Tales of the Urban Explorer: Brook House

I did a quick google search to ensure “Brook House” is not immediately searchable. If I can, I try to keep decent explores off the TourBus for as long as possible.

Which brings me to this one; I can justifiably claim credits for finding Brook House using my technique of ‘Google scouring’. What I didn’t expect was to find ‘Millionaire’s Row’.. I mean five or six of them all in a line, all derelict and in various states of neglect.

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We arrived in a deluge of rain and had to abandon for the day. I mean it was pissing down hard and it took all of @anidiotexplores muster to ditch the car, have a quick scout, and give me the thumbs up about access.

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Next door looked equally promising until a homeless bloke emerged from the front entrance giving us daggers. He was dressed in workman's gear but I could see through his disguise. Arsehole!

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A week later we were back and quickly within the grounds. The workman's house now had a car on the grounds. Do the homeless drive cars? I was still convinced of his deceitful visual proclamation.

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@anidiotexplores knowing the way in… vanished and I was left alone trying to figure how to get in.

This looked promising but was sealed tighter than Ann Widdecombe's vagina. I mean.. there was no going through that.

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After struggling climbing a drainpipe and squeezing through an extra small window amid lots of grunting I was inside. Surely this was the only way?

A little yelling sought out my partner who seemed to be very deep inside what looked like a mansion house.

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Entrance points tend to be messy.,. they are after all… exposed to the elements.

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If you think there’s lighting inside then think again. You can thank this massive light I have. It creates illusions. Inside was quite respectable and not like the usual shit-tips I visit.

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That wood panelling was very impressive and stained glass windows?

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...as well as slogans etched into the old woodwork.

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The pile of literature looked promising but was mostly made up of empty folders and binders.

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Still, it gave me a clue of what Brook House was previously used for, and it didn't look like a mansion for one filthy rich bloke with a servant named Jeeves who fed him endless alcohol.

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Was it related to the education system somehow? I continued searching for more clues. It looks like a classroom.

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Not all the rooms in Brook House had fared well. This one was looking a little worse for wear.

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It was all very 'woody' looking.

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Health Care Studies, followed by Class Rooms and All Departments. It must have been some government body once.

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Who wouldn't want to live here for free? It was quite fresh and the inhabitant was likely out begging, getting pissed, or sticking his arm with dubious substances.

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…or maybe he was trying to get clean?

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It could be there was a tribe of them living here. Visiting during daytime usually means they are not home.

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That’s a lot of tapes, and not pre-recorded ones.

Does that say ‘Drugs in the Workplace?

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If I listened to these tapes, could I work in an office while getting high and having nobody notice? These old recorded tomes of knowledge could well be priceless.

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It takes some skill to balance a skinny red pole in the middle of a room and it not fall over.

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Some basements are interesting with ancient relics and some are full of nothing or worse, shit-covered floors.

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This one was quite large and I had to roam around a little checking every nook and cranny.

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Urbex stickers; I am not a fan. It tells me these dudes are not the idiots who smash things up and at least respect properties.

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Walking down there without my light would have been kind of creepy.

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Why did someone make an open fire… in a basement!

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It’s the sacrificial alter again. These are common and are probably not really for tying down and killing humans.

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A bunch of old very wet papers. I had to go have a look.

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In 1998 Lee did not turn up for this Speech Therapy class. So it was a school, but not your normal type.

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Even older and in 1993, Ben Langshaw also had speech issues. Adding to this Ben had a 'Normal pregnancy and delivery'. Or... is Ben the baby and already has speech issues? Gagaga.. springs to mind.

Sometimes life just confuses me…. moving on.

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Can someone leave the bloody light shields alone?

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Look at that wooden furniture... all built into the design of the room.

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The homeless had to take centre stage and sleep in the middle of it all.

There was a distinct lack of vandalism and graffiti within Brook House. It made a refreshing change.

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We exited without meeting a soul. Just the way I like it.

Since then I have heard reports of explorers tangling with the on-site security and them being quite abusive. ‘Fuck off, and don’t come back’, I have been told is what you get for standing outside the gates looking in.

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Do they have some kind of on-going deal with the current homeless squatters? It does make me wonder.

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All my 'Tales' content is easy to find on my personal website:
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If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, rehive, engage me or all of these things.



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So much wood! IT was quite ornate in parts.

This looked promising but was sealed tighter than Ann Widdecombe's vagina. I mean.. there was no going through that.

Hur hur, you got me :OD

The tape might have been the famous Dugs in the Workplace that trippy Scottish folk rock band... lol!

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I am now officially out of vagina references, having previously used Mary Whitehouse (RIP). While working in the Palace of Westminster in 2007.. a fellow support contractor told me.. 'she was a fucking demanding bitch', when he upgraded her personal PC. I'm glad I never met Miss Frosty Knickers.

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I cant even imagine old Mary touching a computer but I can certainly imagine her being a demanding bitch!! I am sure some more will come to mind! :OD

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This is fascinating. Very adventurous. We don’t really have any very old buildings where I live, and I doubt any of them are abandoned. I am curious and will have to look up this Google scour technique, if indeed it is look-up-able. Really enjoyed this post.

Have you ever thought of doing it as a video? My daughter did a video walk through of an old prison in Estonia and it was very powerful viewing. Not that I don't also enjoy a good photo essay. Just an idea. Of course, did I check your site? Maybe you have 400 videos and I am a fool. Ha! Wouldn't be the first time.

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will have to look up this Google scour technique, if indeed it is look-up-able.

Its something I had to learn for myself, though there are some vague tutorials on the internet.

Have you ever thought of doing it as a video?

There are plenty of others who do them. I tried once.. it was double the work, with lots of editing pre-authoring. I also don't like the sound of my own voice which does not help.

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That's fair. Honestly, I prefer reading to watching videos. It just felt like the sort of content that might be conducive to it. Btw, you probably already know this, but most people hate the sound of their own voice. I used to be a counsellor and it came up frequently and had no correlation with actual vocal quality. In fact I have a friend whose voice actually is not great who does quite well on YouTube. He is oblivious to his weird voice. I think it might be helping him out, actually. Lol. But, that's beside the point. We each have what we enjoy and our own comfort zone.

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I used to be a counsellor and it came up frequently and had no correlation with actual vocal quality.

As well as my own image.. that's even worse!

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I used to run an online business. My shipper was a beautiful young lady. Stunning. However, she had such bad body dysmorphia that she literally covered the mirrors when she showered. It's strange how there are conventionally attractive people who hate their looks and unconventional-looking people who are quite comfortable with themselves.

I definitely fall in the unconventional category. I decided a long time ago that confidence was more important than looks. And kindness, to my way of thinking, anyhow, is more important than confidence. So, I flat out refuse to allow anyone to make me feel less than attractive, especially me. On a good day, of course.

After all, we are stuck with ourselves for life. We might as well be nice to those selves. That's how I see it, anyhow.

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Some lovely woodwork there. I would think someone might want to rip that out and sell it. The cellar looks a bit ominous. A better place to doss than a lot you've been in. Relatively luxurious.

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Don't get too used to these premier explores, its back to the derps on the next episode!

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This place is made of wood, inside. In the 26th photos, it seems like a classroom and not in a mess comparing to other parts of the building. Perhaps, it is still used, strange!

This place, too, has a basement which is longer and bigger as in horror movies.

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Most of the basements I go down into would fit well in horror movies! I have been in a lot worse than this one.

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Wow actually that was quite a cool trip through and abandoned School.

Thank you very much for this adventure and showing me pretty amazing abandoned place

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It was the highlight of the day. We managed to get inside another one close by, but it wasn't as good as this. That will be the next post.

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I'm really astounded at this abandoned place.

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Back in the day, this really had made quite the show. I think it was built as a house and later converted or the person repurposed it, I cannot imagine building this for therapy, but, have seen some pretty decked out nursing schools/graduate studies in medical fields that have taken estates that were willed to them and use them as places of higher education.

Surprisingly, there is so much intact there and they didn't do the usual destructive thing they do. Stained glass that remained intact and built-ins that are still seemingly altogether. (mostly, anyway) What was up with those cassettes?

I want to hear how you shimmied up that drainpipe again. When I read that, I knew you were crazy, then squeezing in a window? Sweet Jesus. You live to tell these stories. I have no idea why I am shocked, but, hello? I am pretty flexible and I am sure that would not be a happening thing. Although, look at all the coolness you happened upon. Although the guy was probably homeless, he may have had come upon harder times, there are more homeless now than ever. Wait until everyone runs out of free rent. Oh, wait ! They did. Homelessness just got more popular. He may have gotten thrown out of his house. You said he was better dressed and didn't mess up the place. He found a nice abandoned place. Lucky him. You have been really finding some sweet deals.

The woodwork and details on this place are upper crust. Loved it. I still have the strip joint up on my computer. I upvoted and didn't get back yet. This weekend. I read it and I had been waiting for that one too.

You go get the funnest places. Thanks for taking us along on this one. It was pretty sweet!

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Back in the day, this really had made quite the show. I think it was built as a house and later converted or the person repurposed it

It would have been a manor house once. WW2 probably changed the goalposts. I find stained glass windows outside of churches strange.

I want to hear how you shimmied up that drainpipe again. When I read that, I knew you were crazy, then squeezing in a window?

It wasn't as bad as it sounds. Think of that homeless dude, who has to do it every day!

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The photograph of the chair caused me great discomfort xD

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(Edited)

Those chair pictures are commonplace. A large open area and a single chair. Gets your mind working doesn't it?

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I remembered a terrible scene from my high school, in the old school where we watched classes on occasion we found on one occasion a similar scene, some said that there gathered at night the people who did witchcraft in the community ... okk.....

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I actually liked the wooden furniture, it looks kind of nice and if it would be restored it would have a vintage Hogwarts kind of a vibe! I would not have come down on those stairs in that basement it looked creepy. An open fireplace there...well, basements get chilly and maybe someone wanted some cosy basement time? Lol.
You know, good for the homeless for having such places to stay, otherwise this kind of buildings would be such a waste. Imagine if all of them would be put to good use, it is a pity to have so much concrete and wood and space sit around and collect dust and cockroaches

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I must have belonged to the rich once. I don't see that type of internal woodwork so often. Then again, by the time I get to explore they tend to be a broken mess.

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I have no idea who Ann Widdecombe is, so I don't know how to interpret your reference. Looks like a fun explore, though. That old woodwork is amazing, as is the lack of graffiti as you noted yourself. Are you sure you don't have a slobberchops sticker to leave in odd nooks and crannies you explored, though?

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Stupid stickers! They do it for fame and little else. Ann.. she's denies being a virgin, but somehow I don't believe her.

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The wood paneling and stained glass is really nice and in good condition. I hope that someone salvaged that at some point.
That basement is super creepy, looks like the place where they did experiments on the patients. If you listened to one tape per day you could finish the lot in only a few months. It might be worth it.

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I hope the panelling is left intact. I don't want people going there to steal things. This is the reason for all the secrecy.

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Nice find, wonder if them cassettes are personal interviews with offenders? surely no one records that much music.

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You can just make out what the tapes say, written in pen. That's a lot of transcripts.. just dumped. As per most places it was quite damp, I wouldn't like to stick one in my vintage tape deck.

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OMG, you have a tape deck!!!

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That looks like a wonderful spot to tramp camp in. I wonder why there was such startling lack of graffiti? Perhaps you simply beat the vandals to it?

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The tramps would have the labour of getting in and out everyday. Whilst it wasn't hard, it took some effort. They tend to be younger people and while poor are fitter than the likes of me.

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it's a shame that places like that are wasted in the world, when there are people who don't even have money for food ...

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Wow that was a great explore (and I wasn't even there!)

I can't believe how gorgeous the wood panelling and the stained glass windows are- and in such great shape too. The whole place was in pretty good shape, compared to some of the usual derps you get to climb, shimmy, slide and fall into...lol...

I also can't believe that they not only abandoned that place, but also so carelessly left all those legal documents, including the tapes, like that laying around.

I know that the tapes can't be played now, I certainly wouldn't try either, but still there's all the info on them that I'm sure many people are trying to hide from their current lives...

What a great explore!

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What if the security and the homeless are the same people? It makes sense. They might even have jobs somewhere.. .

!PIZZA

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You could have sat on that chair and listened to some tapes while watching your mate dissect the latest problem on the table.

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I'm so glad you made it through Ann Widdecombe's vagina! Totally worth it on the other side. What a treasure. I'm so impressed you got in, and so impressed with what you found. Drugs In The Workplace most specifically.

But seriously, though, the woodwork in that place was beautiful. It's a pity the guards are so aggressive. So weird. And not fitting.

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