About this location
Northern Ireland is rich with urbex possibilities. From boarded-up manor houses and deserted mills to former prisons, hospitals, dance halls and shipwrecks along the coast, this region’s abandoned places tell stories of conflict, industry and community. We explore and document forgotten corners across Ulster, revealing their history and atmosphere.
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Latest reports from Northern Ireland
Edendork Dance Hall
Edendork Dance Hall, near Dungannon, opened in 1950 as St. Malachy’s Parochial Hall and quickly became a cherished social hub, especially during the heyday of Ireland's showbands in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite its vibrant history, shifting tastes and a decline in upkeep led to its demolition in October 2024, yet its legacy lives on in the memories of those who once danced under its roof.
The Mellifont Shipwreck
Strangford Lough, the largest inlet in Ireland and the British Isles, is not just an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but home to a striking feature along its rocky shores. Near Portaferry, the Mellifont, an 18-metre vessel, lies abandoned at Rua Point, where it has rested since April 2024. The Mellifont had a colourful past, rescuing the crew of a damaged trawler in 1999. Despite plans to refloat the ship after it was swept into the Lough by fierce winds, it remains shipwrecked, raising concerns about pollution in the protected waters of Strangford Lough.
Cascades Leisure Centre
Cascades, located in Portadown, Northern Ireland, was once a bustling leisure centre, boasting a 33-meter, 6-lane pool, a smaller pool for children and learners, and fitness suites including a full gym and steam room. Its doors closed in August 2020, as part of a strategic move to amalgamate with two other leisure centres in the borough, paving the way for a more contemporary facility in Craigavon.
Cotton Primary School
Cotton Primary School was a co-educational primary school located on the outskirts of Bangor, Northern Ireland. The school aimed to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for children aged four to eleven and followed the Northern Ireland Curriculum.
Woburn House – Dog Training Kennels
These dog kennels were located on the grounds of Woburn House and used by the Northern Ireland Prison Service to train dogs for use within the justice system in Northern Ireland.
Woburn House – Training Workshops
These training workshops were used to allow the juveniles who attended Woburn House to develop skills to enable employment on their release.
Woburn House
Woburn House is a B2 listed grand mansion located on the grounds of Lisnevin Training School. An Italianate property that was once the private summer mansion for John Gilmore Dunbar, a wealthy mill owner who passed it down to multiple generations of his family. Used as a convalescent home during WWII, Woburn house went on to be an open borstal before being taken over by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for training and office purposes.
Lisnevin Training School – The Church
This nondescript and non-denominational church was in the secure grounds of Lisnevin Training School. Juvenile delinquents attended Sunday service here with one service for the Catholic residents and one service for the Protestant residents.