Urban explorers Andrew and Courtney stumbled upon a Grade II listed residence in Wigan, seemingly untouched since the 1970s Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Comments
Old televisions, patterned wallpaper and Babychams – urban explorers entered an abandoned building in Wigan, Lancashire, which appears unchanged from the 1970s.
Andrew and Courtney, both 26 years old, who explore deserted buildings through their social media account urbexcoupleac, disclosed they came across a Grade II listed, six-bedroom home that has sat vacant since 2017, yet virtually unaltered since the 1970s.
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Courtney, who hails from Leeds, commented: “It’s quite disheartening to witness, you step into the living room and grasp that it’s somebody’s family house and it was simply left like that one day and never revisited, and it’s remained that way ever since.”
The pair believe the dwelling belonged to an elderly couple named Jack and Synthia, who lived into their 90s.
They surmise Synthia died around 2012, leaving Jack alone in the property until his own passing in 2017, at which point the residence was left behind, according to the Mirror.
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Courtney continued: “It seems that his wife passed away a few years before Jack’s death and he resided there solo until his passing.
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“We figured out the house has been deserted since 2017, that was the final year on the calendar inside the house. The last date crossed off was February 15.
“There was plenty still within the house, such as cleaning supplies, beverages, the garden was severely overgrown, and the house was substantially large.”
Inside the residence, they discovered birthday cards congratulating Synthia on her 90th birthday and Jack’s military service records, alongside “time capsule” remnants like Babychams and an old television.
Courtney commenced her explorations during the 2020 lockdown and expressed she loves finding homes, their past and the accounts of those who inhabited them.
However, she felt an unusual sadness while walking through the residence: “Jack must have lived in just one part of the house towards the end. There was a note on the wall he’d written for his carers to switch off the faucets.
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“It’s similar to a time capsule; it’s simply frozen in time. Many of the features within the house originate from a long time ago; I believe many older individuals didn’t renovate very often, so it appears even older.
“They would have declared on their wedding day “until death separates us,” and death did indeed separate them.”