St Athan Boys Village

Had a nice day out in (not so) sunny Aberthaw with my mate lipo. Battled the drizzle and wind for a really nice large explore. Quite a few buildings remain, although they are completely stripped out now, would have liked to have seen it a few years ago, but there ya go .

(Taken from Wikipedia) It opened in 1930 as a summer camp for the boys of the local mining community, but as the industry declined then the use of it changed to include other youths, apprecticeships etc.

Map link HERE

Looking at the aerial view, I just noticed how much is now gone. I have yet to visit one of the big asylums, but i guess the feeling must be the same as it slowly vanishes forever

Anyway, on with the pics!!

The view from where we parked the car


The main building, with dining room and kitchens


Another view of the main building


Inside the church


Boiler room


New dorm block. Showers downstairs, bedrooms upstairs


Upstairs in the new block


Church, taken from the fire escape on the new dorm


There are more pics on my flickr page, check em out. seeing this place has inspried me (and Lipo) to hit Hellingly soon, before that goes too.
Hope you enjoyed, till next time.....

Aww man even more fire damage... This time on the changing rooms. There's virtually nothing left of the place more graffiti too

Absolutely loved this place, got so many pictures.. managed to play around with them quite a lot too... about half way through getting them how I want them, so Ill post em when Im done.. was about a month or 2 ago we went.


Some good pics.. where is the high angle shot from? on top of the red dorm place?

of the church? Its from the end of the corridor upstairs in the red brick dorm block. You can see the doorway on the photo of the building itself. I dont remeber seeing a way up on to the roof, but if i get the chance to go back, I'll be up there. It would be nice to do a 360 panorama of the whole site before it gets knocked down!

Yeh definitely. I absolutely loved this place, was just great to have all the different types of buildings you may get to see 1 of in a trip usually.. all in one place!

There was that extra bit on top of the red building but there was no stairway up to it, it was like a little loft bit. Didnt go up there myself. Not sure there was a way.

Interestingly we went and shot the place, and i told my dad, and he has like cine footage of the town from about 40 years ago, havent watched it yet but thatll be well interesting. if i can figure it all out ill post a link up on here too.

Heres a couple Ive worked on so far...

That one of the church is stunning. As is usually the case when I go on a trip, I always think back to 'what I should have done'. I'd love to go back, hopefully before its just a flat bit of wasteland with piles of rubble dotted about the place! Whereabouts are you from Requiem?

Excellent pics mate, love the interior of the chapel.

My dad went there in the mid 1930's to stay when they still lived in Ebbw Vale. He said that there wasn't a swimming pool when there were there. They used to go down to the beach and swim in the sea in those days. When they were on the way back to the camp, each boy had to carry a large rock and take it to St Athans airfield as it was being built then. The rocks were used to arrange in rectangles and squares where all the buildings were going to go.

When i get up to his house later on today, will show him the latest pics from here.

Cheers,

Sal

Im in pontypridd.

Still working on getting the cine footage from the 60s online and my pics... i took too many the place was a goldmine

Scruffyone said:

of the church? Its from the end of the corridor upstairs in the red brick dorm block. You can see the doorway on the photo of the building itself. I dont remeber seeing a way up on to the roof, but if i get the chance to go back, I'll be up there. It would be nice to do a 360 panorama of the whole site before it gets knocked down!

Click to expand...

hi i am making panorama at the moment I mean I've done pictures and now I am trying to find some free software to put it all together.

BTW. I am doing my major project up there, amazing place. It is so sad that every visit is more damaged. And it is for sale now.

UPDATE: This place was opened in 1925 don't trust wikipedia