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Urban explorers enter London's landmarks
by Lucy Osborne11 Nov 2011
More than 300 of the capital's most famous landmarks are being secretly entered at night by groups of "urban explorers".
London is at the epicentre of the rapidly growing global movement, described as the practice of entering unseen or off-limits areas for the thrill of discovery.
Bradley L Garrett, 30, a PhD student and documentary maker who is an explorer himself, said it is likely there are more than 3,000 explorers operating in Britain alone.
"I can't discuss most of the buildings we have been to as we are still exploring them. But in the past year we have been inside the Battersea Power Station and Millennium Mills and on top of St Paul's Cathedral, the British Museum and Heron Tower," he said. "We are making life and death decisions after work every day.
"There is nothing like the experience of hovering on a crane looking down on the city or below ground, watching the sewage passing by," he added.
Among the group that Garrett operates with - who go by the name London Consolidation Crew - is a London bus driver, a jobcentre worker and a special constable.
They have links to other "crews" in Paris, Milan, New York and Chicago. The group scour archives and old maps for forgotten entry points. They then share their findings with other groups across the world on secret online networks. The group said they never vandalise, damage or steal. Garrett added: "Where we need to pick a lock or disable security systems, we always put it back the way it was."
The Met Police refused to comment on the activities of urban explorers but their involvement seems limited to one occasion in April last year when four men were arrested exploring disused Tube stations. He said: "The crew most often sneak into buildings without police or security ever knowing we were inside. You have to have a heightened sense of awareness not to be caught or killed."
Reader views (19)
Doubletax this isn't a matter of which forum you post on, this is nothing more than sensationalism that paints the whole scene with the same brush. 99% of the urbex scene doesn't commit criminal activity but that wouldn't make a good story.
I extend an invite to the London Standard to come up north and I will take a reporter on an explore to show them how most of us roll.
- paulpowers, Manchester, 11/11/2011 11:47
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"Lucy would to well to chat to her colleague Richard Godwin who went out on a UE adventure and wrote a two page spread on it 18 months ago"
Thats cool! She spoke to a colleague that went out with an UE but that's not seeing it first hand, not getting to know what we all do, the risks that we take but also the amount of planning that goes into an explore to try and prevent any risks that there are.
As I said, it is clear that an UE is breaking into places, its in print above, however that does not mean that everybody who enjoys this hobby does break into buildings.
News reports aimed at UE's just makes it look like everything is our fault. The reason the metal goes, the reason the slate tiles go from the roof, the reason a fire starts. Infact it's those other groups of people that make us aware of the building being empty. Then the news report that an Urban Explorer has "broken" into a building which just makes anybody who was unaware of the building, want to go there.
Many UE's will refuse to talk to press but I feel that if you spoke to somebody that actually done things the right way (rather than the couple that may break in) you would understand what we do alot more.
Any Urban Explorer that breaks in is an idiot and should be treated the same way as the arsonists and thieves.
Anyway, I feel like I've been typing for a whole 5mins so I'm off.
Look forward to your reply Lucy.
Urbex-SW
- UrbexSW, Vale of Glamorgan, 11/11/2011 09:53
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Whoa! Hold the assumptions there Xan! I merely pointed out the obvious occurrence. I offered no positive or negative opinion of my own to accompany said fact.
- Double Tax, London,
My apologies is I misunderstood, inflection and intonation don't come across well on teh net.
- Xan, Liverpool, 11/11/2011 01:24
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Lucy would to well to chat to her colleague Richard Godwin who went out on a UE adventure and wrote a two page spread on it 18 months ago : http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23815297-secrets-of-an-urbex-mission.do
- Bacon Sarnie, Lonson, 10/11/2011 23:36
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"Nice ad hominem attack, or is it poisoning the well? Either which one the fact that people frequent 28DL does not mean their arguments/positions are automatically invalid" Xan, Liverpool
Whoa! Hold the assumptions there Xan! I merely pointed out the obvious occurrence. I offered no positive or negative opinion of my own to accompany said fact.
- Double Tax, London, 10/11/2011 22:54
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Garrett added: "Where we need to pick a lock or disable security systems, we always put it back the way it was."
Ok this clearly states that somebody is breaking into buildings and claiming to be an UE. However, not all of them are like that. I for one have never broken into a building to have a look around - I just look for where the metal thieves, arsonists and other nut cases have got in from. If there is a door open, I close it behind me, if a panel of wood is missing from a window, I will place it back to make people think it's fully screwed in place.
I know that some people will obviously force their way in but lets face it, they are just idiots and are no better than the metal thieves but you should not tar everybody with the same brush.
Lucy, you should go out for an explore with an UE to see what actually goes on first hand to give both sides of a story. It is so easy for a reporter to sit behind a desk and type but I bet that many wouldn't dare come out and do what we do, even for an hour.
Urbex-SW
- UrbexSW, Vale of Glamorgan, 10/11/2011 21:38
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Someone called the 28DL cavalry!
- Double Tax, London,
Nice ad hominem attack, or is it poisoning the well? Either which one the fact that people frequent 28DL does not mean their arguments/positions are automatically invalid
- Xan, Liverpool, 10/11/2011 19:47
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For the real truth behind some of the main explorers in the UK scene, Google 'urbexagainsttheft'
99.9% of us do this as a genuine hobby of recording sites that may once be demolished or converted (this in my opinion should not include the reckless & irresponsible crane climbing that has no relation to the origins of UE).
But some people will take the hobby as a disguise for criminal activity.
- UAT, Somewhere, UK, 10/11/2011 19:35
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Someone called the 28DL cavalry!
- Double Tax, London, 10/11/2011 18:18
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And your comment box has a ten minute delay
- Paul Powers, Manchester, 10/11/2011 18:16
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I can say first hand that urban exploration is not about breaking in. We're cleverer than that.
- Lew, Wirral, 10/11/2011 18:01
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Leave only footprints.
- Paul Powers, Manchester, 10/11/2011 17:59
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I would like to see how someone would lift a manhole cover with a map.
Leave only footprints.
- PaulPowers, Manchester, 10/11/2011 17:55
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Just a thought but should someone fall off a crain or drown in a drain (rain for tonight on the weather) after reading this I hope you are held accountable.
It's my choice to wade around in poo pipes on my days off and I'm pretty sure I'm not harming anyone
- PaulPowers, 28dayslater.co.uk, 10/11/2011 17:47
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Whilst not being able to speak for the whole scene, myself and people I explore with most certainly DO NOT break into places. Neither have I "pick[ed] a lock or disable security systems".
No offence to Mr. Garrett, but you cannot take a whole disparate group of people by the word of one person. This smacks of journalistic simplification and appears to be rushed article based around only one source
- Xan, Liverpool, 10/11/2011 17:42
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In agreement with DoubleTax, B.L.G was not in the country at the time. This totally sensationalises a pastime that a few people have.
There appears to be no desire to harm anyone or damage any property, so I really can’t see the problem
I don’t see the point of the article at all, it’s contradictory in text and title, the facts are incorrect and is overall just lazy, badly researched journalism.
- Bacon Sarnie, London, 10/11/2011 17:39
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I'm sorry Lee, I didn't realise you were one of them.
- Double Tax, London, 10/11/2011 13:45
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"yet the reporter has claimed that they "break in."
- Double Tax, London, 10/11/2011 12:35
Err... possibly because they do.
- Lee, London, 10/11/2011 13:22
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I like the fact that for members of the public leaving comments on this article it states "Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed." yet this article is littered with such profanities.
The group have clearly stated that they "never vandalise, damage or steal" yet the reporter has claimed that they "break in." Also Mr Garrett wasn't even in the country at the time of those four arrests.
- Double Tax, London, 10/11/2011 12:35
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