In today’s Urbandoned video, we explore
the dilapidated Clune Park Estate near Glasgow in Scotland. Once a thriving community in the early 1900s,
the streets are now deserted and eerie, except for workers trying to seal the properties
from squatters and the occasional photographer attempting to document the bizarre circumstance. The site is the definition of a ghost town,
with over 400 uninhabited flats, an abandoned school, church and shops. There are below 20 people still living in
the area, witnessing break-ins and vandalism every day. Join us as we enter the complex to see what
remains. In our last video, we asked 'Would you like
to see more behind the scenes clips in our videos?' We had various responses but have selected
this lovely comment from Paul who must have seen the video in the ideal way we had intended. This support shows a difference from our recent
videos so we will be sure to feature more inclusive parts in our future recordings,
similar to the adventure style in the RAF base documentary. This week we are asking 'Who do you think
is to blame for the demise of the flats?' We would be interested to hear your opinions. Let us know to possibly feature in our next
upload. During our weeklong Scotland trip last year,
arriving at the neglected estate was a very strange experience. The amount of property compared to the lack
of humanity made for an unusual feeling, as if we were walking through the aftermath of
an apocalypse. However, our isolation didn't last long. Off camera, a police car drove through the
streets briefly before departing. Luckily, we hid ourselves from it's gaze,
but it proved that regular checks must occur in the area to maintain the security of the
premises. After wandering between the rows and rows
of apartments, we made our way to two different types of buildings that really provide the
evidence for the area to have once been a community: an abandoned school and a church. Even though it currently is being used for
storage of construction materials, the decaying church’s architecture, such as the ornate
windows, hanging chandeliers and wooden-beamed ceiling was enough to entice us. Built in 1905, it lasted almost a century
before closure in 1997, when the congregation merged to another chapel. Since then, utter neglect has allowed the
building to convert into nothing more than a ruin. In no time, we had returned outside where
we moved our attention over to the neighbouring school, arguably the highlight of the entire
town. Clune Park primary school was constructed
in 1887 for the families of the local shipyard workers who lived in many of the apartments. In years to come, the decline of the shipbuilding
business made a lot leave the region which didn’t help the property’s chances. The final straw was a new school that opened
nearby, showing the decorated building to be outdated. It closed its doors in 2008 and has lay derelict
ever since. Whilst entering, we were quick to notice an
active establishment positioned right by the rear end of the educating structure. Therefore, in the closer parts inside, we
stayed very quiet as to avoid detection. Our first impression of the building was positive. Despite signs of recent vandalism, a lot of
furniture remained in good condition as well as many murals on the walls. As we progressed nearer to the centre of the
site, the impressive decay was starting to get more noticeable. The floor was covered in moss and ferns that
had developed over time from the natural light entering from the windows. We had reached the main point of interest
within the complex. The dated signs, carved skylight and wooden
bannister mixed with the extensive decay in the space created an amazing room that emphasised
the huge shame it is that the building is disused. You may see the similarities between the design
of this atrium and some of the schools from our Glasgow School Board video. Despite appearing the same, Clune Park was
not registered on the board but built at the time the majority of the schools were being
worked on in the city. Following spending more than enough time capturing
the deteriorating upper floors, we headed downstairs into the darkness. Most windows down here were boarded offering
little sunlight. It’s important to note the dampness, collapses
and mould visible in these scenes later on when we make a strange discovery. The underground gymnasium was another interesting
find in the school, containing some climbing equipment that would have been used by former
pupils over a decade ago. Finishing off the entirety of the school,
we decided to exit and look towards some of the flats which we were holding less hope
for in terms of Urbex interest. Boasting the better architecture of the town,
the church and this building deserve saving more than anything else. Nevertheless, they are in a bad state so renovation
tends to be difficult and could take years. Back wandering the empty roads, we were taking
in the absurdity of the situation Clune Park estate has found itself in. It’s hard to imagine these streets were
once filled with people going about their day, with every flat holding a different life
inside. Moments later, we met someone who had experienced
this and still lived in one of the apartments herself. After hearing the heartbreaking story regarding
the land, we figured we would see for ourselves. Having been pre-warned about angry homeless
people staying inside the rooms in better shape as well as seeing the police check earlier,
we wanted to take no chances with the dangers that could lie in
the flats. Crime hasn’t been rare on the estate at
all. In 2019, there were almost 20 recorded fires
by arsonists. Youths come and trash the buildings all the
time as well as thieves destroying walls to look for copper and other expensive materials
to sell. Unfortunately, we soon sighted men stood outside
the block we were inside. After debating the possibilities, we thought
going to confront them was the best option. Despite more warnings of the concerns that
could happen due to our presence within the apartments, the workers were happy for us
to continue exploring so we moved onto another block. Plans to demolish the flats are very much
underway with six blocks featuring active Demolition Orders against them from the council. It is believed they do not fulfil the basic
requirements to be inhabited after some surveys were completed. The local authority has also bought 165 of
the apartments, issuing closing orders that mean the homes can’t be lived in, intentionally
it seems, as they work towards flattening all the buildings for regeneration. From a photography point of view, there wasn’t
much leading the eye to the empty rooms with a disarray of belongings on the ground. The only reason we kept filming was to show
a clear perspective inside if you have wondered how they look. Our visit to Clune Park estate had drawn to
an end. It had been an incredible experience and nothing
like we had ever come across before in the UK. The long wait for the demolition of the apartments
appears to be coming to a conclusion, but as of now, there is nothing concrete about
it. There is a distinct battle between the council
and private landlords that refuse to sell their properties, with both sides trying to
reach an agreement on terms of who acquires the buildings. We hope you found interest in joining us on
this exploration. If you enjoyed our video, be sure to leave
a like and subscribe to never miss a future release. Here are some of our photographs taken at
the abandoned ghost town. If you like the look of them, check out our
Instagram page in the description where we post images of our explores months before
they are seen on YouTube. Thanks for watching! If you would like to purchase the print bundle
for the location, you can find it on our website linked below. See you next time!
