After a unexpected phone call, I was down Eastbourne for the weekend, my mothers heating had packed up and we had decided it would be better for her to be up here for Christmas as it cant be fixed until the new year.
This was on my list of places to go (and to be honest I wish I knew about it years ago as it so trashed and unsafe.)
I got up early Sat morning and made my way there, it was easy to find and get in, but a warning for anyone thinking of going. Upstairs and down are very unsafe. there are very little flooring up and what is there down is completely rotten in places (Desks and cupboards have fallen through in places and its about a 3/4 foot drop) I nearly put my foot through at one point and just managed to get out in time.
Also, there are signs of people living there, one in the main roof space and someone in what I think was the living quarters of who ran the place.
I am not that pleased with my photos and am thinking of using my old bridge camera until I get someone to show me how to use my new one.
A bit of history which was borrowed from someone else
"In 1886, the largest Barnardo's home for orphans under six years old was built in Hawkhurst, caring for hundreds of babies. It was known as Babies' Castle. By 1965 the number of children in care at the Babies Castle had so reduced it was decided to finally close the orphanage. It was re-named 'Hawkhurst Castle' and became a private old people's nursing home, but in 2005 it was sold again for £1.7 million and planning permission was granted to turn it into flats, but this never happened."
http://www.goldonian.org/photos/photo_archive_homes/pages/babies_castle_england_.htm
The rest of my photos can be found here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100221036@N06/sets/72157638888660093/
left me hat in my car (used my daughters)
Attic doors
It's Christmas
a few rotten floors
A very strange place for a fire, right in front of a couple of doors
It was pouring down outside but managed to get some of the outside (You cant get anywhere near the front)
Thanks for looking
This was on my list of places to go (and to be honest I wish I knew about it years ago as it so trashed and unsafe.)
I got up early Sat morning and made my way there, it was easy to find and get in, but a warning for anyone thinking of going. Upstairs and down are very unsafe. there are very little flooring up and what is there down is completely rotten in places (Desks and cupboards have fallen through in places and its about a 3/4 foot drop) I nearly put my foot through at one point and just managed to get out in time.
Also, there are signs of people living there, one in the main roof space and someone in what I think was the living quarters of who ran the place.
I am not that pleased with my photos and am thinking of using my old bridge camera until I get someone to show me how to use my new one.
A bit of history which was borrowed from someone else
"In 1886, the largest Barnardo's home for orphans under six years old was built in Hawkhurst, caring for hundreds of babies. It was known as Babies' Castle. By 1965 the number of children in care at the Babies Castle had so reduced it was decided to finally close the orphanage. It was re-named 'Hawkhurst Castle' and became a private old people's nursing home, but in 2005 it was sold again for £1.7 million and planning permission was granted to turn it into flats, but this never happened."
http://www.goldonian.org/photos/photo_archive_homes/pages/babies_castle_england_.htm
The rest of my photos can be found here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100221036@N06/sets/72157638888660093/
left me hat in my car (used my daughters)
Attic doors
It's Christmas
a few rotten floors
A very strange place for a fire, right in front of a couple of doors
It was pouring down outside but managed to get some of the outside (You cant get anywhere near the front)
Thanks for looking