Urban
explorers | Going
underground - the Urban Explorers in action |
There's plenty
of things to see and do in the South East of England.
There's thousands
of years of history to be explored, places to visit, organised tours to enjoy.
But, as Vince Rogers now tells us, that's not enough for some people -
the ones who call themselves the Urban Explorers. Intrepid adventurers
This
bunch of explorers are going where they're not supposed to go. They know
they're not supposed to go there, but they're going anyway. They say they're
Urban Explorers. Normal explorers climb tall mountains or discover ancient
civilisations - but not these people. | Keep
out - but are the Urban Explorers doing any harm? |
They poke
around disused buildings and tunnels- anything man made, anywhere they're not
supposed to be. It's a fascinating hobby and no-one's going to stop them.
Inside
Out joins them in a coastal defence site somewhere in Kent. Trevor Haddrell
is a computer systems consultant. But in his spare time he's a regular visitor
to this site, because it's a source of endless fascination: "Not
a lot of people have come to these places. Even less people know what they are.
I've been coming here nine years now and I always find something different."
John
Vaughan is a factory worker from Canterbury.
He's been visiting military
and underground site for nearly 25 years.
For him, it's the thrill of
going somewhere that people don't get to see. Amazing discoveries
The
explorers say that they do no damage - they look around, take photographs and
that's it. In fact the one thing they really hate is vandalism.
| The
asylum hall - an amazing discovery |
Over in East Sussex, somewhere
near Lewes, another bunch of Urban Explorers are dodging security. Their
target is a disused mental hospital. This group are worried that their jobs will
be at risk and so can't reveal who they are. Their best discovery is the
enormous main hall. Of course the Urban Explorers are putting themselves
at some considerable risk. But we contacted the owners who told us that
the buildings are dangerous. They strongly urge people to stay away for
their own safety. Out of bounds
All over the South
East Urban Explorers are poking their noses into places where they shouldn't be.
So
how do they stand legally?
Mike Scott is a lawyer working for Cripps Harris
Hall in Tunbridge Wells, and he's an expert in property litigation.
| Seeking
out hidden places - Urban Explorers |
"If you're going
onto property without the owner's permission, you are trespassing - you are committing
a civil wrong," he says.
But the Urban Explorers don't see it as
breaking the law. We contacted the guardians of the coastal defence site
in Kent. They told us that: "Unauthorised access to the site
is very dangerous and can have a detrimental effect on the condition of the monument."
Trespassing
is not a criminal offence - it's a civil offence. In other words it's between
you and the landowner and it doesn't involve the police. Keep out?
So
we contacted several organisations who we thought might object to the new phenomenon
of Urban Exploration, and the results were surprising: * The
Health and Safety Executive said this is not something we get involved in. We
only deal with places of work. * Kent Police said it's not a criminal offence. *
The Environment Agency said it's not something they would get involved in. *
Kent Fire Brigade said it would only concern them if fires were being started. *
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings say that you have to commend
these people. * Save Britain's Heritage says that it has had a few of its
sites visited by these groups and they have provided them with great pictures
via their websites.
Finally a source at English Heritage said
he actually uses Urban Explorer websites for more information about locations
he's having difficulty getting permission to enter himself.
Whatever the
official bodies think, the Urban Explorers say that nothing's going to stop them
finding out what's behind the Keep Out signs. |