What’s this I hear you say? A care home, get that out now! Well, this place is a bit sicker than your average and was a surprisingly nice find to come out of Essex. Even better, it was very local to me. @DE-eVOLVED found this one back in 2022 and I was pretty impressed to first see pictures of it, as it had been sitting quietly half-disused behind it's large manor-like walls out of the public eye. My first memories of this was as a kid when I first got into exploring and would see a set of large Victorian buildings peeking behind it's gates when driving along the London Road into town. It had always had a sense of mystery to it added to by it's sacred yet unrevealing name. I always hoped one day I might get to sneak a peak inside but never thought I actually would.
THE HISTORY
The Nazareth House in Southend began on the site of Milton Hall; a manor dating to 1305 on land owned by the Priory of Holy Trinity, Canterbury. The estate was sold in 1871 with the house being initially sold for use as a school but shortly fell into the ownership of the Sisters of Nazareth; a Catholic order founded in 1851. During the 1870s, the Sisters of Nazareth constructed orphanages and residences for the elderly/infirm across the country, of which the property on the border of Westcliff and Southend on Sea was first constructed on the Milton Hall site c.1873. The property is believed to have largely catered for older boys. The wider Nazareth House property was added to and rebuilt in the 1890s when the three-storey wings were added, replacing much of the initial structure. However, the Roman Catholic chapel, constructed at the centre of the site in 1876 in a Gothic Revival style, remains amongst the later buildings continually expanded into the 20th century. The chapel may have taken influence from the nearby St. Helens Roman Catholic Church of 1869, located along Milton Road. Beneath the chapel lies a brick barrel-vaulted crypt believed to date from its original construction, and said to have potentially held the remains of two individuals at one time.
Early 1900s photograph of the eastern wing
The Nazareth House in Southend began on the site of Milton Hall; a manor dating to 1305 on land owned by the Priory of Holy Trinity, Canterbury. The estate was sold in 1871 with the house being initially sold for use as a school but shortly fell into the ownership of the Sisters of Nazareth; a Catholic order founded in 1851. During the 1870s, the Sisters of Nazareth constructed orphanages and residences for the elderly/infirm across the country, of which the property on the border of Westcliff and Southend on Sea was first constructed on the Milton Hall site c.1873. The property is believed to have largely catered for older boys. The wider Nazareth House property was added to and rebuilt in the 1890s when the three-storey wings were added, replacing much of the initial structure. However, the Roman Catholic chapel, constructed at the centre of the site in 1876 in a Gothic Revival style, remains amongst the later buildings continually expanded into the 20th century. The chapel may have taken influence from the nearby St. Helens Roman Catholic Church of 1869, located along Milton Road. Beneath the chapel lies a brick barrel-vaulted crypt believed to date from its original construction, and said to have potentially held the remains of two individuals at one time.
Early 1900s photograph of the eastern wing
THE EXPLORES
My first attempt was in 2022, only to be met with closed gates. I met up with @Sprackles in August last year for another go, to find the gates open. Strolling swiftly through the active carpark to the rear of the building, we tried to climb in to no avail. Then by luck, we found another way as we were about to leave and were both quite pleased. I did another night visit a few weeks later with my two local friends, having to wait around a corner tensely waiting for two guys a few metres away to have a natter before they eventually got into their cars. The night explores of this place were always eerie given the strange partial occupation of the building, the soggy floors and rotten ceilings, and liminal fluorescent lighting. My final explore was in October, returning with @KismetJ to photograph it in daylight to better appreciate the stained glass of the chapel. It's a stretch, but it had slight vibes of an old hospital or even a very diluted asylum with the Victorian chapel hall at the centre. I guess that was just how they layed out public buildings back then.
Each visit had a suitable level of stealth involved, with access changing slightly but always eventually paying off. Lil Naz House as it became known became somewhat of a definitive place for Sprackles and I’s summer, as we both visited on numerous occasions with various explorers and curious local friends. Sprackles’ last visit was not too long ago and managed to enter the very western end of the building which was occupied during my visits, although I otherwise saw it all. I don’t quite know who occupied this place in its final days, whether it was live-in security, some kind of dodgy housing deal, or something completely different. The actual residents’ rooms I haven't photographed much as they weren’t all that interesting, nearly all being empty, although these were very eerie especially when finding cards bearing the faces of former elderly residents. But yeah these sections were dull and largely modernised.
Early access attempts
Currently, Nazareth House is being demolished and is currently in a very sorry state. I actually applied to have the chapel listed, but it was rejected on the debatable grounds of lacking enough architectural significance. It would seem this place was subject to a battle against developers, with housing applications being rejected for decades until the council finally gave in. I wrote a bit more about this for the listing application if anyone's interested to see how flawed the logic is, but it's largely just infuriating local politics. It's a bit of a shame I couldn't get this report up sooner as it's probably not worth visiting by the time this goes out, but sorting several albums of photographs was not going to be a quick job. I believe it's still there and the chapel still stands although it looks a right mess. In another month or two it will probably all be gone.
My first attempt was in 2022, only to be met with closed gates. I met up with @Sprackles in August last year for another go, to find the gates open. Strolling swiftly through the active carpark to the rear of the building, we tried to climb in to no avail. Then by luck, we found another way as we were about to leave and were both quite pleased. I did another night visit a few weeks later with my two local friends, having to wait around a corner tensely waiting for two guys a few metres away to have a natter before they eventually got into their cars. The night explores of this place were always eerie given the strange partial occupation of the building, the soggy floors and rotten ceilings, and liminal fluorescent lighting. My final explore was in October, returning with @KismetJ to photograph it in daylight to better appreciate the stained glass of the chapel. It's a stretch, but it had slight vibes of an old hospital or even a very diluted asylum with the Victorian chapel hall at the centre. I guess that was just how they layed out public buildings back then.
Each visit had a suitable level of stealth involved, with access changing slightly but always eventually paying off. Lil Naz House as it became known became somewhat of a definitive place for Sprackles and I’s summer, as we both visited on numerous occasions with various explorers and curious local friends. Sprackles’ last visit was not too long ago and managed to enter the very western end of the building which was occupied during my visits, although I otherwise saw it all. I don’t quite know who occupied this place in its final days, whether it was live-in security, some kind of dodgy housing deal, or something completely different. The actual residents’ rooms I haven't photographed much as they weren’t all that interesting, nearly all being empty, although these were very eerie especially when finding cards bearing the faces of former elderly residents. But yeah these sections were dull and largely modernised.
Early access attempts
Currently, Nazareth House is being demolished and is currently in a very sorry state. I actually applied to have the chapel listed, but it was rejected on the debatable grounds of lacking enough architectural significance. It would seem this place was subject to a battle against developers, with housing applications being rejected for decades until the council finally gave in. I wrote a bit more about this for the listing application if anyone's interested to see how flawed the logic is, but it's largely just infuriating local politics. It's a bit of a shame I couldn't get this report up sooner as it's probably not worth visiting by the time this goes out, but sorting several albums of photographs was not going to be a quick job. I believe it's still there and the chapel still stands although it looks a right mess. In another month or two it will probably all be gone.
THE CHAPEL
First I'll start with shots of the chapel just because this is the most impressive section forming the centrepiece of the building, retaining its original character. I nearly slipped over about 5 times outside the door to this, as crumbled polystyrene ceiling board, water ingress and shit trainers don't mix.
St. Helens Roman Catholic Church over the road, said to have potentially influenced the chapel's design.
Day
Night
Day
Night
First I'll start with shots of the chapel just because this is the most impressive section forming the centrepiece of the building, retaining its original character. I nearly slipped over about 5 times outside the door to this, as crumbled polystyrene ceiling board, water ingress and shit trainers don't mix.
St. Helens Roman Catholic Church over the road, said to have potentially influenced the chapel's design.
Day
Night
Day
Night
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Day n' Night
The trapdoor into the crypt
TBC...
The trapdoor into the crypt
TBC...
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