Wisbech Urbex, Despair

Urban exploring is something i don't do often anymore.

I've been focusing on weddings, photoshoots and street photography.

A little frustrated with myself too, I've not enjoyed exploring like i have have in the past. Perhaps i expect too much, or I'm lacking the creativity too make something out of nothing.

I'll continue to explore when the opportunity arises, perhaps enjoying more what i see with my eyes rather than what i see through a camera. 

As a total opposite from what i written in the above sentences, what i did enjoy about this explore was that it wasn't alone....ive made a new friend.

The internet, it's made the world grow inwards towards the self, for once though its been used to meet new people. 

Through an instagram follow I met up with Jack Smyth, a photographer from March, Cambridgeshire. Sunday morning, 8am, Wisbech, the site; an empty factory/warehouse that has been stripped and left abandoned.

Access was easy enough.

The site comprises of a large warehouse building which is segregated into 4/5 separate rooms that resemble coldstores or chillers, an office section and a number of smaller chiller units.

Inside, wiring has been dismantled and sold for scrap, all thats left is a pile of copper-less wire and a few desks, with a couple of extras thrown in for good measure. 

Guard cat

Work free office

From what?

Desperate place for a desperate measure

The waters been left on and so theres pools of water throughout.
Trusty waterproof boots.

Danger.

Bazaar things happen

Darkness

This was the most interesting thing found for me until moments later.

Dizzying heights

The main building is vast; a black hole.

I had to shoot something to make use of having a companion.
What can you do when theres harsh light and deep shadows, use both and create a silhouette.

A sobering thought to end with:

Imagine being homeless.

Alone.

Cold.

Where would you go?

This is a stark reality, that may never cross your mind, for some though they live this despair everyday.

I felt awkward and ashamed for invading this persons space.

Everyone's got their own demons.
Some physical, some mental.

Its easy to judge but whats their story?

What's left of the DFV factory, Holbeach

I remember buying a hockey stick from here when I started 'big' school.

2008, the site had been left empty for a short number of years before someone decided to have a little fire in the month of August, it must of been a cold summer to need to light a fire. Since 2008, the site has been left empty still with the scarred remains of the buildings that once were.

I've been thinking about taking a look for a couple of years now, so my usual free time of a Saturday morning in the month of May was the date and time for the trip. Hardly a trip, its only about 10 miles from my house.

Its easy to get into, just climb over a mound of mud used to block the entrance to the site. Once over the top your met by a larger building to the left that is still intact and a building to the right that is a pile of bricks and charred wooden remains.

The larger building to the right seems to be either home to tramps or a den for youths as there is graffiti on the walls, make shift seats/beds, a fire pit and empty bottles of White Lightning cider everywhere.

ISO 100, 86mm, f4.5, 1/400

ISO 100, 200mm, f3.5, 1/1250

Inside the skeletal remains of the other building were some great textures of the burnt wood and as you push your feet around the debris on the floor you find remnants of old hockey balls, sticks and goal keeper pads.

ISO 100, 105mm, f5.0, 1/60

ISO 200, 9mm, f5.6, 1/25

ISO 500, 105mm, f5.6, 1/25

ISO 100, 105mm, f7.1, 1/100

ISO 100, 24mm, f6.3, 1/400

ISO 500, 105mm, f/5.0, 1/25

ISO 100, 80mm, f5.0, 1/200

ISO 100, 200mm, f5.0, 1/200

ISO 100, 200mm, f5.0, 1/2000
Look closely and you'll see that a fly is hard at work typing

ISO 100, 200mm, f4.0, 1/500

ISO 100, 70mm, f4.0, 1/800
Fancy a seat?

ISO 100, 128mm, f4.0, 1/800

ISO 100, 70mm, f3.2, 1/250.
Anyone got any bog roll?

ISO160, 200mm, f2.8, 1/100
Great light.
This foliage covered the floor of the larger building.

When leaving the site a lady from across the road came out to speak to me. Warning me of the dangers of entering the site; falling debris, glass on the floor etc. She said kids are always playing on the site and that she has seen/heard people in there at night, which backs up my idea on the den/home. She did also say though that deers and foxes are quite often seen in the early hours.