Leisure Urbex: the national shire horse centre.

another bit from the pointy end of england, i was expecting more.

my visit was cut short when i happened to see a handful of individuals standing drinking tea in a far corner of the shed i was just about to enter. bastards!

Tony Flower – who died in 1997 at the age of 68 after a two-year battle against cancer – established the National Shire Horse Centre in 1978 and quickly built it up into one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region, visited by more than 300,000 people every year.

Mr Flower’s aim was to let the public see traditional farming methods at close quarters, and he used the horses to gather oats and hay on the 60-acre park.

At its peak the centre employed 100 people, opening summer and winter, and having an annual turnover of £1million, but in 1989 it went into receivership. Its plans for expansion had been rejected by the local authority, and as the recession bit, visitor numbers declined.the centre closed in 2000.

Purchased by a development enterprise to convert into luxury dwellings and a golf course, nothing has moved on.

source: plymouth gazette

making my way past the locked and secure static caravans i entered what i was hoping to be an hour of fun.

back outdoors wandering round like a tourist but shame, the pub and the other buildings were locked up

coming to a choice of big old sheds i'm glad i chose the one i did otherwise i would have gate crashed the tea party earlier and missed this lot, most of which looked to be in good nick.

so a shame really as the 2nd shed seemed to have plenty of stuff inside too. still onwards and upwards, and it makes a change from granny's old knicker draw