Welcome
to Forlorn Britain, through our modern country hidden among
the shadows of retail superstores and executive housing developments,
are a number of buildings who's glory days have past. Lying
abandoned
and in many cases forgotten these relics of the past hold the
secrets of who we once were and how we once lived and worked.
For the most
part most people chose to ignore there unsettling presence
and get on with there everyday lives without giving them a second
thought,
But for me they have always held a strange fascination. This
web site attempts to document the unique buildings and sites,
I have
had the opportunity to visit and photograph and share some of
experiences exploring these fascinating but forgotten gems.
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RAF
Reserve Depot Llanberis, Gwynedd
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In
1939 the disused used Glyn Rhonwy Isaf quarry near Llanberis
was converted by the air ministry for the storage of 18,000
tons of bombs. 3 years later the underground structure
collapsed trapping 14% of the RAF's bomb stock under tons
of slate, It took until 1975 before the site was finally
cleared of explosives and the remains of the deport have
been left abandoned and un disturbed since then. |
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Boys
Village, Aberthaw
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Boys Village
was founded in the 1930's by the colliers of the Ocean
Coal Company to provide holidays by the seaside for the
youngest members of the communities of the South Wales
coal field. Managed by the Boys Clubs movement for over
50 years the camp was finally abandoned in 2006 and is
now awaiting demolition to make way for a housing development
of 200+ homes.
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Orb
Steelworks, Newport
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The Orb
Steelworks first opened in 1898 rolling iron produced in
the midlands which was then shipped to Bristol to be galvanised,
It would go on to be come the center of the Lysaght Steel
empire manufacturing thousands of tons of iron and steel
which was shipped all over the globe, The works is still
in production today but the oldest part of the site was
sold off to a housing developer in 2008.
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Force
Crag Mine, Cumbria
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Force Crag
was the last metal mine in Lakeland when it closed for
the final time in 1991. Over the previous 152 years it
had successfully been worked for Lead, Zinc and Barytes
supporting the armaments industry through both World Wars.
The mine's processing mill is no preserved for the nation
by the National Trust but my visit took me under the surface
for a look at what remains below the tourist trail.
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