Showing posts with label arson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arson. Show all posts

Thursday, 23 July 2015

Of All the Days: The Derelict Church of St Wandregesilius, Bixley

Not far south of Norwich, the site of the ruins of the parish church of the tiny hamlet of Bixley nonetheless feels as isolated a spot in East Anglia. Down a dirt track, surrounded by chest-high nettles and weeds, and fields beyond, the church of St Wandregesilius dates back to 1272. In 2004, it was gutted by arson, the fury of the flames still clearly evident today.

The church is notable in its own small way for being the only dedicated to Wandregesilius, the Latinised name for Wandrille, an obscure seventh century monk and hermit. The date of his death, and that of his feast, is, coincidentally, the date I wandered round the ruins of his church: July 22nd.

Friday, 27 September 2013

The Derelict East: Changing Rooms, Lowestoft

Its exterior covered in graffiti'd images of crows, this dingy hole was once a changing room facility for either the neighbouring Lowestoft Cricket Club ground or a now-gone caravan site - perhaps both.

This building is only a few minutes walk from Ness Point - the most easterly point in the UK - so this may well be the nation's most easterly derelict site.

Saturday, 30 June 2012

Dirty Toys and Burned Max Bygraves LPs: The Mousehold Heath Ranger's House

The Ranger's House at Mousehold Heath, Norwich. Built in the mid-1880s for the heath ranger - pretty much coinciding the time when the heath was given to the people of Norwich, so presumably the care of the heath prior was the responsibilty of the Church - and in use until the 1960s, it is now little more than a derelict shell with severe fire, smoke, and vandalism damage. Various plans have been mooted for the house - ideas range from it being used from a study centre to converted to social housing - but at the moment all seemed to have stalled. A few curious items littered about inside - heat-warped LPs, dirty toys - insinuate a pleasantly creepy vibe in the darkness.