Tales of the Urban Explorer: Altbridge Nursing Home

“...Oh.. for fucks sake, where is this place?...”

I had failed to notice the lack of @anidiotexplores who had stopped for a piss and I was talking to myself; the story of my life.

I don’t mind a walk, but not a 15 minute one. I mean how did the old ladies get to this bloody nursing home when it was open?

The road was slightly too narrow for a car and we couldn’t have driven anyway due to the overhanging trees and two large metal posts telling us, ‘Pedestrians Only’ around half a mile back.

I could hear some lumberjacks sawing down trees off to the right. Hopefully, they would focus on the wood and not notice two suspicious-looking characters walking toward the long derelict 'Altbridge Nursing Home’.

The home was closed around 2006 due to its rural location and for the simple fact, they could not get the staff to run it.

There is an old article here about it. A strange reason to close but considering nobody wants to do care work as it's underpaid and has long hours, maybe not.

Turning a bend and at the bottom of a seemingly endless road, we spotted it. My first impressions were, 'this is big!'.

The grounds were in a bad state with evidence of makeshift fires, though not close to any of the buildings.

We made for the main large building and quickly got in through an open window.

Inside was gloomy and extremely damp with the usual hazards aplenty.

Long dark corridors can be tamed with a massive light. Don't bring one and you get crap photographs, it's that simple.

It’s unlikely that bed is going to be slept in again.

Do you get your own locker when in a care home? You do here.

Oh, look at that, a hand cleaner dispenser. I didn't check to see if it worked on this occasion.

No shit about, ‘Mind the Step’…

The kitchens were suitably rank. Do you think you’d look good after hanging around for 15 years?

The elevator looked almost new, gleaming, and out of place.

We were soon back to familiar scenes like these.

‘Altbridge Nursing Home’ is better visited during daylight hours. Can you imagine heading down there after dark?

The stairs were remarkably stable, carpeted and only the wallpaper impeded us.

It's important to keep clean, Imperial Leather is an old brand. Old ladies like it.

A partially burnt handwritten list of items from 2001.

Looking at that hole in the far door, someone must have wanted to continue with left or right not being suitable. Must have been tough on the head.

The main house was large and it was taking some time to get around it all. The top floor was doable, quite surprising from something this old.

The top floor was dodgy underfoot. With all that soggy crap you are never sure just what you are walking on.

We exited and re-entered this other smaller building. Over the years the main house has been extended but the entrance appeared to be blocked from one end.

This one had fared little better and had suffered from burning in some areas.

We had to look hard for something other than the usual piles of crap.

It used to look a whole lot better than now.

They did at least file accidents. Is ‘Anne’ still alive? Likely not.

That’s a lot of advertising blurb.

Upper Downing Hall appears to be linked. It could be the same owners, though it’s nowhere near ‘Altbridge Nursing Home’.

The most usable piece of furniture I spotted. The lack of cushions and laid-on coffee made me not pause.

ManWeb; now that is a blast from the past. I should have checked the tariff prices for a shock.

Even older is this TV License from 1984 (I hear you Americans sniggering). Yes, we have TV licenses; now don’t set me off about this subject.

Mark the Gardener is now unemployed. Those grounds could use him again.

Bending down to retrieve memorabilia can be a hazardous job, ankles have been known to be broken trying.

We vacated and entered yet another building, this one long and skinny.

Yes, really. Bring your own protection to get through all that.

We found even more personal items in this final area.

You can’t blame the old ladies for wanting to read Mills and Boon, though some of them tend to be titled, ‘The Italian Billionaire’s Large Cock’.

I suppose the warders could well employ a little censorship on incoming Amazon orders. They wouldn’t want their old dears keeling over when reading that raunchy material.

Now, this is more fitting, Hilda Ogden's rollers and large print material.

For a second I thought one of them might be a Stranglers fan, but it’s not a tape from the old 70’s punk band.

Religious freaks infiltrate everywhere, even here...

Long corridors always get me; they can be photogenic if captured correctly.

.. and there were some long ones within ‘Altbridge Nursing Home’.

This is why I explore. You can't make this stuff up, it just happens and the laughter erupts.

‘Altbridge Nursing Home’ got better the more we explored. The main house may be the oldest but is the dullest.

Now for another long haul up that damn road again, this time it’s uphill.

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