The Urbex Trio

20/06/2026

The Pompadours 📍November 22

Many people who grew up in Harold Hill will remember The Pompadours, the pub that stood on the corner of Hilldene Avenue and Edenhall Road for over 60 years.

Built in 1956 as part of the expanding Harold Hill estate, the pub was a late addition to the post-war community. Its name was chosen by local residents and honoured the Essex Regiment, whose nickname was “The Pompadours” because of the distinctive pompadour-coloured facings worn on their uniforms.

Over the years, The Pompadours became one of Harold Hill’s best-known pubs. For some, it was a place to meet friends, celebrate special occasions and enjoy a pint. For others, it earned a more colourful reputation, becoming locally known as “The Flying Bottles” due to the occasional fights and lively atmosphere that became part of local folklore.

The pub finally closed its doors in March 2016 after decades at the heart of the community. Plans were later approved to demolish the building and replace it with affordable housing, but the old pub still stands today, although empty and deteriorating. In recent years the site has suffered vandalism, fly-tipping and neglect, prompting enforcement action from Havering Council.

Love it or hate it, The Pompadours remains a memorable part of Harold Hill’s history and a reminder of a time when local pubs were at the centre of community life.

Do you remember The Pompadours? Were you a regular, did you work there, or have any stories to share? We’d love to hear your memories and see any old photographs.

20/06/2026

December 24📍 house

19/06/2026

Many local people will remember the small community hospital that stood as a lasting tribute to those who gave their lives in the World Wars. Opened in the early 1920s as a living memorial, it served generations of residents, providing everything from outpatient care and X-ray services to minor injury treatment and community healthcare. The memorial plaques and dedication to the fallen remained at the heart of the building’s identity throughout its existence.

Over the decades, the hospital became much more than a healthcare facility. It was a familiar and reassuring presence for local families, supported by volunteers, fundraisers, and a dedicated League of Friends who helped maintain services and equipment for the community.

Like many small community hospitals, it faced increasing challenges in later years, including staffing pressures and the need for modern facilities. Some services were gradually relocated, and plans were developed for a purpose-built health centre that could bring a wider range of healthcare services together under one roof.

In 2023, the hospital closed its doors for the final time as healthcare services transferred to a new modern health centre. While the closure marked the end of an era, many of the services continued in new surroundings designed to meet the needs of future generations.

Although the building itself no longer serves patients, its legacy lives on through the memories of those who worked there, were treated there, supported it, and helped make it such an important part of community life. For many, it will always be remembered not just as a hospital, but as a place built in remembrance, service, and care for others.

19/06/2026

18/06/2026

Sarajevo’s Abandoned Olympic Bobsleigh Track

Perched on Mount Trebević above Sarajevo, the Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track was built for the 1984 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Games ever held in a socialist country. Construction began in 1981 and was completed in 1982, creating a state-of-the-art course that quickly earned a reputation as a fast and technically demanding track. During the Olympics, tens of thousands of spectators watched bobsleigh and luge competitions on the venue.

Following the Games, the track hosted international competitions and World Cup events. However, its fate changed dramatically with the breakup of Yugoslavia and the outbreak of the Bosnian War in the early 1990s. During the Siege of Sarajevo (1992–1996), the track’s elevated position overlooking the city made it strategically valuable. It was used as an artillery and military position, and sections of the concrete walls were damaged by shelling and fighting.

After the war, the track was largely abandoned. Nature began reclaiming the structure, while graffiti artists transformed its concrete curves into a vast open-air gallery. The track became a popular destination for urban explorers, hikers, photographers, and mountain bikers, who were drawn to its striking combination of Olympic history, wartime scars, and colorful street art.

Although no longer used for Olympic competition, restoration efforts began in 2014 to stabilize parts of the track and clear vegetation. Today, the graffiti-covered course remains one of Sarajevo’s most recognizable landmarks—a powerful symbol of both the city’s Olympic legacy and its resilience in the aftermath of war.

18/06/2026

🏔️ Sarajevo’s Olympic Bobsleigh Track: From Glory to Survival

Hidden on Mount Trebević above Sarajevo lies one of the most fascinating and powerful Olympic landmarks in the world—the Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track.

Built for the 1984 Winter Olympics, the track welcomed thousands of spectators as the world’s best bobsleigh and luge athletes raced down its icy curves. The venue became a symbol of Sarajevo’s proud moment on the world stage, helping make the 1984 Games one of the most celebrated Winter Olympics in history.

However, less than a decade later, the Bosnian War changed everything. During the Siege of Sarajevo, the track was used as a military position and suffered extensive damage from fighting. Bullet marks, trenches, and battle scars became part of the structure’s story.

Today, the concrete track still winds through the forest, covered in colourful graffiti and street art. While no longer used for Olympic competition, it has become a unique tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world who come to witness this remarkable blend of sport, history, art, and resilience. Parts of the track have also undergone restoration efforts, preserving an important piece of Olympic heritage.

The Sarajevo bobsleigh track stands as more than an abandoned sports venue—it is a powerful reminder of a city that hosted the world, endured war, and continues to rebuild while preserving its history.

📍 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
📅 Built: 1981–1982
🏅 Venue for the 1984 Winter Olympics
🎨 Today: A living monument of history, resilience, and urban art

15/06/2026

12/06/2026

This once loved cottage is now being stripped and possibly being renovated rather then demolished.

12/06/2026

Cefn Coed Hospital has stood overlooking Swansea since 1932, when it opened as Swansea Mental Hospital. Designed by renowned asylum architect George Thomas Hine and officially opened by Princess Mary, it was one of the last purpose-built psychiatric hospitals constructed in Britain. For decades it functioned as a self-contained community, with wards, kitchens, workshops, farmland, a chapel and recreation facilities all within its grounds. During the Second World War it even served as a casualty hospital.

As mental health care evolved and the move towards community-based treatment gathered pace, the vast Victorian-style institution became increasingly outdated. By the late 2000s, new purpose-built facilities were being developed on the site and elsewhere across South Wales to replace the ageing wards. A phased closure began in 2015, with patients gradually transferred to modern units such as Ysbryd y Coed and other specialist facilities. Several of the original wards were decommissioned and demolished as services moved out of the historic building.