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Talbot Street Video Archive
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Enjoyed watching that @BarryZola thanks for posting to the Alton Towers past group as well on Facebook. Quite a few guests also walking around there , shows it’s still popular for guests to walk around and a real shame it’s not open.
BarryZola
TS Member
Yeah, I thought that the group on FB was the perfect place to share it. You usually get a couple of interesting insights from some of the older members on there who aren't on forums like this. I'm getting certain VIBES that they're slowly working on opening up sections of the ruins, but not seeing much evidence on the ground so far. For example, have we seen a few planning requests go in for scare mazes potentially elsewhere on park in recent weeks? Talk of people being told at an event that there would be 'guided tours' of the ruins, apparently not the same as the planning that went in a few years ago (not sure about this idea without knowing details)? And also a couple of people who have historically had links with the park saying stuff like 'watch this space' suggesting that things are being tried but there may be issues. All it needs really is a nice simple walkthrough with info boards in each room giving a bit of background, as a starting point. I could knock that up given a bit of time.
Slugjc
TS Member
Sodding off to Italy because "it will do wonders for my health." Then dying over there because....... It doesn't.
I'd love to know how much was spent overall by Pugin to get it up to spec. I know I've said it was all for show, but I bet it was one hell of show in its day.
Hats off aswell they used local builders. I bet he looked after good local tradesman.
BarryZola
TS Member
Yeah, you only have to look at some of the surviving rooms by Pugin at other country houses to get examples of the type of designs and colours that we're dealing with. I went to Eastnor Castle (country house) in Herefordshire last year and took these photo's of the drawing room by him. He was absolutely using very similar designs at Alton Towers. I know it looks a bit busy and not to everyone's taste, but imagine just destroying all this...
James
TS Founding Member
Great video @BarryZola. I like your filming style; it feels like 'raw' footage with minimal editing and gets straight to the point. No click-bait title either (I can imagine others with something along the lines of: 'We were KICKED OUT of Alton Towers!!!' with some awful thumbnail picture and a fake shocked facial expression.
It's depressing to see the Towers in that state. It doesn't even look like the bare minimum is being done. It's one big storage unit that is being left to continue decaying. It is shameful of Merlin/Towers to have neglected it this much.
At a minimum, they should tidy up the Towers, install some information boards/directional signage around them, and reopen most of these areas free to roam. In the long term, it would be nice to see some actual restoration happen to the Towers, maybe guided tours, or even staff/volunteers within the ruins who can interact with guests walking around and give them some information on the different rooms.
It's depressing to see the Towers in that state. It doesn't even look like the bare minimum is being done. It's one big storage unit that is being left to continue decaying. It is shameful of Merlin/Towers to have neglected it this much.
At a minimum, they should tidy up the Towers, install some information boards/directional signage around them, and reopen most of these areas free to roam. In the long term, it would be nice to see some actual restoration happen to the Towers, maybe guided tours, or even staff/volunteers within the ruins who can interact with guests walking around and give them some information on the different rooms.
Squiggs
TS Team
Interesting actually that the Drawing Room, Long Gallery and Small Dining Room are clear of Terror of the Towers paraphilia, as that suggests they are intending for the Towers to be open at some point. Though clearly not ready for anyone to be anywhere beyond those rooms at the moment.
Quite shocking to see the state of some of the spaces, especially the areas that were in a fairly decent state not all that long ago (well, as decent as a shell of a building can get).
Quite shocking to see the state of some of the spaces, especially the areas that were in a fairly decent state not all that long ago (well, as decent as a shell of a building can get).
BarryZola
TS Member
Thanks mate, that actually means a lot. I've always tried to just provide honest videos with honest titles/thumbnails and then follow through with something that's actually worth being hosted by Youtube's servers. That's why I get annoyed with newer Youtubers coming along with absolute clickbait just to grow their channels and gather views at the expense of their own souls. Not only is it annoying, but through their cynical abuse of the Youtube algo it makes it harder for the likes of me and you to actually find worthwhile stuff as the others make sure that their vids are always at the top of the search engine. It's pathetic really. And I'll name LiftHillsandThrills for being the worst for it lately, that I've noticed. Just using any excuse to fire out any title with a little bit of related content to get some clickbait views and money.
As for the Towers, I agree, it's well beyond time that they should have sorted out at least a signposted free tour of safe areas of the Towers, and obviously they need to tidy the place up, big time. I'm worried about the state of some areas that will come to light after they eventually clear the mess up. No reason really that they can't commit a couple of staff to hanging around the Towers who are able to offer information and look out for safety etc in future years (plenty of people paid to be actors at the moment). Treat it as an attraction and put a bit of budget towards it (not asking for a lot of money each year).
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BarryZola
TS Member
Double post -sorry.
It's the state of the Music Room window that I'll be most interested in, as you'll be aware that it was restored only a short number of years before the Scarefest operation closed those rooms off to usual public footfall. I have a few pictures of its former state, as you may also. I think I also noticed in the video that there was a piece of plaster on the floor in the Poets Bay that looked like it may have fallen from an arch or something. Not a good look, if so. Last time I was in there many years ago, there weren't pieces of 200 years old plaster lying on the floor. Not ideal (screenshot from the latest video of what looks like smashed plaster).
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Slugjc
TS Member
I follow a lad called advertureme. Mostly because he does alot of history In and around Leeds. Usually very good and he Actually filmed where I walk my dog. He fell for the poor tropes about opening day. Although, he has a chance to redeem himself because he was filming some history stuff Sunday.
Squiggs
TS Team
I did spot that when I was watching your video, but didn't mention it in case I'd got the wrong end of the stick, but it definitely looks like plaster from an arch, and there are plenty of arches in that area with original plaster work it could have come from. I'd not spotted the random rubbish dumped in the fireplace, however.Double post -sorry.
It's the state of the Music Room window that I'll be most interested in, as you'll be aware that it was restored only a short number of years before the Scarefest operation closed those rooms off to usual public footfall. I have a few pictures of its former state, as you may also. I think I also noticed in the video that there was a piece of plaster on the floor in the Poets Bay that looked like it may have fallen from an arch or something. Not a good look, if so. Last time I was in there many years ago, there weren't pieces of 200 years old plaster lying on the floor. Not ideal (screenshot from the latest video of what looks like smashed plaster).
I'd echo your thoughts on the previous state of these rooms. I'm in the middle of doing some work on TowersStreet this year to better cover the Ruins and Gardens, so I've been doing quite a bit of flipping through old photos and one thing that is remarkably consistent was that despite being a ruin, all the open rooms were almost perfectly clean and tidy. This clearly not the case any longer. But then, if you use the building like one large backstage storage facility, that is always going to have knock on effects.
Does anyone recall, when was the last time the Music Room and North Library were open to the public? Did they ever reopen during or after the time they housed The Sanctuary?
Also forgot to say in my posts yesterday, but great video @BarryZola. I do not often watch videos regarding Alton Towers, and when I do, I often watch them on fast-forward to skip all the usual vlogging nonsense. But really glad I had a look at this one, an excellent tour, and as someone who's also been through bits of the West Wing before, I thought you managed to capture it well, with lots of the most important details picked out.
BarryZola
TS Member
Thanks Squiggs, I very much appreciate your comments. As for access, I can't remember the Music Room or any of that side of the floor opening since the opening of the Sanctuary. A cruel blow really as for years before it was always routinely open along with other bits of the Towers and it felt like it would always be that way. Then suddenly, no more...
Ben
TS Founding Member
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This is my footage from inside the ruins last Saturday, mostly the rarely seen West Wing. This was before me and the other random guests were kicked out because the staff had accidentally not put the barriers across to stop entry. Lucky for me though, as I'd been dying to go into that part of the house for a long time. Shame about all of the Scarefest stuff and other bits being stored in there. Would still love a better look around that area with more time to explore, but this was a lucky bonus I suppose anyway, so I'll take it
From: https://youtu.be/-sIfXVQqq88
Barry thank you so much for this and narrating through it, really interesting
BarryZola
TS Member
Sorry for the double post, but I did another thing 
I've been accumulating bits of research over the years about some lost conservatories/glasshouses of Alton Towers. We obviously know about the Grand Conservatory, orangery and the house conservatory, but did you know there were several others? I've explored on the ground on video, used old and new maps and also old images to prove that they existed. If this very niche topic interests you, then join me for about 50 minutes sometime. Thanks. Video here:
From: https://youtu.be/Psgr7Q2ktfk
I've been accumulating bits of research over the years about some lost conservatories/glasshouses of Alton Towers. We obviously know about the Grand Conservatory, orangery and the house conservatory, but did you know there were several others? I've explored on the ground on video, used old and new maps and also old images to prove that they existed. If this very niche topic interests you, then join me for about 50 minutes sometime. Thanks. Video here:
From: https://youtu.be/Psgr7Q2ktfk
djtruefitt
TS Team
I feel like that side of the towers probably hadn’t opened since the days of the Sanctuary. Maybe 2012 was the last time. It could have possibly been open during its time of the sanctuary.
The same for the downstairs, I don’t think that had opened since the day of mine tours and sub species.
Jb85
TS Member
I don’t think you have been able to roam freely since around 2002/2003 if my memory serves me correct.
Great video @BarryZola keep it up.
I’d love an ideal world situation where tens of millions were spent restoring the building, but sadly that doesn’t make profit. Thank god laws now exist protecting these buildings and not allowing others to get into the state the Towers have.
Great video @BarryZola keep it up.
I’d love an ideal world situation where tens of millions were spent restoring the building, but sadly that doesn’t make profit. Thank god laws now exist protecting these buildings and not allowing others to get into the state the Towers have.
DistortAMG
TS Member
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Sorry for the double post, but I did another thing
I've been accumulating bits of research over the years about some lost conservatories/glasshouses of Alton Towers. We obviously know about the Grand Conservatory, orangery and the house conservatory, but did you know there were several others? I've explored on the ground on video, used old and new maps and also old images to prove that they existed. If this very niche topic interests you, then join me for about 50 minutes sometime. Thanks. Video here:
From: https://youtu.be/Psgr7Q2ktfk
AMAZING!!!