Urban Explorers have taken a step back in time with a visit to an eerie abandoned care home in south Essex. Experienced explorers Aron Hobson and Martin Halliday visited the former Delaware House in Shoeburyness and shared their visit on social media.
The site used to be the location of a 26-bedroom care home plus a community centre, nursery and Thorpedene Library. They stretch across a site around two acres in size.
When Aron and Martin visited the site at the junction of Maplin Way North and Delaware Road, they were “amazed” by the condition of the buildings. They came across a surprising lack of graffiti but a considerable amount of waste and signs of decay despite only being closed for a short amount of time.
MORE PHOTOS: Explore more of the Delaware House care home with pictures here
READ MORE: Photos show inside abandoned State Cinema in Grays that’s been shut for nearly 40 years
Mr Halliday said: “It’s very strange how the building has suffered this level of pure vandalism in such a short space of time, with multiple smashed windows, upturned beds, glass everywhere and destruction along almost every corridor. Some rooms had survived, but a majority had been trashed.
“There was black mould on the ceilings of some of the rooms, and a very unpleasant smell close to rotting seafood filled the air in certain areas. We didn’t stick around as the smells were unpleasant, to say the least.”
The experienced explorers – who are part of the DE-eVOLVED and Straight Outta Urbex urban exploring groups – have previously visited several sites across the county. The former care home site currently appears on Rightmove as having been sold with a guide price of around £2.6m.
It was recently suggested that it could be transformed into a ‘super hostel’ for the homeless in Southend but critics branded the idea as “totally inappropriate”. The site has an attractive potential to housing developers but Mr Halliday feels the site could have still had a positive influence on local services for the community.
They said: “I think the residents of Shoeburyness and surrounding areas would really benefit from a new up to date health centre, and possibly also include a dental surgery. There is a good sized carpark there, which could easily be extended around the back of the premises to allow for even more parking.”
EssexLive takes no responsibility for the actions of urban explorers and discourages anyone from attempting something which might be unsafe or illegal.