Derelict Dealership, near Crownhill

This time, the abandoned destination was intentional. I’d spotted this derelict dealership from the road last time I was passing this way, and decided to go back and take a closer look. As it happened, I’d planned a more scenic walk but the weather was against me so I decided to take a detour over very early one morning, just after the clocks changed and I was here just as it was getting light. The blue cast to the pictures isn’t a filter – it really was that unsettling shade.

The traffic was light so it was not difficult to nip across the road and get close to the forecourt: there are roadblocks in place so it would be hard to drive up, but not difficult to walk in. I didn’t go inside the metal barriers, but it was easy to walk around the frontage and take my pictures. There was no-one around, and very few cars passing on the main road, so this was an eerie, solitary exploration. It’s clear that the site has seen better days, and has fallen foul of vandalism: the smashed window at the front had a hole large enough that it would have been possible to get inside with caution but that’s certainly not something I was planning on doing! At one point I thought I heard voices echoing from within, but despite standing and listening for a while, I was pretty sure I was alone.

I do remember when this was an active dealership, and it was sad to see it in such a run-down and derelict state. It was available to rent for a time, but I understand that there are now plans to repurpose it for other uses – I do hope something can be done with the site soon.