over a large area centred around an old manor house which is itself flanked by two wings of more modern laboratory buildings. The site is very samey for the most part with most buildings looking like identikit 1940s military, most lined with rooms that would have contained labs or cages at some point. However one building, dubbed 'Lab X' by explorers is different. Inside it is mostly dark, and was obviously used for far more risky experiments. Every lab room has a reinforced door with an airlock, as well as an extremely unnerving concave plexiglass viewing window set into the side of each room. About six years ago I explored another animal research facility which gave me an incredibly bad feeling, I once again felt that in here. After that, my friend had had enough and wanted to go (he was also with me on the other lab explore), and as time was chopping on anyway we decided to leave the rest for another day.

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After leaving we headed a few minutes down the road to what on the outset looks like a completely ruined shell of a building. To be honest it is, but I wanted an extra bonus explore and the building itself was very important during the Cold War. It was the home of Bomber Command's Strategic Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, who flew over the Iron Curtain on missions to take hundreds of aerial photographs which were later developed and analysed in the building. After the end of the Cold War the unique building and it's unique purpose was deemed surplus to requirements and shut down.

I wandered through here on my own as my friend didn't like the look of it, it's a real mess and such a shame that a very small but very unique part of Cold War history has been forgotten.

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Thanks for looking

very nice set. good job

Awesome!

Cheers guys, it was fun getting out again like old times. Got big plans for next weekend as well...