Tales of the Urban Explorer: The Old Dog Inn

I had passed it umpteen times; it looked impenetrable and unbreachable. The fact is I hadn’t bothered looking as it was in a town centre and that means too many eyes.

Another explorer had been inside recently, maybe the only other one ever? It told me that it could be worth a look even if it was another of those 'bars from hell' type places.

The Old Dog Inn has been around since 1732 or thereabouts, and was re-built to its present form in 1898. This image (below) is from 1882. The pub was closed in 2018 and has managed to get itself in a terrible state since.

Source

Sometimes it can be about the challenge, could we get in without breaking in? It doesn’t half get your adrenaline moving.

Razor the Goth had managed it, could we?

He might be a lousy singer that scares old ladies walking around in broad daylight looking like a vampire, but that bloke can climb and has no fear.

This is the dude who climbs up scaffolding and then calls the cops to alert them of a bloke who's 150 feet up and he's the bloke!

I know there would be a chance that either @anidiotexplores or I would fail this, but the challenge was laid down.

The green gate was tall, but with plenty of climbing holds for both hands and feet, not a big deal. We needed to keep out of the shitbins as there could have been something shitty and pungent inside.

The far side revealed a soft landing on the leather couch, and someone else living there, fortunately not at home.

It was up there and through the upper window which is offset from the roof. What the fuck were we thinking?

We made it to the roof and both looked at whatever that was jutting out below the open window. Would it take our weight or would we be cascading 20 feet down to a certain injury?

@anidiotexplores tentatively tested it, grabbed hold of the window ledge, and pulled himself inside. It was now up to me.

It creaked a little but held as I did the same entering a green-caked gloom-filled room with a bar stool and little else.

…’a view from the window, we still needed to get out… go slowly or jump the angle and hope you don’t crack your shoulder while doing so’…’

Walking out of what was someone’s bedroom once, I noticed the landing looked more than a little unstable.

Under that layer of wood looked like a fucking big hole. Talk about tentative creeping around and wall hugging…, this was the only route unless you wanted to bail and try the jump early.

It might look just a few inches under there, but it wasn’t.., I tell ya!

A view onto Fishergate, the main street; that’s all good and well, you will only be able to take in the view for a split second before moving downward vertically at a decent rate of knots.

Everywhere you walked on the upper floors of 'The Old Dog Inn' was incredibly sketchy. Having a shit was even worse, the angle and crouch you would need could be deadly, and don't even think about bog paper.

Toilet designers from the 19th century…, disgraceful. This is what you get when your pub is built on the cheap. I would have sacked the bastards.

@anidiotexplores decided to try the second floor, bloody lunatic, there was barely a second floor to speak of. I was wincing watching him balance on single boards.

Descending to view what was left of the bar came as some relief.

Writing, now that’s something. Maybe there was something worth looking at within this rotting public house.

Well now, it’s one of those bars from hell... again. Don’t they look just great!

This one was kind of collapsing, tilting slightly to the right and might have been already gone if it wasn’t for the support poles.

Can you imagine if this was a tourist attraction? You can’t go there, or there…, or… there. It’s too dangerous. This is the freedom of Urban Exploring, there’s no cunt showing you about and worse, telling you what to do.

Besides the bar that looked like it was ready to fall in the next five minutes, the ground floor was a lot more stable.

If you like dust, shit, and rubble then I can understand you might want to check out the surrounding areas, but the bar was attracting me.

I dodged the support poles and snuck around the back. See.., this is what you miss for being a pussy. Stale female underwear cascaded in cobwebs; this is what we come for.

A multi-tiered bar from the other side, with dark wood all around; they must have placed all the build money here, and bollocks to the toilets.

Only the blokes can drink whisky. Jeez.., how long has the place been closed?

2011 possibly? The scrawling indicates so.

It looked like a decent place once, 'The Old Dog Inn' was old, quirky, and full of ghosts.., none of which came to say hello again.

Why is there always tinsel in abandoned pubs? Is it due to them vacating right after the Xmas period due to no trade?

There was little chance of any beer being left in this old place.

The Billiard Room sounded great, except now it’s the Empty Room with nothing left to see.

It was time to leave and that meant easing your way down onto the dodgy grate or jumping. @anidiotexplores did the latter and made it look easy.

I did the same and landed on the roof with a thud. Well.. what was all the fuss about?

Do you like posting your Urbex content and photography for FREE on Facebook and YouTube? I like to get some form of reward for my work and every time I create I do just that. Take a look at The Urbex Community on HIVE.

If you want to keep creating for FREE then ignore what you are reading. If you want to be like me and gain something other than BUGGER ALL for your work then click here and learn about posting on the HIVE blockchain.

All my 'Tales' content is easy to find on my personal website:
'Tales of the Urban Explorer'