Derelict London 2025 Updates Page
Chadwell Heath, RM6
Welcome to the Derelict London 2025 page of a selection of my recent photographs. It's all a bit DIY this website as I've been adding bits all along the past 22 years. I was brought up on fanzines and prefer the non-polished look. I still have thousands of pictures on my hard drive to upload to this website, but that will have to wait while I work on two new books. More about the books later this year...
Join the mailing list HERE to find out about Derelict London, London's Lost Music Venues and London's Lost Rivers guided walks as soon as tickets are released, plus news on my latest books and website updates. Please note that my public walks do not involve entering any buildings.
Join the mailing list HERE to find out about Derelict London, London's Lost Music Venues and London's Lost Rivers guided walks as soon as tickets are released, plus news on my latest books and website updates. Please note that my public walks do not involve entering any buildings.
Elizabeth House and The Tower Building, York Road, Waterloo, SE1
The Tower Building, Waterloo. SE1 (2025)
Elizabeth House and The Tower Building are located on York Road adjacent to Waterloo - the UK’s busiest train station. They were built in the 1960s on a vacant site caused by a World War II V1 rocket attack in 1944, which killed three people and injured 48.
The 12 Storey Tower Building was was home to several companies over the years. One of the most notable companies that was based there and used it as an HQ was T-Mobile UK.The company was later rebranded as EE after merging with Orange UK in 2010, and the building continued to house parts of the business under its new identity.
The 9 storey Elizabeth House was the main office HQ for the Department of Education and Science. A pedestrian footbridge lead over York Road from Waterloo Station through Elizabeth House to the Shell Centre and South Bank. The Department for Education, as they were known by then, moved out of its building in 2017. The shops on the ground floor had all closed by 2021 around the same time that the footbridge was demolished.
The 12 Storey Tower Building was was home to several companies over the years. One of the most notable companies that was based there and used it as an HQ was T-Mobile UK.The company was later rebranded as EE after merging with Orange UK in 2010, and the building continued to house parts of the business under its new identity.
The 9 storey Elizabeth House was the main office HQ for the Department of Education and Science. A pedestrian footbridge lead over York Road from Waterloo Station through Elizabeth House to the Shell Centre and South Bank. The Department for Education, as they were known by then, moved out of its building in 2017. The shops on the ground floor had all closed by 2021 around the same time that the footbridge was demolished.
​Elizabeth House , Waterloo, SE1 with The Tower Building at the far end (2025)
Front of Elizabeth House. Site of the pedestrian footbridge from Waterloo Station that lead through Elizabeth House over York Road to the Shell Centre and South Bank.
Front of Elizabeth House. Blocked stairwell to the pedestrian footbridge
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Back of Elizabeth House. Remains of the pedestrian footbridge from Waterloo Station that lead through Elizabeth House over York Road to the Shell Centre and South Bank.
Front of Elizabeth House. Boarded up shops on the ground floor
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Both blocks lay derelict before imminent demolition takes place. A scheme was approved in 2019 to provide the creation of offices and new public spaces with shops better connecting Waterloo to the South Bank and surrounding area opening up access to new entrances to London Waterloo station. Due to the confined nature of the site the project will take 7 years from start to end.
No trip to the environs of Waterloo Station would be complete without a trip to the Leake Street tunnel. When the Eurostar terminal was located at Waterloo, the road allowed through vehicular traffic. However, after Eurostar relocated to St Pancras the tunnels were subsequently restricted to pedestrian use.It has since been designated as a legal graffiti zone by the local authorities.The graffiti often changes on a daily basis.
No trip to the environs of Waterloo Station would be complete without a trip to the Leake Street tunnel. When the Eurostar terminal was located at Waterloo, the road allowed through vehicular traffic. However, after Eurostar relocated to St Pancras the tunnels were subsequently restricted to pedestrian use.It has since been designated as a legal graffiti zone by the local authorities.The graffiti often changes on a daily basis.
Westbury Estate, Clapham, SW8
Westbury Estate, Clapham, SW8. 2025.
The Westbury Estate was originally built in the 1960s. Like many estates constructed during that era, it was designed to address the post-war housing shortage, providing social housing in the form of low-rise buildings and maisonettes.
Over the decades, however, the estate's buildings and infrastructure became outdated, prompting the decision for regeneration to modernise the area in phases and increase housing capacity. Like many urban housing estates, the Westbury Estate has historically faced issues such as antisocial behaviour, drug-related activity, and property crime, though it's not uniquely high compared to other areas in London.In May 2024, a man was shot and killed on the Westbury Estate. A mechanic working under the arches at nearby Portslade Rd told the South London Press: “Every two or three months I see bullets on the floor when I leave work. It’s like a game they are playing.” The man, who asked not to be named, said he felt violence in the area was on the rise. He said: “There is a lot more going on but it’s always late at night when we are not working. Lambeth Council stated in the plans for the replacement flats:: "The development management teams will ensure that the new design of the estate ‘designs out crime’"
Over the decades, however, the estate's buildings and infrastructure became outdated, prompting the decision for regeneration to modernise the area in phases and increase housing capacity. Like many urban housing estates, the Westbury Estate has historically faced issues such as antisocial behaviour, drug-related activity, and property crime, though it's not uniquely high compared to other areas in London.In May 2024, a man was shot and killed on the Westbury Estate. A mechanic working under the arches at nearby Portslade Rd told the South London Press: “Every two or three months I see bullets on the floor when I leave work. It’s like a game they are playing.” The man, who asked not to be named, said he felt violence in the area was on the rise. He said: “There is a lot more going on but it’s always late at night when we are not working. Lambeth Council stated in the plans for the replacement flats:: "The development management teams will ensure that the new design of the estate ‘designs out crime’"
Ilsley Court, Westbury Estate, Clapham, SW8. 2025
Sarm Studios - Aldgate, E1
Sarm Studios - Aldgate, E1. 2025
Sarm Studios was established in a basement here in Osborn Street, in a 1950s building that previously housed the City of London Recording Studios. From 1960 until its closure in 1972, the facility was used for recording radio programs and narrations for newsreels. Following its closure, two recording engineers who ran a tape-copying service called Sound and Recording Mobiles acquired the site. They reopened it as SARM Studios in 1973, naming it after an acronym of their business.
In 1975, Queen recorded sections of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Prophet's Song" at Sarm Studios, and filmed the video for "Somebody to Love" at the studio the following year. The band returned to Sarm Studios in 1977 to record portions of their album News of the World, including the hit song "We Are the Champions.
Producer Trevor Horn became a frequent client at Sarm Studios, and he and the co-director Jill Sinclair married in 1980. In 1982, Sinclair and Horn founded ZTT Records and purchased Island Studios in west London, rebranding it Sarm West and the original Sarm Studio as Sarm East.Sarm East closed in 2001
Other well known recordings at Sarn East include:
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975), Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus (1977), The Clash – Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978),Yes – Drama (1980), ABC - Lexicorn of Love (1982), Frankie Goes to Hollywood – "Relax" (1983), Grace Jones – Slave to the Rhythm (1985), Seal – "Crazy" (1990) & Madonna - Music (2000)
The basement studio then became an audio school called the London Recording Studios, later the London Music School, but the building’s connection to music ended in 2015. Upper floors have been variously used since the 1970s as a hairdressing salon, solictors and accountants office. All of it is currently available for rental and in the meantime is protected by property guardians.
In 1975, Queen recorded sections of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Prophet's Song" at Sarm Studios, and filmed the video for "Somebody to Love" at the studio the following year. The band returned to Sarm Studios in 1977 to record portions of their album News of the World, including the hit song "We Are the Champions.
Producer Trevor Horn became a frequent client at Sarm Studios, and he and the co-director Jill Sinclair married in 1980. In 1982, Sinclair and Horn founded ZTT Records and purchased Island Studios in west London, rebranding it Sarm West and the original Sarm Studio as Sarm East.Sarm East closed in 2001
Other well known recordings at Sarn East include:
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975), Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus (1977), The Clash – Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978),Yes – Drama (1980), ABC - Lexicorn of Love (1982), Frankie Goes to Hollywood – "Relax" (1983), Grace Jones – Slave to the Rhythm (1985), Seal – "Crazy" (1990) & Madonna - Music (2000)
The basement studio then became an audio school called the London Recording Studios, later the London Music School, but the building’s connection to music ended in 2015. Upper floors have been variously used since the 1970s as a hairdressing salon, solictors and accountants office. All of it is currently available for rental and in the meantime is protected by property guardians.
All Hallows’ Church/Blackwing Studios - Borough, SE1
​All Hallows’ Church/Blackwing Studios - Borough, SE1. 2025
The original Victorian gothic All Hallows’ Church was built by George Gilbert Scott Junior in 1879-80.
It was almost entirely destroyed during the Blitz and fragments of the building remain, including two stone archways and a chapel, all incorporated into a rebuilding of the north aisle of the church in 1957. This was closed in 1971.
The remainder of the bombsite rubble was restored to create a walled garden with lawns, flower beds and shrubbery. The garden is owned by the Diocese of Southwark but has been managed voluntarily by a local group, the Copperfield Street Community Gardeners.
From 1980 the church was used a recording studio called Blackwing started by Eric Radcliffe, who worked on most of the early Mute Records recordings alongside Daniel Miller.At the rear of the church building was a bell tower that was used for storing master tapes.One of the first tracks Depeche Mode recorded at Blackwing was "Dreaming of Me", after being decided it would be the band's first single. At the time, Vince Clarke was unemployed, so he spent most of the daytime in the studio with Daniel Miller, who would advise Clarke on how to get sounds, use studio technology and arrange songs. Later in the afternoon, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher would arrive from their day jobs to record melody parts.
Some notable recordings at Blackwing:
Depeche Mode — Speak & Spell (1981) & A Broken Frame (1982),Yazoo — Upstairs at Eric's (1982),Depeche Mode — A Broken Frame (1982),Cocteau Twins — Garlands (1982),Nine Inch Nails — Pretty Hate Machine (1989),Ride — Nowhere (1990),My Bloody Valentine — Loveless (1991), Pixies — Trompe le Monde (1991), Stereolab — Peng! (1992) and Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
It was almost entirely destroyed during the Blitz and fragments of the building remain, including two stone archways and a chapel, all incorporated into a rebuilding of the north aisle of the church in 1957. This was closed in 1971.
The remainder of the bombsite rubble was restored to create a walled garden with lawns, flower beds and shrubbery. The garden is owned by the Diocese of Southwark but has been managed voluntarily by a local group, the Copperfield Street Community Gardeners.
From 1980 the church was used a recording studio called Blackwing started by Eric Radcliffe, who worked on most of the early Mute Records recordings alongside Daniel Miller.At the rear of the church building was a bell tower that was used for storing master tapes.One of the first tracks Depeche Mode recorded at Blackwing was "Dreaming of Me", after being decided it would be the band's first single. At the time, Vince Clarke was unemployed, so he spent most of the daytime in the studio with Daniel Miller, who would advise Clarke on how to get sounds, use studio technology and arrange songs. Later in the afternoon, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher would arrive from their day jobs to record melody parts.
Some notable recordings at Blackwing:
Depeche Mode — Speak & Spell (1981) & A Broken Frame (1982),Yazoo — Upstairs at Eric's (1982),Depeche Mode — A Broken Frame (1982),Cocteau Twins — Garlands (1982),Nine Inch Nails — Pretty Hate Machine (1989),Ride — Nowhere (1990),My Bloody Valentine — Loveless (1991), Pixies — Trompe le Monde (1991), Stereolab — Peng! (1992) and Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
THEN & NOW: Norton Folgate, Spitalfields, E1
2018: Norton Folgate, Spitalfields, E1
Situated on the fringe of the City of London, this nine-acre area, known as Norton Folgate, remained an extra-parochial liberty until 1900, meaning it fell outside the jurisdiction of any Church of England parish. This unique status contributed to its development as one of London’s most distinctive and independent neighbourhoods.
Efforts to redevelop parts of Norton Folgate have sparked significant controversy. In 2015, property developers proposed demolishing several of these buildings along the A10 corridor between Bishopsgate and Shoreditch High Street, prompting a prominent campaign to preserve the area. The Victorian-era shopping parade pictured here has since been integrated into a large new retail and office complex.
Efforts to redevelop parts of Norton Folgate have sparked significant controversy. In 2015, property developers proposed demolishing several of these buildings along the A10 corridor between Bishopsgate and Shoreditch High Street, prompting a prominent campaign to preserve the area. The Victorian-era shopping parade pictured here has since been integrated into a large new retail and office complex.
2025: Norton Folgate, Spitalfields, E1
2018
: Norton Folgate, Spitalfields, E1
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2025: Norton Folgate, Spitalfields, E1
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Gina's Restaurant -Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E1
​Gina's Restaurant -Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E1
(2025)
Gina's run by Gina and Philip Christou, first opened in Brick Lane in 1961, but moved to these premises
in 1972. By 2011, they continued to open just on Sunday for lunch, out of loyalty to their customers. Phillip passed away in 2012. The premises remain empty and is currently available to let.
in 1972. By 2011, they continued to open just on Sunday for lunch, out of loyalty to their customers. Phillip passed away in 2012. The premises remain empty and is currently available to let.
Great Eastern Street Car Park - Shoreditch, EC2
Great Eastern Street Car Park - Shoreditch, EC2
This island site at the junction of Curtain Road and Great Eastern Street is currently occupied by a graffiti covered single nine-storey derelict building used as a car park operated by NCP until 2019. Parts of the ground floor were once a petrol station, though has been occupied by the American Car Wash for the last few decades.
The Cricketers - Kennington Oval.SE11
The Cricketers - Kennington Oval. SE11. 2024
The Cricketers by the Oval was finally demolished in September 2024. Workmen told me that the sign will be given to the cricket ground and the building will be replaced by a block of flats with a pub on the ground floor.
From vol 1 of my London's Lost Music Venue book:
Built in the 1930s as the Clayton Arms rebuilt on the site of its Victorian predecessor, changing its name to The Cricketers in 1966 due to its proximity to the Oval Cricket Ground & the associated trade of match day drinkers. Ian Dury lived in a flat overlooking the pub, and he wrote the song 'Blockheads' inspired by observing drunk cricket fans pouring out of The Cricketers.
The pub hosted jazz nights from the late 1970s and then in the early 80s began to put on live music encompassing a wide selection of styles from folk including Bert Jansch, Ralph McTell and Roy Harper, fresh up and coming & soon to be chart acts such as The Pogues, T'Pau, Jesus Jones and Inspiral Carpets, indie bands such as the Darling Buds, Lush and The Cardiacs, old punks The Vibrators and UK Subs plus some great established acts doing the 1980s pub circuit including The Groundhogs, Desmond Dekker, Geno Washington, Frank Sidebottom and Chicken Shack.
By the late 1980s The Cricketers was on just about every band's gigography on the transit van circuit and was a popular place to attract record company scouts and music press reviews though the lease expired and a steep increase in rent led to a change of ownership and the end of live music at the pub in 1990. After the next two landlords (one of them a motorcycle gang) failed to make ends meet, the pub became Carlito's Way Portuguese Restaurant in 1994, but closed in 1998 and the pub had been boarded up ever since and often occupied by squatters. A brief claim to fame in the National press was when cricket fans were photographed sitting on the roof of the pub overlooking the Oval, watching as England won The Ashes in 2005.
I attended many gigs here and seen below are two pics I took in 1990 of The Phantom Chords featuring Dave Vanian and Bryn Merrick of The Damned.
From vol 1 of my London's Lost Music Venue book:
Built in the 1930s as the Clayton Arms rebuilt on the site of its Victorian predecessor, changing its name to The Cricketers in 1966 due to its proximity to the Oval Cricket Ground & the associated trade of match day drinkers. Ian Dury lived in a flat overlooking the pub, and he wrote the song 'Blockheads' inspired by observing drunk cricket fans pouring out of The Cricketers.
The pub hosted jazz nights from the late 1970s and then in the early 80s began to put on live music encompassing a wide selection of styles from folk including Bert Jansch, Ralph McTell and Roy Harper, fresh up and coming & soon to be chart acts such as The Pogues, T'Pau, Jesus Jones and Inspiral Carpets, indie bands such as the Darling Buds, Lush and The Cardiacs, old punks The Vibrators and UK Subs plus some great established acts doing the 1980s pub circuit including The Groundhogs, Desmond Dekker, Geno Washington, Frank Sidebottom and Chicken Shack.
By the late 1980s The Cricketers was on just about every band's gigography on the transit van circuit and was a popular place to attract record company scouts and music press reviews though the lease expired and a steep increase in rent led to a change of ownership and the end of live music at the pub in 1990. After the next two landlords (one of them a motorcycle gang) failed to make ends meet, the pub became Carlito's Way Portuguese Restaurant in 1994, but closed in 1998 and the pub had been boarded up ever since and often occupied by squatters. A brief claim to fame in the National press was when cricket fans were photographed sitting on the roof of the pub overlooking the Oval, watching as England won The Ashes in 2005.
I attended many gigs here and seen below are two pics I took in 1990 of The Phantom Chords featuring Dave Vanian and Bryn Merrick of The Damned.
Home of the Winchester Club in Minder - Chalk Farm Parade, Chalk Farm, NW3
Home of the Winchester Club in Minder - Chalk Farm Parade, Chalk Farm, NW3
In this photograph, the area situated between Grape Sense and Early Bird marks the original filming location of The Winchester Club from the TV series Minder in 1979. At the time of filming, the site functioned as a real establishment known as The Eton Club. Scenes from the first series were filmed both inside and outside the club. The location can be seen in the closing credits for the Terry McCann years of Minder (the first seven series which aired from 1979 to 1989)and also in scenes from Series 1 Episode 6 - Aces High and Sometimes Very Low.
As the production crew was based in Hammersmith, travelling to this location became impractical. Consequently, from the second series onwards, indoor scenes were filmed on a studio set, while exterior shots were relocated to Portland Road in Notting Hill.
Scenes from a 1980 episode of The Professionals ('The Untouchables' Season 5, Episode 8) were also filmed here at The Eton Club.
After The Eton Club closed, it became dry cleaners until 2018 and lay derelict until the demolition of the whole block in December 2024. The site is set to be redeveloped into a residential complex featuring 77 flats, named The White Angel.
As the production crew was based in Hammersmith, travelling to this location became impractical. Consequently, from the second series onwards, indoor scenes were filmed on a studio set, while exterior shots were relocated to Portland Road in Notting Hill.
Scenes from a 1980 episode of The Professionals ('The Untouchables' Season 5, Episode 8) were also filmed here at The Eton Club.
After The Eton Club closed, it became dry cleaners until 2018 and lay derelict until the demolition of the whole block in December 2024. The site is set to be redeveloped into a residential complex featuring 77 flats, named The White Angel.
Blackfriars Crown Court - Southwark, SE1
Entrance to Blackfriars Crown Court - Southwark, SE1
The site was used by HM Stationery Office since the 1920s. The current building was opened as a new printworks for HM Stationery Office in the 1950s.
In the early 1990s, the Lord Chancellor's Department decided to close Knightsbridge Crown Court and to establish a new crown court at the old printing works. The building was then refurbished, augmented by a semi-circular portico, formed by Doric order columns and re-opened as a courthouse in 1993 accommodating nine courtrooms until closing down in 2019.
In 2015, Lorraine Barwell, a custody officer at the court, died after being assaulted while escorting a prisoner.. Security contractor Serco was been fined more than £2 million for health and safety failings that led to a mentally-ill prisoner kicking her to death.
A planning application has been submitted for a mixed use development, which would see the roof of the building transformed into an "urban forest" - The building has been rebranded by developers as "Roots in the Sky to reflect its focus on sustainability, wellbeing and the provision green spaces for both public and private use".
In 2021, the building was used to film legal scenes for Top Boy on Netflix.
In the early 1990s, the Lord Chancellor's Department decided to close Knightsbridge Crown Court and to establish a new crown court at the old printing works. The building was then refurbished, augmented by a semi-circular portico, formed by Doric order columns and re-opened as a courthouse in 1993 accommodating nine courtrooms until closing down in 2019.
In 2015, Lorraine Barwell, a custody officer at the court, died after being assaulted while escorting a prisoner.. Security contractor Serco was been fined more than £2 million for health and safety failings that led to a mentally-ill prisoner kicking her to death.
A planning application has been submitted for a mixed use development, which would see the roof of the building transformed into an "urban forest" - The building has been rebranded by developers as "Roots in the Sky to reflect its focus on sustainability, wellbeing and the provision green spaces for both public and private use".
In 2021, the building was used to film legal scenes for Top Boy on Netflix.
Rear of Blackfriars Crown Court showing prison van entrance - Southwark, SE1
Jireh Lodge - Forest Gate, E6
​Jireh Lodge - Forest Gate, E6
In 1888, a Mr. Allen began to hold religious meetings in the small building attached to the left of Jireh Lodge, no. 133 Sebert Road. In 1921 another Jireh chapel was built at no. 244 Sebert Road.The membership was by then about 20. Jireh Lodge was sold after 1921 and later used for a time by the Seventh Day Adventists. In 1965 it was occupied by a builder. The above informations is from "A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6". Originally published by Victoria County History, 1973.
The term "Jireh" is derived from the Bible specifically referring to one of the names of God in the Old Testament. It comes from "Jehovah Jireh," which means "The Lord Will Provide" in Hebrew.
Depite becoming very run down, Jirah Lodge was occupied until 2010 when it was destroyed in a gas explosion resulting in the attendance of 20 firefighters. There were no injuries.In 2013,planning permission was granted to demolish the remains of the building and construct two new houses but nothing has happened since.
The term "Jireh" is derived from the Bible specifically referring to one of the names of God in the Old Testament. It comes from "Jehovah Jireh," which means "The Lord Will Provide" in Hebrew.
Depite becoming very run down, Jirah Lodge was occupied until 2010 when it was destroyed in a gas explosion resulting in the attendance of 20 firefighters. There were no injuries.In 2013,planning permission was granted to demolish the remains of the building and construct two new houses but nothing has happened since.
Bromley-by-Bow Gasholders - Bromley-by-Bow, E3
Bromley-by-Bow Gasholders
The Bromley-by-Bow gasholders are a collection of seven cast iron Victorian structures located on Twelvetrees Crescent in West Ham, named after the nearby area of Bromley, now known as Bromley-by-Bow. These gasholders are considered the largest group of their kind in Britain, with the Victorian Society hailing them as "a true symbol of the Industrial Revolution."
In 1870, the Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company began constructing its largest gasworks at Bow Creek near Bromley to compete with the Beckton Gas Works owned by the Gas Light and Coke Company (GLCC). Spanning approximately 170 acres, the site replaced a former rocket factory. Before the Bromley gasworks were completed, the Imperial Company was absorbed by the GLCC.
To store gas produced at the works, nine gasholders were built between 1872 and 1878. By 1873, gas was being supplied to local factories, homes, and businesses, primarily for lighting. The site suffered damage during World War II bombings in 1940, leading to the removal of gasholder number 5 and the frame of number 3, which was replaced by a circular lake. Following the nationalisation of the GLCC in 1949, the North Thames Gas Board took ownership of the site.
With the discovery of North Sea gas in 1965, gasworks across the UK began closing, and the Bromley gasworks ceased operations in 1976. The gasholders remained functional for gas storage until 2010. The gasworks to the south of the site were later redeveloped into an industrial park.
In 2024, Newham Council approved a redevelopment plan for 2,200 new homes on the site with the gasholders to be retained, similar to the development at the rear of St Pancras Station.
OUTSIDE THE M25: Gravesend and North Kent Hospital - Gravesend, DA11
Gravesend and North Kent Hospital - Gravesend, DA11 (2025)
On the site of the former Dispensary and Infirmary opened in 1854, this maternity block built in 1971 is the last of the hospital buildings of the Gravesend and North Kent Hospital. The adjacent main Hospital closed in 2004, with some services moving to this former maternity block, until that too closed in 2006.The main hospital buildings were demolished in 2004 to make way for the new Gravesham Community Hospital, which opened in 2006.
The vacant maternity block remains, awaiting redevelopment.It was sold for £2.3m for a new housing development in 2022 and attracted the following Daily Mail headline in 2024: "Is THIS Britain's ugliest building? Disgusted locals living next to 'monstrosity' derelict NHS hospital say it is an 'appalling' death-trap". The work will include conversion of the former maternity unit along with a side extension and a roof extension.
The vacant maternity block remains, awaiting redevelopment.It was sold for £2.3m for a new housing development in 2022 and attracted the following Daily Mail headline in 2024: "Is THIS Britain's ugliest building? Disgusted locals living next to 'monstrosity' derelict NHS hospital say it is an 'appalling' death-trap". The work will include conversion of the former maternity unit along with a side extension and a roof extension.
OUTSIDE THE M25: Portlands Club - Northfleet,DA11
Portlands Club - Northfleet,DA11
Portlands was formerly the Factory Club (later known as the Blue Circle Club) which was opened in 1878 and built at the expense of cement manufacturer, Thomas Bevan in honour of Bevan's son, coming of age and to celebrate what could be done with cement. The club was open to all members of the public and was the cultural centre of Northfleet. Two halls, a games room, sports facilities, a library and the headquarters of the Northfleet Choral Society, plus numerous other local societies were all accommodated. Among various other features added over the years was a bowling green and an outdoor swimming pool that was opened in 1907.
The building has been empty for around 30 years and has suffered 3 fires in recent years.
The building has been empty for around 30 years and has suffered 3 fires in recent years.
OUTSIDE THE M25: Along the River Thames between Northfleet and Gravesend, DA11
