December 2023
The Visit
I managed to do this one as a solo visit. I live fairly close to this one but have never really paid it any attention despite driving past it many times. I spent a good hour wandering around the various structures on the site and even ran into two other photographers whilst in the main building. There is some lovely natural decay on the site, particularly in the admin areas of the building. The site still looks to be receiving power judging by the live meter. This is likely because the NHS are using one of the buildings at the front of the site for something. The rest of the site isn't really anything special, with parts of it having been redeveloped in recent years.
The History
It's quite fascinating to note that this place doesn't have much historical significance, as mentioned in previous reports. The only reference to its existence dates back to 1937 in the National Archives. From what can be gathered, the site seemed to have shut down around 2009/10, but what's truly remarkable is that it has managed to remain untouched by vandalism or graffiti. Perhaps its remote location and the fact that it can't be seen from the nearby A road have played a role in its preservation. If we take a look at satellite imagery from 1945, we can see that there were two prefabricated structures on the site, which are still standing today. These were the first buildings to be constructed there. Later on, a large warehouse was added, and a section of the site was demolished after its closure. Interestingly, houses have been built on that part of the site, providing a view of the remaining abandoned area. In 2013, plans were submitted to Cheshire West Council to build 65 homes on the remaining portion, but they were ultimately rejected.
When examining old street view imagery from July 2009, it becomes apparent that the site was primarily used for storing and maintaining council Gritters and other service vehicles. The most prominent structure on the site is a large maintenance building, accompanied by smaller buildings, including offices attached to the warehouse. Just before the site closed, several local councils merged to form Cheshire West Council, aiming to reduce costs and improve efficiency. It seems that services and staff were transferred to another maintenance depot in nearby Winsford, which also fell under the jurisdiction of the new authority. Therefore, it's likely that the closure of this site was a result of consolidating duplicated services previously managed by different councils into a more unified system. Interestingly, one of the buildings at the front of the site is still occupied by the North West Ambulance Service, even after the site's full closure. However, it appears that this building is only used for administrative and welfare purposes, with no maintenance activities taking place.
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Cheers for looking 
Fuji XT-2, 10-24mm
Fuji XT-2, 10-24mm
