The threat of a fire breaking out is constantly
likely in well-known derelict buildings and without proper protection, it can have devastating
consequences. In today’s Urbandoned video, we are covering
two abandoned sites in the middle of England, Bramcote Secondary School in Nottinghamshire
and Clayton Hotel in Staffordshire. Although both sites seem different in function,
in 2021, they unfortunately suffered from blazes that decimated much of their interiors,
however offered enough that had survived to provoke us to venture inside to see the after
effects. Olight sent us their Baton 3 Pro Max torch,
their first magnesium alloy torch they have made. This thing is wicked. With a maximum 2,500 lumens, a battery runtime
of up to 60 days and a magnetic end, it is perfect for urban exploring, camping in the
dark or finding something in your car’s footwell at night. Olight currently have a March flash sale ending
on the 17th at midnight, so check it out in the description and grab yourself a torch. First, we are taking a closer look at Bramcote
School, a large property in Nottinghamshire built in 1948, which we had wanted to visit
since early 2020, but never got the chance. Two months after the fire occurred, we were
nearby and decided to check out what remained. Wandering around the fence line, the building
still appears mostly intact, but as soon as you get closer, you can see the regions destroyed
by the blaze, where the roof was in tatters and dangling metal creaked in the wind. Alistair: So, we’re inside an abandoned
school that, like the hotel I’m pretty sure we’re going to collaborate this video with,
it’s also suffered a major fire in the last month, but surprisingly very easy access. No security or alarms or anything like that. Can see the fire damage through there. As soon as you get over the fence, you’re
in. Believe these are Maths classrooms from the
notices on the walls. I take that back actually, this one’s Spanish. The skylight’s nice. It did seem that even though vandals must
have accessed the school for years, a lot of classroom equipment and furniture still
sat idle. Alistair: Nice little courtyard. I like the curves of this building. Bits of it look quite modern, but then other
bits seem to date back to the 60s, but here, you can see the fire damage. Practically, the whole central corridor and
some of the classrooms leading off from it have been obliterated by vandals. It’s very sad, because I feel like this
building could have been repurposed, but this bit now is definitely going to have to get
demolished. Alistair: The entire door has collapsed there
and all the frames around it. Got to be careful where I’m standing. There’s so many rusty beams and roof supports
that have crashed down. Here is the epicentre of the fire damage and
it’s a shame because this was a really nice curved corridor from what I’d seen that
took you from the two main sections of the school. Just an example of one of the classrooms. Unrecognisable now. What seemed surreal was how little of the
school’s original purpose was evident in these blackened rooms. It was as if the fire had removed all memory
from the building, leaving it a shadow of it’s former self. Alistair: There’s a lovely curved bay window
in this classroom. Theo: The damage is no different up here,
in fact it’s arguably worse looking at these classrooms. This is quite nice, despite the fire damage. Looks like a science lab, maybe. Alistair: I think it’s food tech. Theo: Yeah, you could be right, actually. Yeah, baking trays, containers. You can see them on the drawers, there. Alistair: Jesus Christ! That’s four classrooms but there’s no
walls or boundaries between them now. Look what they’re being held up by. This is a rusty projector right in front of
me, by the way. In the early hours of Thursday, September
16th 2021, firefighters were called to Bramcote School to tackle a mighty blaze in the building
that had been shuttered for four years. 60 personnel and 12 fire engines were onsite
well after the sun had risen to stabilise the alight premises. It was a major event, forcing local schools
and roads to shut, but thankfully no-one was injured. The property’s location within a public
park meant nobody needed to evacuate the area, and an investigation was soon launched to
determine the cause of the incident. Theo: Look how the metal is bent. Just shows the sheer heat of these fires when
they occur. What was once a curving 60s Art Deco corridor
was ruined, as well as various classrooms and offices, making the restoration task considerably
more challenging. Alistair: This might be the source of the
fire, although it does seem a bit away from the main portion of it. Just a room full of papers, very small room,
probably quite ideal to start a fire. Alistair: ‘Product design and Graphic products.’ This is really cool! Would have all the tools hung up on the wall
and the work benches are quite spacious. Health and Safety was definitely a consideration
like it is at most schools. Always takes me back when we’re in an abandoned
educational place. Theo: Back out the burnt section now, into
the more just vandalised, really. Looks like there’s some stuff still there. This one seems to have everything remaining. Maybe a teacher office, potentially. Alistair: Yeah, or like a little staffroom. Theo: Yeah. Alistair: It’s the science one, though. ‘Biology, Chemistry, Physics.’ That means there’s probably labs nearby. Theo: Corridor continues. Looks like Alistair was right. I think these are little Science rooms by
the looks of it. Yeah, I can see the Bunsen burner or the gas
taps for the Bunsen burner even. Very small, but it’s nice to see the desks
still in place. Theo: Student books, here. ‘Key stage 3.’ This is all their work. Sad to see it just left, to be honest. Over here, these look like exam papers, as
well, for GCSE, by the looks of it. Alistair: Bunch of old microscopes in here
and some other equipment. Signal generator and amplifier, and an oscillator. The science labs in particular showed the
complete transition from utter devastation to somewhere the 480 pupils at one time would
remember fondly. Nearly everything was left, and it was a throwback
for us to think of our periods in science class, and how it must feel to see a place
from your childhood in this condition. Alistair: Here’s the classes homework for
the week. Couple questions they had to answer. There’s no date for when this was, but this
is definitely real writing from a teacher. Alistair: Saw this interesting coloured room
from down the corridor. Theo: Not the room itself, but the colours
is quite hospital-like, maybe like some of the asylums. Alistair: Yeah, it is. I.T. classroom. No computers left, though. Alistair: This is going to the gym. It’s a bit trashed, but more or less what
you would expect from a school gym, with those wooden climbing frames at the side and the
ropes. The sunlight coming in makes it look really
nice. Alistair: There’s a very broken table tennis
table in this side room to the gym, and another rowing machine in the other. Alistair: This looks to be quite an old rowing
machine, with the curvy seats made out of wood. Alistair: Here’s a vaulting table, I think
it’s called. These are quite cool - two huge trampolines. I don’t think I’ve ever seen these in
an abandoned building, but there you go. This one looks in relatively good condition,
too, so I think I know what’s going to happen when we finish filming. Theo: So, we’re getting to the end of the
main corridor that runs through the middle of the site and it’s where the fire damage
stops again. This looks like a nice lobby area, here. Some blue pillars. Bit different - nice to see some decent architecture
in here. Makes sense for it to be the main entrance,
as well. Some really nice details on these bannisters
leading down to what looks to be a gym judging by the floor from what I can see, but we’ll
go find out. Wow! Look at the green on this room. It’s really nice. It pops well. It’s a lot bigger - this room - than I expected,
to be honest. You can tell from the markings on the floor
that it would have been used for gym activities, but most likely for assemblies and shows,
as well. Alistair: There’s a projector room up there
we need to check out. You could see why we had been very intrigued
by this school, despite its obliteration by the fire. This green auditorium, again with lovely Art
Deco features, was where hundreds of students would have piled in for assemblies and performances. Alistair: Bits of costume on stage I believe
and here’s the winding mechanisms. There’s even a few bits of set from various
school plays. Can see bricks and what looks like waves,
but very abstract. I think they’re a bit too heavy to turn
around so I can’t see this one at the front. Theo: Just found out this extremely strange
delay/echo. Sounds almost like a helicopter, or something. Theo: Can see pictures here for food. Yeah, definitely, it’s the canteen. Alistair: Makes sense that it would be near
the main hall. Theo: Exactly. Another bright colour scheme, as well. Alistair: I like the artwork, here. Theo: Yeah, it’s really nice. This is actually maybe where they ate, not
in the main hall. Alistair: Yeah, probably. Theo: Safe to say that this place won’t
be used for dog training after the fire. On the roof, we analysed how much of the site
had been affected by the blaze, and it looked like at least half. There were plans for the building to be demolished
in the way for housing, but this received complaint because of it’s position in the public
park. Whether this would still go ahead now is another
question. Earlier in the year, we were at the derelict
Clayton Hotel in Staffordshire, which once would have offered some Victorian details,
but was totally refurbished in 2009. Like Bramcote, even though a large fire ripped
through the building recently, there was surprisingly no security or protection of any sorts, and
we soon stepped into the structure with ease. In 2017, the hotel warranted concerns from
the local council following a detailed investigation into crime, under-age drinking and hygiene
issues that put a marker on it’s head. The building was yet another Covid closure
shutting at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, but never reopening. Theo: Possibly the easiest access we could
have asked for. Alistair: Straight into a function room of
some sort. Theo: Not bad. The chandelier is really nice. Alistair: Yeah, and there’s a stage where
they’d perform live music for meals. Theo: Looks like there’s some furniture
and stuff left, too. Alistair: There’s various CCTV cameras that
look fairly modern inside and outside, but I don’t think this place is going to be
much bother judging by the access. Alistair: Some huge kitchens for the size
of this place. Are these bird cages? Theo: Yeah, looks like it. Alistair: Some other ornaments. It’s such a mess. You can tell the locals have had a good rummage
through this place for anything expensive. Theo: I’m surprised some of the glassware
is not smashed, though. Quite a lot of glasses in here. Appears they are doing work. Well I say that, and now look. There were more similarities with the high
school, especially with the fact that although a massive fire had surged through the site,
and vandals seemed to be entering the grounds on a daily basis, most of the furniture and
belongings remained. Theo: Bar lounge area, by the looks of it. Alistair: It’s a bit tacky. Theo: Yeah it is. Alistair: It’s very smashed. Theo: Yeah. It’s nice that all the furniture is still
here. Alistair: It smells of beer. Alistair: This is going to be another bar. This one’s quite nice. It’s a bit luxury with the black furnishings
and decor. That coffee table has been obliterated. Theo: This part looks really interesting. It’s like a lobby area, by the looks of
it. This huge plant. Here’s the fire. There was a fire this month - about three
weeks ago and you can see the damage, just here. What a shame… Firefighters shared these images taken during
the hotel’s blaze at 10.20pm, April 2nd 2021. Once again, a vast amount of vehicles and
team was required to stifle the glowing flames visible from the roof, and only when the last
embers were dying in the morning, the full picture of the damage caused was visible. Another investigation launched, but probably
with no results, just like Bramcote School. However, it is quite clear who started the
fire in both situations, judging from the smashed windows and rummaged through drawers. Alistair: We’re having to use the staff
only bit to get past the fire damaged part, because that is pretty much impassable. This looks like it leads to a restaurant,
maybe. Yeah. It’s quite nice. It’s strange how the fire splits intact
bits with each other. Theo: This looks like a really nice open space
- a lot of natural light. Main entrance, obviously. Alistair: It’s very modern in here, isn’t
it. Theo: It is, yeah. Alistair: But, it’s not too bad. Alistair: This tree would have lit up. Would have been quite nice. Definitely fits the aesthetic of this place. This thing just works perfectly. Alistair: We’re now going to have a look
at some of the hotel rooms. They’re trashed just like everything else,
but you get the idea. They’re quite nice rooms. That leather padding behind the beds. You’ve got a huge wardrobe. Lot of space there, and a bath. These aren’t the worst hotel rooms I’ve
seen, especially looking at the rest of this place. Alistair: Some of the rooms are a bit smaller
and of a different layout. Some have these little makeup desks, but they’re
all relatively the same. Every single one has a bath, which I didn’t
expect. Alistair: This is a double bed, the first
one I’ve seen. Alistair: This is surreal with the fire damage
at the end of the corridor. Wow! This must be the master bedroom. I’ve not seen any like this. Huge double bed, loads of space and furniture,
although, it’s clear that this was not how they left it when the place closed. Going to check out this. I know there would have been more rooms here
and maybe some bars, but I don’t think it’s worth going over that to get to the corridor
there. I think we’ll leave that for someone more
stupid to do. After completing our exploration of the hotel
with the bedrooms getting very repetitive, we ambled out of the open door to move onto
the next location. Currently, we aren’t aware of any plans
for the future of Clayton Hotel, however, we would assume that demolition is the only
option. We hope you enjoyed a detailed look at these
two facilities and the newsworthy incidents that have permanently affected their chances
of being saved. Here are some of our photographs captured
at the abandoned buildings destroyed by fire. If you like the look of them, check out our
Instagram page in the description, where we share images from our explores months before
they are seen on YouTube. Thanks for watching! In our upcoming episode, we have quite a special
industrial exploration for you. We guarantee you won’t want to miss it. See you next time!
