Sunday 2 February 2014

Shrewsbury Rooftop Maze


 Note- The group I explore with have a strict policy of leaving everything as it was, not vandalizing or stealing, and not exploring or violating any residential properties, nor do we force entry, merely utilize existing openings. Any entry on the blog that does detail a means of access does so under the assumption that the means of access can no longer be reached. Never would we reveal an existing opening over the internet, for fear of negative consequences against the property or person entering.

Remember the means in which we exited the abandoned gym? It involved opening a door at street level and stepping out, and hoping that a member of public didn't see us doing something illegal and reporting it. Nerves were understandably high for amateur explorers, but we got away with it, learning that simply looking like one knows what he is doing, and walking confidently, is an excellent disguise. It was this attitude and the ability to hide in plain sight that got us onto the rooftop maze, so named because it covered a nice square area of Shrewsbury town center, with views to four streets, accessible via a small maze of ladders and stairways hidden from the public. It was odd to learn that this little network of opportunity existed right in the middle of town. Better still, while ladders and stairways gave us so much, there was opportunity for more depending on confidence, skill and imagination. What began as a really pedestrian view could be expanded if one was willing to push themselves a little bit further. It made for an excellent practice rooftop.

To get to the rooftop maze, we had to rely on a doorway next to Halifax. While the building looks symmetrical, one door actually led to an alleyway, and a staircase. Getting to it was so absurdly easy that the rooftop soon became widely known about, and things got vandalized by idiot teenagers. From now on the doorway is locked, and the maze can no longer be accessed. It did reward us with some good views in its time though.

The Square-


Bottom of Pride Hill-
View of the flag tower.And beyond that, the Market Tower and St Chads.



Midway up Pride Hill-
Not a great view but one can just about see McDonalds. Incidentally this is the easiest part to get to, so it was really worth learning more skills to progress around.



Butcher Row-
Only accessible via night time due to Rococo cafe.


Fish Street-
Arguably the trickiest part to get to.


So that's the rooftop maze, covering a wide portion of Shrewsbury, as anyone who knows the town will verify. For rooftopping it remained a great spot for ages, for practice or just chilling out. We do, on occasion stop by the alleyway door but it is always locked, and remains one of the strongest examples of why we don't reveal the means of access to places that are accessible, because when things like this get found out about, word spreads and idiots hear about it, and vandalism of these places always results in them being cut off from the people who truly appreciate their value and the people who use these areas for legitimate reasons.

1 comment:

  1. I've really been enjoying your UrbEx discoveries, and thanks for sharing them with the world. Your narratives are really great too!

    I'm originally from Shropshire (from a village near Acton Burnell), and I loved your set on Pitchford Hall, too. When I was a fearless teenager, around where I lived were quite a lot of abandoned cottages and houses, but sadly few them remain now. I also remember exploring Cound Hall, which was a fantastic place, but I think it has now been converted into high-end apartments.

    Around the woods and villages where I grew up were an awful of lot of atmospheric places - from Church Preeen to Cressage, Berrington to Condover. It was lovely to see some familiar Shropshire places again, it made me realise how beautiful the countryside and architecture is there. I really liked this series of pics, and being able to see Shrewsbury from a pigeon's-eye point of view.

    Cheers :)

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