Swallow Gardens

[Stephen Thomas]

Hi Andrew

Super photos there, especially the first one.

From these and the ones you recently put on the East End Photo thread it's obvious that you really know what you're doing with a camera.

[WARSPITE]

I agree Andrew. I was reminising through Swallow Gardens last weekend,staying at the travellodge down the road,and it really is eerie walking through after dark. No signs of Frances though....pity.
Thanks for the photos

[George Hutchinson]

How do, all.

Now, you won't have seen this often so here's a photo I took of the INSIDE of Swallow Gardens just over a week ago, looking towards the Chamber Street entrance. Yep, I got myself in there.

It's not great quality because it's pitch black inside and I've used PhotoShop Elements to restore some brightness, which has affected the grain. Still, you won't have seen this before!



PHILIP

[sdreid]

Thanks Philip! It looks good to me. What happened to all the stuff that used to be in there? I hope it's not up for demolition.

[Celesta]

Wow, Philip, that's great. Were you able to get in because of some sort of transition or has it been cleaned out because they're tearing it down? I hope not. Very cool. Thank you.

[George Hutchinson]

Heh - neither of you need to worry. It's not coming down. It can't - there's a train line on top of it from Fenchurch Street station! I managed to get in there through some exploring, detective work and permission.

Stan, Barney's Seafood moved out of there some time ago - a year, at least. It's been unoccupied since then.

PHILIP

[sdreid]

Philip, can anyone walk in there or is there a door across the front? From this angle, where was the body?

[Archaic]

That's a very cool photo, Phil, well done.

How did it feel in there? Creepy?

Cheers, Archaic

[The Grave Maurice]

Brilliant, Philip. I never expected to be able to see that. Ta, very much.

[George Hutchinson]

You can get in if you find the right place and ask permission from the employee on site from that access point. I'm not positive on the location on the body, but I think it's central N to S on the image and just to the right of centre, about the nearest point of the raised concrete dias.

Archaic - it was creepy as Hell. Very dark, musty, much bigger than you think and a train went right overhead in an absolute roar. I pegged it.

PHILIP

[Archaic]

Archaic - it was creepy as Hell. Very dark, musty, much bigger than you think and a train went right overhead in an absolute roar. I pegged it.

PHILIP

And I bet that was in the DAYTIME, lol!

You know, Phil, to really do it right you need to back there at night... alone...

But I'm sure you can get Rob to stand on the opposite side of the street and film you from a distance...

Then if anything happens, at least he might be able to recover your camera

Wish I could visit these places in person, but, alas, I have to do my exploring vicariously through you guys!

Sigh... Archaic

[Stephen Thomas]

How do, all.

Now, you won't have seen this often so here's a photo I took of the INSIDE of Swallow Gardens just over a week ago, looking towards the Chamber Street entrance. Yep, I got myself in there.

It's not great quality because it's pitch black inside and I've used PhotoShop Elements to restore some brightness, which has affected the grain. Still, you won't have seen this before!

[ATTACH]6377[/ATTACH]

PHILIP

Blimey, Philip, what a coup. You must have been well chuffed

[George Hutchinson]

I was surprised at my luck, Stephen! Mooching can be very rewarding.

PHILIP

[Stephen Thomas]

Here's an 1862 map showing the original Swallow Gardens as a short street running parallel with Royal Mint Street and Chamber Street.

[Rob Clack]

I told Philip it was a shame he didn't go there a few weeks earlier as it would have looked good in the book.Still you need a bit of luck with some of these closed off site. Thankfully I had the luck of getting into the Harry Gosling School and getting several excellent photos of the Dutfields Yard site.

Rob