Explorers: j3bu, Ric, Mortal Decay, Thompski

It’s a little disconcerting being able to see through the platform which is suspending you about 100ft above the ground in the 0.8 miles walk from start to finish. Anyone who has completed the Walk Of Faith at Blackpool Tower can tell you it’s not a massively pleasant feeling looking at your feet and just a massive drop. But after about a minute I more or less forgot about the drop and was happy to bounce around the structure filling my hair with spiders, raccoons and dragons as I went. Thelwall Viaduct is ace, I could’ve spent ages just sat up there.

Further Reading:

Wikipedia.org

On the 17th Of October 1883 the observatory at the summity of Ben Nevis was first opened. It remained open for 21 years, closing in 1904 due to lack of funding. In the 105 years it has remained derelict it slowly fell apart but amazingly some of the original beams used in its construction are still littering the summit of Ben Nevis. To get to the summit is a 4,409 ft (1,344m) climb making it one of the most difficult, highest, remote and time consuming to get to.

Further Reading:

Wikipedia.org

Designed by architect James Miller and opening on the 10th August 1896, Botanic Gardens Station served as a an excellent way for visitors to gain access to Glasgows beautiful Botanic Gardens until its close as a station 43 years later on 2nd February 1939. After it ceased to be a station it served many uses including that of a cafe, a plumbers and even a nightclub although it is more likely that the nightclub was situated in the overground station offices. It was as a nightclub that it finally ended its occupied life after a fire broke out after a battle of a bands contest on the 22nd March 1970. It has remained derelict for nearly 40 years. It is at this point I visited.

Further Reading:

Wikipedia.org

Explorers: j3bu, bungle666, Thompski

Woah, this one was pretty ontop. Especially as the explorers that went a few days after us got a visit from the police, ah well least they got to see it.

The Midland Bank building (later to become HSBC) was designed in 1928 by Edwin Lutyens as a classic art deco building. It was constructed between 1933 and 1935. It is a Grade II listing building and is quite eccentric, surrounded on all sides by roads and featuring a central courtyard which is inaccessible except from through windows.  John Ashton Floyd provided many carving throughout. The carvings on the roof which would be unseen from street level and even from inside the building are quite spectacular.

In the mid 1990′s the midland bank was taken over by HSBC however many features of the building still remind you that you are in a midland bank. The banisters on the stairs still feature a “M.B.” motif.

On the 6th of June 2008 the King Street branch closed its doors as a bank for the very last time as HSBC relocated their Manchester branch to St Ann’s Square, it is unknown what the building will now be used for.

Further Reading:

Wikipedia.org