2 – Decay – 2015

When Alan Parker took photographs of the mansion and campus, on the day of the closure of Bretton Hall in July 2007, there was, even then, a hint that the buildings were perhaps no longer in a state of good repair.   At that time it was not known what the future held for the once-noble institution, but surely it was not envisaged that after a further eight years, the buildings would still be uninhabited.

In May, 2008, Alan returned to Bretton and found the experience somewhat eerie.  He wrote:

” … The scene was really quite surreal.  All the furniture is still in the hostel blocks, the grounds have been maintained and the grass cut, but no-one is there, apart from the odd security officer.  One of the officers also found it a bit weird as the staff seemed to have just walked out as if someone had told them to evacuate in a fire practice.  Papers and other documents were left at desks.  Certainly, when I visited in July 07, the staff were starting to pack up, but couldn’t have completed before the final date and holidays. 

“Our beloved Bretton is in Stasis.” 

The following photographs were taken on 23 March, 2015, illustrating that the processes of decay were well established.  The images surely herald the swan-song of the Bretton that we all knew so well.

Perhaps now is the time to say:

Goodbye to all that!