ivorbean
29-04-2010, 04:22 PM
Leybourne Grange Explored 04/10
On a visit down to Kent I decided to take an afternoon off to check out Leybourne Grange. I had some info that demolition was taking place rapidly but due to the size of the site I guessed there would be buildings left standing and I was right.
Entry was quite straightforward I just followed the foot path past Leybourne Grange Riding Centre and it takes you right to the perimeter fence that was basically lying flat near the foot path. First stop was the huge Nurses Home which has been completely stripped, looks like it must have had a nice wooden floor perhaps as all the nails are left sticking up, need a good set of boots, also the usual Asbestos warning signs were about so I used a mask throughout the site. Did see a set of football stickers on the wall in one of the rooms, evidence of the training Nurses that must have occupied the place. Some damn long corridors in there and great graffiti on the stairwells.
Most of the ‘villas’ were boarded up tight but I did manage to get into one, again these are stripped out well now. Great decay on the paintwork though.
I didn’t have a lot of time really so headed for Admin which had its own fence round it but as I got closer (all the time trying to avoid being seen by the builders not that far away) I saw a gap and quickly got through. It looked as if everything was boarded up well then as I made my way round the building I found an open door with half a tripod stood in the doorway! I had company… I gingerly headed in and it was very dark so the torch was out and I was expecting to bump into someone but it didn’t happen. The stairs are great in there and the basement is pretty cool. Upstairs I found a live water pipe pouring water, very strange.
Went to the tower and yard then round some of the garden with old green houses and the like, very interesting. I think it must have looked nice in its day. All in all I saw very little of the site as a whole and the buildings are empty but there is still a lot to see including wildlife.
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange1b_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange2_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange3b_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange4_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange14b_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange16_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange5b_tonemapped.jpg
Thanks for Looking.
On a visit down to Kent I decided to take an afternoon off to check out Leybourne Grange. I had some info that demolition was taking place rapidly but due to the size of the site I guessed there would be buildings left standing and I was right.
Entry was quite straightforward I just followed the foot path past Leybourne Grange Riding Centre and it takes you right to the perimeter fence that was basically lying flat near the foot path. First stop was the huge Nurses Home which has been completely stripped, looks like it must have had a nice wooden floor perhaps as all the nails are left sticking up, need a good set of boots, also the usual Asbestos warning signs were about so I used a mask throughout the site. Did see a set of football stickers on the wall in one of the rooms, evidence of the training Nurses that must have occupied the place. Some damn long corridors in there and great graffiti on the stairwells.
Most of the ‘villas’ were boarded up tight but I did manage to get into one, again these are stripped out well now. Great decay on the paintwork though.
I didn’t have a lot of time really so headed for Admin which had its own fence round it but as I got closer (all the time trying to avoid being seen by the builders not that far away) I saw a gap and quickly got through. It looked as if everything was boarded up well then as I made my way round the building I found an open door with half a tripod stood in the doorway! I had company… I gingerly headed in and it was very dark so the torch was out and I was expecting to bump into someone but it didn’t happen. The stairs are great in there and the basement is pretty cool. Upstairs I found a live water pipe pouring water, very strange.
Went to the tower and yard then round some of the garden with old green houses and the like, very interesting. I think it must have looked nice in its day. All in all I saw very little of the site as a whole and the buildings are empty but there is still a lot to see including wildlife.
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange1b_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange2_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange3b_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange4_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange14b_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange16_tonemapped.jpg
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz104/ivorbean/Leybourne%20Grange/LeybourneGrange5b_tonemapped.jpg
Thanks for Looking.