Abandoned Hampshire: Bungalow- Southampton
The Explore
From the busy main road, passers-by could see a neglected bungalow with smashed windows and signs of a builder’s cabin on site. Some miscellaneous items were strewn about the gardens, such as an oven and a typewriter. This would peak any explorer’s interest, as it did ours.
The entry was our simplest to date. There was no security, fencing was incomplete and the front door open! We couldn’t believe our luck as we waltzed into the house. The bungalow was located on a fairly large piece of land with a few outbuildings. It was clear that the site was being prepared for demolition and development. The site is located in a well-built up and desirable area of Hampshire and any developer would be keen to get their hands on the sizable plot.
After entering through the front door, we saw evidence of the lady who used to live here. The bungalow had mostly been cleared out but her personality shone through the remaining items. Each room was decorated with a different and unique wallpaper. These were fascinating, beautiful and my favourite aspect of the property. The wallpaper suggested a love of travel with scenes depicting the English countryside, Venice and China. Even the insides of wardrobes were wallpapered!
Whilst the main living spaces had been mostly cleared out, the loft was untouched. It was piled high with boxes of items such as clothes, books and games. Whoever had cleared out the property hadn’t yet touched the loft.
As we ventured out of the back door we gained a better sense of the scale of the plot of land. Surrounding us were a number of structures and a mass of trees. In 1999, planning permission was given to the owner to build a detached garage. This was still standing but empty. What really intrigued us was a number of mysterious concrete structures. These were not tall enough for somebody to stand in them, with square holes in the walls. These must have been used for storage but had no further clues to their function.
This was an unexpected yet delightful exploration. There is something so special about exploring abandoned houses compared to commercial buildings. You can gain a level of understanding of who used and lived in the space even though only a few clues remain.
Development
On the 22nd April 2021, the site was sold for £370,000 to a property development company. A planning application was submitted in June 2021. This consisted details of demolishing the bungalow and garages to erect two detached 4 bedroom properties and two linked detached 3 bedroom houses. All are to have garages and car parking. These plans were accepted in October 2021 and these properties are already under offer for around half a million!
Last Updated on 19 January 2022 by Michael
