Lost Places and Forgotten Faces

Better known as the man behind Lost Places and Forgotten Faces, Matt is renowned as the UK’s leading solo urban explorer. His captivating adventures unfold on social media, offering a glimpse into the strangely beautiful abandoned structures of the North and further afield.

The unconventional hobby began for Matt after watching an episode of Bear Grylls surviving in an urban environment. Intrigued by the filming location in Gdynia, northern Poland, he embarked on his first exploration in November 2019. Although initially thwarted by Polish security guards, he managed to document a large, abandoned manor and a derelict seaside hotel during that first trip. It started a fascination for discovering what happens to places once people disappear from them. “When I returned home, I began searching for abandoned places in my town. It turns out there were quite a lot!”

For fans of HBO hit The Last of Us, Matt’s photos are eerily reminiscent of the post-apocalyptic world depicted in the show. In many of his images, nature is boldly asserting its dominance – branches contort through windows, ferns tenaciously emerge from concrete crevices, and thorns form a formidable barrier against those daring enough to impede their advance.

“In many of his images, nature is boldly asserting its dominance.”

Despite nature’s desperate fight to reclaim these abandoned spaces, human footprints endure. In some, only a few signs remain of the building’s previous life – a tabloid flicked open on a lunch break and forgotten, or a half-drunk bottle of pop on a window ledge, sealed and undisturbed for decades. In others, a lifetime of belongings awaits the eager explorer, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who once occupied it.

“When I explored the Polish Ex-Combatants Club in Manchester, which had been derelict since 2007, I expected to find an empty and completely stripped building. Instead, I discovered forgotten Polish flags, bibles, photo albums, posters, school books and other items that had long been forgotten. It was a treasure trove of culture. I contacted the Polish Embassy in Manchester so they could recover the items.”

“A lifetime of posessions, that are now rendered meaningless.”

While old factories and social clubs preserve community memories, abandoned homes often harbour the most poignant relics, capturing the essence of lives lived within. The House of Sadness, near Selby, North Yorkshire, has been abandoned since 2003 when the owner died and the house was left unclaimed. Matt explored the property in 2020, finding it a time capsule with ornaments, photographs, wedding albums, calendars and early noughties newspapers scattered through it. “Her clothes are still hanging up in her wardrobe, her dressing gown is still on the back of the door, and false teeth remain resting above the decaying sink. I saw everything left behind, a lifetime of possessions that are now rendered meaningless. That one was truly heart-breaking,” Matt admits.

Despite frequently encountering moments that left him feeling saddened, there were occasions when Matt experienced genuine fear. It wasn’t the deteriorating floorboards giving way beneath him or the prospect of getting caught by security that unsettled him. Instead, what truly unnerved Matt was an unsettling experience in Clifton Fever Hospital in Brighouse, Yorkshire. The hospital was built during an epidemic of smallpox that raged through the area in the summer of 1892. It later became a residential home before closing in 2008. The building was sealed with breezeblocks to put off those wishing to explore.

“Inside, I felt extremely cold, and felt I was being watched the entire time.”

“When I explored Clifton Fever Hospital, I was warned by other explorers not to do it alone as it is apparently very haunted. Me being me, I took it upon myself to check it out anyway,” he laughs. He found himself in the pitch dark with his torch playing up. “Inside, I was extremely cold and felt I was being watched the entire time. I could hear strange noises upstairs, but no one was there when I reached the top floor. Safe to say, it was one of my shortest ever explores!”

 

 

Despite this experience, Matt persevered, continuing to explore the landscapes of Yorkshire and Lancashire in pursuit of abandoned spaces. A prolific explorer, he has visited approximately 1,000 places since embarking on his journey in November 2019. He believes he was the first to explore an abandoned house in Heaton, Bradford, which he aptly named The House That Time Forgot. Hidden in plain sight, the two-bedroom home has been abandoned for over 20 years.Frozen food is ready to be eaten in the freezer, the early noughties branding oddly nostalgic.

Venturing beyond the north, Matt has explored over 30 countries, documenting sought-after places for urban explorers. Last September, he snuck into the red zone in Fukushima, Japan, and was able to roam around the many abandoned schools, hospitals, care homes, shops and restaurants. “Many of the overgrown, spider-infested buildings were time-capsules of Japanese trinkets, left behind by those who once lived or worked inside but had to evacuate in 2011 due to the nuclear accident.”

“I had to cut the trip to Chernobyl short due to the impending military conflict”

“Exploring overseas always feels different as it requires me to step out of my comfort zone. Travelling alone across Japan without speaking the language was extremely challenging but worth it for the once-in-a-lifetime experience!” He was also the last urban explorer to document Chornobyl before the Russian invasion. “I had to cut the trip short due to the impending military conflict,” Matt explains. “That being said, exploring abandoned places worldwide is unbelievably fulfilling and an amazing hobby!” Despite the incredible places he has visited globally, he is still fascinated by the north’s abandoned places.

“As a Yorkshire lad, finding and documenting forgotten buildings here is always fulfilling. I love retelling the stories of these abandoned places and reminding locals of the history on their doorsteps. Often, places I post create a forum of conversation between people, putting people who may have worked in the building or went to school there once upon a time back in touch. It always makes me feel that what I do has a purpose and can make people happy!”

 

If you want to see more of Matt’s adventures, follow his social media:

Insta: @lostplacesforgottenfaces
Facebook: Lost Places & Forgotten Faces
Or check out his books: Abandoned Sheffield £11.99 and Abandoned Yorkshire £11.99. Both are available from sheffieldbooks.co.uk

NorthernLife March/April/May 23