If you thought St Mary’s at Fulmodeston was overgrown, check out this abandoned church in the English village of Bircham Tofts.  Tucked away down the aptly named Church Lane, St Andrew’s Church is completely consumed by ivy.  If it wasn’t for the angular nature of the bell tower betraying the abandoned building’s shape, passers-by could be forgiven for mistaking the centuries-old structure for a dense copse of trees.

(Images: Gary Troughton, cc-nc-3.0)

Inside – if you can find the entrance – the building’s stonework is clearly visible.  But on the outside, the grounds are almost as overgrown as the roofless structure itself.  Dotted around the churchyard, weathered headstones emerge forlornly from the undergrowth that offers a haven for all manner of wildlife.

(Image: Gary Troughton, cc-nc-3.0)

If St Andrew’s at Bircham Tofts isn’t the world’s most overgrown abandoned church, the competition must be formidable.  Either way, the building reflects nineteenth century efforts to amalgamate small rural parishes previously served by their own individual churches or chapels.  The result is a wealth of ruined ecclesiastical structures located throughout rural Britain.

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Known as prison ships or “prison hulks”, these decomissioned vessels were used by Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries to house prisoners of war and those awaiting transportation to penal colonies. Rife with death, disease and despair, prison ships reflect a less-than-proud corner of Britain’s impressive maritime history. Moreover, some converted hulks were among the Royal Navy’s most celebrated vessels, from veterans of Trafalgar to the ship that took George Vancouver to the west coast of North America (HMS Discovery, above; below: HMS York).

(Image: Edward William Cooke, public domain)

History and use during the American War of Independence

Wikipedia maintains a full list of Britain’s prison hulks, many of which were moored in colonies from Gibraltar and Antigua to Bermuda and the United States. Due to their atrocious conditions, more Americans died aboard British prison ships through deliberate neglect than in every battle of the American War of Independence combined.

One decomissioned hulk, present at the Battle of Lagos in 1759, was HMS Jersey. Inmate Christopher Vail, of Southold, NY, later wrote: “When a man died he was carried up on the forecastle and laid there until the next morning at 8 o’clock when they were all lowered down the ship sides by a rope… in the same manner as tho’ they were beasts. They were carried on shore in heaps… then… carried to the edge of the bank, where a hole was dug one or two feet deep and all hove in together.”

(Images: David Wyatt, cc-sa-3.0; John D. Hume, cc-sa-3.0)

So infamous were the prison ships that monuments to those who suffered and died in horrific circumstances below their decks have been erected on both sides of the Atlantic.  The above image shows the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, and the Covenanters’ Memorial at Deerness, Orkney.

Napoleonic Wars

(Images: Sir Charles Locke Eastlake, public domain; John James Chalon, public domain)

Prison ships were moored at various British ports, including Woolwich, Deptford, Portsmouth and Chatham. Many were former warships, such as the man-of-war HMS Bellerophon, on whose deck Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered to Captain Frederick Maitland in 1815.  A veteran of the Battle of Trafalgar, Bellerophon was renamed HMS Captivity in 1824. Maritime historians estimate that some 12,845 French prisoners died on British hulks between 1803 and 1814 due to a combination of neglect, starvation and disease.  (Below: HMS Warrior.)

(Image: author unknown, public domain)

The Fighting Temeraire

Arguably one of Britain’s most famous vessels to end up a prison hulk was HMS Temeraire, a 98-gun second-rate ship of the line and subject of J.M.W. Turner’s famous painting The Fighting Temeraire. The work symbolises the end of an era as the distinguished warship and veteran of Trafalgar is towed to the breakers yard by a steam-powered tug.

(Image: J.M.W. Turner via The National Gallery, public domain)

The ghostly appearance of Temeraire contrasts with the industrial bleakness of the tugboat. But in reality the masts and rigging that rise in stately splendour had been removed when the ship became a prison hulk at Chatham Dockyard. Employing artistic license, Turner created a painting beloved by the British people that symbolised the passing of an epoch in maritime history, while steering us away from the less glorious aspects of HMS Temeraire’s past.

New South Wales and later uses

(Images: via Longhair, public domain; UK Government, public domain)

In addition to prison hulks (like HMS Success, above), decommissioned vessels were also used as juvenile detention facilities in New South Wales, Australia. Meanwhile, more modern prison ships survived into the 20th century, including cruise liners in Portsmouth Harbour during World War One. Suspected Northern Irish paramilitaries were held on former depot ship HMS Maidstone (above right) during the 1970s, and the UK established a new prison ship – HMS Weare – in 1997 to temporarily ease overcrowding in conventional prisons.

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When the small Norfolk parishes of Fulmodeston and Croxton were merged during the 1880s, a new church was built to serve the wider congregation. St Mary’s church in Fulmodeston and Croxton’s St John the Baptist chapel were thus abandoned, but their haunting ruins can still be seen, hiding beneath a wall of ivy and providing a refuge for owls and foxes.

These images by photographer Jon Ellis show a sturdy 14th century structure devoid of its roof but otherwise intact. Derelict for over a century, St Mary’s tower stands wrapped in ivy which has overcome much of the nave. Some headstones remain upright while others have fallen within a graveyard so overgrown that passers-by might easily miss it.

Now a haven for foxes and tawny owls, the abandoned church‘s concealed location and ornate stone work make for a haunting presence in parish of Fulmodeston-cum-Croxton. (Images courtesy of Jon Ellis.  Be sure to check out Jon’s website and blog.

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To date Urban Ghosts has featured all manner of forgotten spaces, from abandoned mansions and cottages to crumbling hospitals and insane asylums, but abandoned frat houses are a first for us!  Located in Bethany, West Virginia, this former fraternity house  belongs to Bethany College, which was founded in 1840 and is the oldest higher education institution in the state.

(Image: Ryan Stanton, cc-nd-3.0)

The private liberal arts college’s 1,300 acre campus lies 50 minutes drive from Pittsburgh and was the birthplace of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity in 1858.  In total, five social fraternities and three sororities account for around 40 per cent of the student body.  This grand mansion appears to be in good condition amid well-maintained grounds, meaning it will hopefully one day be occupied again.

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(Image by Scott Carey, all rights reservedcc-nc-nd-3.0)

If one city could hold the title of Urban Decay Capital of the Western World, it would arguably be Detroit. Despite a revitalized downtown, various urban renewal efforts have failed to save many of the Motor City’s troubled neighbourhoods. Surveys have revealed a staggering percentage of residential lots either vacant or unsuitable for occupancy, and a 2010 plan escalated the clearing of entire neighbourhoods to effectively “downsize” the city.

(Images by Scott Carey, cc-nc-nd-3.0)

Scott Carey has documented a selection of Detroit’s abandoned houses on largely depopulated streets. In some cases, the dilapidated structures are the last ones standing in their immediate neighbourhoods, as adjoining buildings have already met the wrecking ball.

(Image by Scott Carey, cc-nc-nd-3.0; lower, all rights reserved)

Now a paradise for urban explorers, Detroit was America’s fourth largest city during the 1950s, a boom town riding the wave of automotive production. But decades later, and exaccerbated by the economic downturn of 2008, the city’s considerable modern ruins have multiplied.

(Image by Scott Carey, cc-nc-nd-3.0)

Some streets boast more abandoned residences than occupied ones. Elsewhere, isolated homes stand amid vast swaths of green that now blanket areas of suburban detroit, lonely reminders of neighbourhoods past and harbingers of demolition yet to come.

Some of them even resemble artist Mike Doyle’s acclaimed abandoned homes – built entirely from LEGO!

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Named Pibroch after a genre of melodic Gaelic music that has enjoyed a revival in recent times, this abandoned boat left the ocean behind many years ago.  Moored alongside a jetty near the village of Letterfrack in Connemara, the rusting hulk  may not be the only forgotten fishing vessel to be found along Ireland’s west coast, but it’s certainly one of the largest.

(Images: Rob Fahey, cc-sa-3.0)

Pibroch’s bow and gears, which once aided in the deployment and retrieval of fishing nets, show the extent of corrosion that inevitably befalls unused vessels in this harsh north Atlantic environment.

Fishing continues in Connemara

While it’s tempting – and somewhat clichéd - to say that Pibroch, now a local landmark, might be seen as a monument to the decline of fishing in Ireland and Britain, the fact is that many traditional Connemara boats (or carrachs) continue to fish these waters.

(Images: Graham Horn (top, bottom), cc-sa-3.0)

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Abandoned railways are often associated with decaying urban areas, or scenic rural routes re-purposed as public trails. So if you’re hiking across the boggy moorland of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park in Scotland, you may be surprised to stumble across the old Duchal Moor Railway, a seven mile-long narrow gauge route built in 1922, better known as the Grouse Moor Line.

(Images: wfmillar; Gordon Dowie; cc-sa-3.0)

As the name suggests, the line was built to transport grouse hunters to various shooting butts dotted across the moor. Spearheaded by Scottish industrialist and shipbuilder Sir James Lithgow, 1st Baronet, construction was launched to help keep men employed when ship orders declined after the First World War.

(Image: wfmillar, cc-sa-3.0)

The two-foot gauge tracks were sourced from former wartime and colliery stock, while the wooden sleepers supporting them were recycled from dismantled warships. Two petrol-driven 20 hp locomotives were purchased to operate on the Grouse Moor Line, having allegedly served at an ordnance factory at Gretna.

(Image: wfmillar, cc-sa-3.0)

The engines and passenger carriages were stored at Hardridge Farm, where the line began. Three branches extended across Duchal Moor – one northwards to the Laverock Stone, another west to the Laird’s Seat and a third south to Smeath Hill.

(Images: wfmillar (left, right), cc-sa-3.0)

The now-derelict Grouse Moor Line survived until the late 1970s. The engine shed, platform remains and rails can still be seen, though largely covered in peat or swallowed-up by heather. While the tracks north of Hardridge Hill have been removed, much of the infrastructure – including point levers and a small viaduct constructed from two iron girders and wooden sleepers, remain intact.

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Sheffield‘s modern ruins have featured prominently in earlier articles, but one Victorian abandonment we keep returning to is the historic General Cemetery. We’re heading back there now to give you an exclusive glimpse inside the derelict Anglican Chapel, which was bricked-up after the last burial took place there in 1978.

When Sheffield-based photographer Nigel Bendle visited the abandoned chapel, he discovered that a hole had been smashed through the concrete masonry which normally sealed the entrance. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, Nigel captured what must be among the only images detailing the current condition of the Angican Chapel’s interior.

The result is a neglected structure eerily frozen in time. Hidden by cinder blocks, the original Gothic-style oak door still adorns the entrance. The graffiti scrawled across the interior walls includes the U.K. Subs and Alternative TV, both early English punk bands formed in 1976 – around the same time the now gutted chapel was abandoned.

Nigel – seen above lending some scale to the building’s cavernous shell – commented: “Some buildings, even when derelict, carry a sense of their history or original majesty. Inside, this chapel failed to do that. It felt very sad and neglected, it was gloomy and smelled of damp, bird droppings and dead pigeons.”

Unlike the cemetery’s other buildings, constructed in the classical tradition, the Anglican Chapel (designed in 1848 by William Flockton) is Gothic in style and features an oversized steeple that was intended to be noticed from a distance.

The Friends of the General Cemetery does an excellent job of preserving this important slice of Sheffield’s Victorian past with limited resources. The Anglican Chapel has been arsoned over the years; its holed roof is nominally protected by a tarpaulin. Urban Ghosts firmly hopes the building can eventually be re-purposed like these six creatively converted chapels and churches.

All images courtesy of Nigel Bendle, reproduced with permission.

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Tucked away on a patch of wasteland in Glebe, New South Wales, the remains of six historic Sydney trams sit side by side in the abandoned Rozelle Tram Depot.  Scrawled with graffiti and gutted from the inside, the trams date back to the 1930s when they were part of a network of streetcars operating across Sydney.

(Images: Adam.J.W.C. (top, bottom), cc-sa-3.0)

Former plans had hoped to see them restored to their original glory and used as part of a heritage tramway which would run through The Rocks.  However, the scheme was scrapped and new owners, Mirvac, plan to use the site for medium density housing.

(Images: Adam.J.W.C.; Wykymania; cc-sa-3.0; )

The depot itself dates back to 1904 and is the largest tram depot remaining in the state of New South Wales. There have been protests against the proposals to demolish the property, and a petition was set up to stop the construction.

(Image: Adam.J.W.C. (top, bottom), cc-sa-3.0)

What will happen to the trams in the future is unclear.  Despite the protests from local residents about vandalism and disrespect for history, there is no doubt about the stunning impact of the trams and the depot as they look now.  Brightly marked from every angle, they stand as individual works of modern urban art against a backdrop of Sydney’s history.

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Urban Ghosts has featured examples of abandoned buildings boasting urban art and architectural installations, from the Tunnel House and Quilted Gas Station to gritty murals and even miniature abandoned cities within real deserted spaces. Mike Doyle’s striking sculptures – abandoned Victorian houses constructed entirely from Lego – are a unique addition to this increasingly popular theme.

(Image: Mike Doyle, all rights reserved, reproduced with permission)

Mike’s houses underscore the theme of man versus nature and visualise in miniature the fact that empty structures – at least without significant upkeep – are no match for the elements. But there’s a deeper meaning also – one of “broken trust and faith”, highlighting the fragility of seemingly strong foundations, physical, ideological or otherwise.

(Image: Mike Doyle, all rights reserved, reproduced with permission)

“For me, this piece speaks to the inherent unpredictability of those things which we call our foundation”, said Mike. “This charming home, lovingly embellished with ornamental fancy was no match for nature. The fancy embellishments serve as a reminder of our earlier focus on the material world, while the aftermath removes us from that focus. The piece offers no answers or necessarily any hope, but rather points to life’s fragility.”

(Image: Mike Doyle, all rights reserved, reproduced with permission)

On a physical level, these beautiful yet decrepit structures remind of Detroit’s abandoned neighbourhoods, where lone buildings awaiting demolition appear somewhat incongruous amid otherwise barren surroundings. Mike Doyle’s work has also been featured on popular websites such as Twisted Sifter, The Source, the Brick Blogger and the Huffington Post.  Visit his website and Flickr account to learn more.

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California’s Suisun Bay, near San Francisco, has been home to the National Defense Reserve Fleet since the 1950s. Better known as the ghost fleet, this collection of World War Two-era military and merchant vessels has included troopships, tankers and, most famously, the mighty battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) – now set to become a museum ship at the Port of Los Angeles. In this impressive series of photographs, we’ll take a look at the ghost fleet from the air.

(Images: Telstar Logistics (see website), cc-nc-3.0)

Though technically ready for reactivation, it’s unlikely these mothballed ships will ever return to service. Due to environmental concerns, a plan is in place to remove the rusting vessels from Suisun Bay, set to be completed in stages between 2012 and 2017. Meanwhile, a submarine graveyard belonging to America’s Cold War adversary the Soviet Union continues to pollute the icy waters of the Arctic Circle.

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In Simon Hopkinson’s urban scenes, he not only shows a compelling vision of unnoticed or derelict areas but also the journey we make through them in our day to day lives. Stairways, roads, and views from train windows are all captured, but there’s no sense of urgency in his spacious and mostly empty scenes. A few lone figures pass through, sipping coffee on train station platforms, or walking through graffitied subways. We, like those figures, are left alone to take our time looking around the stark and beautifully lit areas, noticing things we may not otherwise have seen.

Simon’s interest in the urban landscape began when he moved to Bristol, UK, at the age of 18. You can see his reverence to the city, with all its lesser-known nooks and crannies, only occasionally recognised by its occupants. His choice of including people in his scenes reminds us that we are still looking at a city existing in realtime. The abandoned areas don’t seem forgotten or lonely in his work, they are just quietly existing alongside everything else.

The partnering of the abandoned with the transitory (as with the derelict Post Office building alongside the railway tracks of Temple Meads Station – top), is a perfect allusion to how a city has changed over time and how it will continue to change in the future. Visit www.simonhopkinsonart.co.uk for more information.

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When people think of art that depicts urban exploration, they usually imagine secret and atmospheric photography, taken beyond the “No Entry” signs. Anna King’s paintings (made with a combination of oil and pencil) give a unique and poised look to abandoned buildings from the outside, drawing attention to scenes which are, while visible, rarely noted by anyone outside of explorers.

By using an artistic medium not usually associated with urban exploration, King has explored a new territory herself. The sparse, simple scenes are clever in their depiction of the land: some appearing as traditional landscapes at first, until the viewer looks closer and sees the tell-tale signs of abandonment: windows without glass, rusted metal, creeping plants.

In this sense, the pictures work on a number of different levels: as beautiful portraits of urban decay, but also as unusual glances of familiar areas, designed to give people a different take on the landscape.

“I love to explore empty, feral places,” says King, on her website. “I find myself in a no-mans land.  Unclaimed territory, that, for a while anyway, I can have as my own.” With a nomination for the London Art Award 2012, and shows all over the country, King has certainly made her mark. Visit www.anna-king.com for more information.

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Long time symbols of the great American road trip, the rise of motels during the 20th century mirrored the advent of the motorcar and hosted all manner of travellers.  Appearing along highways in urban and rural areas alike and peaking in popularity during the 1960s, motels – and to an extent diners and gas stations that coexisted alongside them – have declined in recent decades, fading slices of Americana confined to the annals of nostalgia and urban exploration.  If nothing else, their ruins lend themselves to haunting photography.

Abandoned Americana by U.S. Route 66, Arizona

(Image: Andrew Yang, cc-nc-sa-3.0)

Established in 1926 and spanning 2,448 miles between Chicago and Los Angeles, U.S. Route 66 remains one of America’s most famous roads despite falling into obscurity following the advent of the Interstates.  Recognised in pop culture and known colloquially as the Main Street of America, it’s little wonder the haunting modern ruins along Historic Route 66 continue to draw travellers and photographers.  The abandoned motel and cafe above are located in Arizona.

Abandoned Pool at Family Inns of America, Rowland, North Carolina

(Image: Trey Ratcliff (website: Stuckincustoms.com); cc-nc-sa-3.0)

The sounds of relaxed laughter have long since faded from this pool behind a forlorn Family Inns of America in Rowland, North Carolina.  Photographer Trey Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs wrote: “It looked like every roadside hotel you’ve ever seen, except it looked like it had run through about 20 different horror movies. Every room was completely gutted and scary, almost all the windows were broken, and the playground was rusted and creaked.”

Buckhorn Mineral Baths Motel, Mesa, Arizona

(Image: Derrick Bostrom, cc-nc-sa-3.0)

Opened in 1939 by Ted and Alice Sliger, the Buckhorn Mineral Baths and associated motel famously attracted major league baseball teams during spring training alongside myriad other visitors.  Operating for 60 years until 1999, the shuttered venue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 – five years before original owner Alice Sliger died at the ripe old age of 103.

Abandoned North Shore Motel, Salton Sea, California

(Images: slworking2, cc-nc-sa-3.0)

Immortalised in the 2005 film The Island, the abandoned North Shore Motel is as eerie as California’s incongruous Salton Sea by which it stands.  A typical roadside establishment in many ways, North Shore reflects both the decline of motels in general and the long term depopulation of a region that once promised so much in terms of leisure and tourism.  Demolished two days after these pictures were taken, the photographer’s face in the mirror creates a somewhat spooky scene.

Various Abandoned Motels

(Images: @Michael; Joe Mazzola; ChicagoGeek; cc-sa-3.0)

While many abandoned motels look similar – even generic or utilitarian – their most notable features are arguably the shabby (neon) signs that for decades signaled their presence to drivers and have become an important part of modern American history.  Quite often, the signs are all that’s left.

Abandoned Diner, New Jersey

(Image: Gregg Obst (website), cc-nc-sa-3.0)

Like motels, diners are an integral part of modern American history.  While these throwbacks to the glory days of Americana remain popular, many have fallen in disuse over the years.  Despite a population increase between 2000 and 2010, the residents of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey apparently couldn’t keep this abandoned diner afloat.  Photographer Gregg Obst even created the creepy and incongruous effect of “turning on the neon sign” – which in reality has been defunct since the venue closed.

Cheyenne Diner, New York

(Image: Flickr-Nickk, reproduced with permission)

Unlike its counterpart above, Cheyenne Diner in New York City looks to be in decent condition.  Free of vandalism, graffiti and other damage, the seating and bar were still present when these photos were taken.  Happily the 1940s “railcar-style” Manhattan diner is set for restoration – albeit in Birmingham, Alabama, where it now stands.  Historic images can be found here.

Other Deserted Diners

(Images: Daragh (website); Nedral (website); cc-nc-sa-3.0; three15bowery; Roadsidepictures; cc-nc-3.0)

Unfortunately many more will not be saved.  These range from the utilitarian to classic Art Deco designs and trolley-themed diners.  For those above, the future looks rather bleak.

Abandoned Gas Stations

(Images: Rich Anderson, cc-sa-3.0)

Abandoned gas stations, also known as petrol stations or filling stations, might not command the same nostalgic value as historic motels and diners, but they’re a critical component of the great American road trip.  Their shuttered offices, rusting pumps and derelict canopies are an increasingly frequent sight along rural (and urban) highways, underscoring the difficulties of turning a profit, especially for small businesses, in the retail gasoline sector.

(Image: Pete Zarria, cc-nc-sa-3.0)

The dated service station above, near Barstow, California (see also the Bottle Tree Ranch) has lingered on in abandonment for years, while those below demonstrate how the going is tough even for relatively modern facilities.

(Images: Elvert Barnes; Darin Marshall; Zol87, cc-sa-3.0)

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Ruined cottages can be found across the world but something about those of Britain and Ireland stirs the imagination. Located in this ancient and romantic landscape steeped in folklore, many fell into disuse centuries ago, the stories of their inhabitants long since forgotten.

(Images: Gwen & James Anderson; Walter Baxter, Ross; ceridwen, cc-sa-3.0)

Characterized by crumbling walls and roofs that have long since collapsed, thousands of derelict structures are evident across the rural landscape – from small farms and crofts to lonely shepherds’ cottages and even entire villages abandoned due to the inherent bleakness of their surroundings and the changing nature of the times.

(Images: Walter Baxter; Peter Hutchings; Mike Baldwin; cc-sa-3.0)

But unlike other abandoned buildings which often blight the landscape, ruined cottages and tumble-down barns are a wistful reminder of a time when life, though tough, was more simple. Nestled among a patchwork of fields and dry stone walls, many are silent reminders of an era before the Industrial Revolution or the information overload of the 21st century.

(Image: public domain)

In addition to lone ruins, several entire abandoned communities lurk on Britain and Ireland’s wild periphery. Great Blasket Island off the coast of County Kerry (above) has been abandoned since 1953. Several years earlier it had been cut off from the mainland by severe storms, after which the Irish government could no longer guarantee residents’ safety.

(Images: Huge Miller, cc-sa-3.0)

Similarly, “The Village” on the St Kilda archipelago of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides was abandoned in 1930 due to a combination of post-war population decline, crop failures and the relentless weather. The ruined “Street” was built around 1834 to replace a more primitive medieval village (the remains of which can also be seen nearby).

(Images: Oliver Dixon; Derek Mayes; Kenneth Allen; Richard Dorrell; cc-sa-3.0)

Many abandoned cottages and barns, often built from dry stone, offer shelter to livestock grazing on exposed hillsides or come in handy as re-purposed sheep pens. But most simply endure at the mercy of the elements, lonely and mysterious reminders of a rural past that stretches back centuries and beyond.

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Despite having long ceased to be New York City’s first municipal airfield, or later Naval Air Station Rockaway, Floyd Bennett Field is far from abandoned.  Maintained by the National Park Service and used as a base for the NYPD’s helicopter, the historic structures are considered important examples of early aviation architecture.  But despite their protected status, a number have fallen into disuse.  This abandoned hangar nowadays boasts more flora, and probably fauna, than aircraft.

(Images: H.L.I.T., cc-3.0)

Drawing urban explorers with an interest in military history, the decaying hangar, corridors and offices proved to be in derelict condition.  Interestingly, it has been claimed that the adaptive reuse by businesses of other hangars on the airfield has compromised their historical integrity.  That doesn’t appear to be the case here, but restoration would come with a hefty price tag.

Floyd Bennett Field opened in 1930 and was used by such esteemed aviators as Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes.  Located in Brooklyn near Fort Tilden, it became Naval Air Station New York during World War Two and transferred to the National Park Service during the 1970s.  Now also serving as a camp ground, Floyd Bennett Field is on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Abandoned Midget Submarines, Aberlady Bay, Scotland	Abandoned Military Runway, Bulgaria	Missile Damaged F-100 Super Sabre Unmanned Target Drone	Abandoned Chieftain Tank, Lulworth Firing Range, UK

In Lynne Collins’ stunning photo montages, nature reinvents dying buildings and rich scenes of life clash with peeling wallpaper and rotting floors. The abandoned spaces are shown in a way they’ve never been seen before – interspersed with extravagant foods and looming foliage to create hauntingly beautiful images which are entirely unique.

In her series entitled ‘The Trespasser’, Collins imposes still lifes of rich food and wine onto the scenes of decay, taking her inspiration from seventeenth century Dutch masters. The still lifes are abandoned images themselves, standing out starkly from the bleak and derelict buildings. Making a statement about over-consumption and wastefulness, the series of pictures (shot in abandoned mental asylums) are also beautifully eerie, often featuring large empty halls and corridors which seem to go on forever behind the arrangements of food and flowers.

The ‘Edge of Perception’ series transforms the abandoned spaces into surreal scenes of light and life. Rather than nature appearing to reclaim the land, the trees which burst from the floor seem to become extensions of the buildings themselves. In this collection, Collins has taken the documentation of abandoned buildings and gone somewhere new with it – a world which might have been; a different dimension to our own.

Visit www.lynne-collins.com for more information.

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At street level, South Kentish Town tube station, adorned with ox-blood red terracotta tiles, is a typical Edwardian-era Northern Line station that has long fallen into disuse. With a retail unit occupying the former ticket hall, shoppers might be surprised to learn that, deep below, trains still hurtle through the abandoned station, the remains of which are momentarily visible to passengers travelling between Camden Town and East Finchley.

(Image: Jim from London, cc-3.0)

The London Underground’s South Kentish Town tube station opened on June 22, 1907 as part of the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway‘s (CCE&HR) branch to Highgate (now Archway). Originally known as Castle Road, the station was renamed South Kentish Town shortly before opening. The original name – which was simply painted over – remained fired into the glazed tile facade.

The last train officially stopped at South Kentish Town on the morning of June 5, 1924, when workers at the Lots Road power station went on strike.  After power had been restored it was decided not to reopen the station due to low passenger numbers.

(Images: Liam Doyle (YouTube channel), reproduced with permission)

Used as an air raid shelter during World War Two, the abandoned station – devoid of platforms – now serves as an emergency evacuation point for passenger services and enables maintenance workers to access the subterranean network. Proposals to rebuild the platforms as part of redevelopment plans for Camden Town station have so far not been realised.

(Images: Liam Doyle (YouTube channel), reproduced with permission)

Today, South Kentish Town station is a spooky labyrinth of tunnels, steps, defunct lift shafts and lonely passageways.  It inspired an eponymous 1951 story by John Betjeman, concerning a passenger who became trapped in the disused subway. Based on a real incident in which a train accidentally stopped and opened its doors, no-one in reality alighted, although passengers were afforded a glimpse of the silent station ordinarily off-limits to the public.

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The striking use of light in Amy Heiden’s photographs brings a new focus to the abandoned ruins of her subject matter. Leaving aside the gloom and shadow of traditional urbex photography, her prints are made that much more memorable by the juxtaposition of warm colour and the decaying scenes.

New life is shown sprouting from the broken floors, sunlight streams through cracked windows: Heiden shows the empty buildings as they stand in the present, reclaimed by life and nature. The images are refreshing in their honesty, and you can see her enthusiasm behind every shot.

The history of the buildings is not only respected but ‘brought to life’ once more. “I am intrigued by the decay, curious about what I will stumble upon while exploring abandoned buildings,” says Heiden on her website. “It might be a church with boarded up windows, but years ago families came here for mass. Or maybe it’s a factory where hundreds of workers used to clock in every morning. These places make me feel alive.”

While the buildings sit quietly in their decay, in her photos Heiden has captured the essence of what they once represented during their time. Visit www.amyheiden.com for more information.

(Images include: collapsed male ward at Hudson River State Hospital, New York; mothballed Lockheed Sea Shadow stealth ship, Suisun Bay; Noble Hall theatre at abandoned East Coast hospital; wooden staircase inside an abandoned mental asylum; planet Mercury above a northern California scrapyard.)

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Opened in 1940, RAF Folkingham in Lincolnshire, UK, served a number of diverse roles over the decades. Home to British and American forces during World War Two, the air base was later equipped with Thor ICBM nuclear missiles before closing in the 1960s. Used briefly by the British Racing Motors (BRM) Formula One team as a test track, the cracked remains of the main runway and perimeter track now boast what could be the UK’s largest vehicle graveyard.

(Images: LiamCH, reproduced with permission)

The vehicle graveyard is a strange feature on the windswept landscape. More a scrapyard than a storage facility, the colossal collection of rusting hulks ranges from construction equipment to former military fuel bowsers. The former Royal Air Force (RAF) Folkingham is one of hundreds of lonely and forgotten wartime air bases littering rural Britain.

Few military buildings remain, although the wartime bomb dump, complete with abandoned bomb stores, lies in a now-forested area to the east of the base. In addition, three Thor missile pads – made of reinforced concrete and considered uneconomical to remove – are still extant.

(Image: LiamCH, reproduced with permission)

On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), 72 C-47 and C-53 transport aircraft, operating from Folkingham as part of Operation Overlord, dropped US paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division near Picauville in France in a bid to bolster the Normandy Landings. Four aircraft were lost and many others damaged during the mission and a resupply flight the following day.

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