LENNOX CASTLE [UK]

Exploration #293 Lennox castle. Lennox Castle, near Lennoxtown in Scotland, was built between 1837 and 1841 as a grand country house. Later transformed by war and institutional healthcare, it became part of a vast hospital complex before abandonment and a devastating fire.

Designed by Glasgow architect David Hamilton for John Lennox Kincaid-Lennox, the sandstone mansion adopted a dramatic Norman castle style, with battlements, corner pavilions and a commanding tower. During the First World War it was requisitioned as a military hospital. In 1927 the estate was sold to Glasgow Parish Council, which planned a major institution for people with learning disabilities.

Lennox Castle Hospital opened in 1936 with accommodation for about 1,200 patients. The castle itself became nurses’ quarters, while new wards and service buildings spread across the surrounding estate. During the Second World War the castle again served hospital purposes, and a maternity unit operated on the wider site until 1964. By 1987 the castle had been vacated, while the hospital gradually declined as care shifted away from large institutions.

The complex finally closed in 2002. Most of the hospital buildings were later demolished, but the Category A listed castle survived in ruins. In May 2008 a major fire caused severe damage, leaving the shell that stands today as a reminder of both Victorian ambition and a difficult chapter in Scottish social history.

SCHOOL GYM [JP]

Exploration #286. In a small village along the Tenyu River in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, an abandoned elementary and middle school gymnasium stands above the valley. Probably closed after local depopulation, it now survives as a silent landmark of rural education.

The village lies on a steep slope rising from the riverbank, with houses and narrow roads clinging to the mountainside. From below, while cycling toward a hotel beyond the settlement, the gymnasium was already visible. Its position made it one of the highest buildings in the village, a sign of how important the school once was locally. Reaching it meant leaving the easy rhythm of the road. The climb became so demanding that the final stretch had to be completed on foot. At the top, the main school building was closed, but the former gymnasium stood without fences or doors.

There is little documented information about the school, but its abandonment suggests a familiar story in rural Japan: shrinking villages, ageing populations and schools closed when there are no longer enough children to fill their classrooms. What remains is a civic building shaped by everyday life. Inside the gym, grass now pushes across the floor. Plants climb toward the roof beams, softening the structure that once echoed with lessons, ceremonies and sports.

Found by chance, this abandoned school gym became an unexpected exploration, suspended between landscape, memory and the quiet decline of a mountain village.

THE GREAT PEACE PAGODA [JP]

Exploration #278 The Great Peace Pagoda. The Heiwa Daihōtō (Great Peace Pagoda) is an unfinished Buddhist relic tower located in Nishi-Zaō, Yamagata City. Planned in the early 1980s as a symbol of world peace, construction was halted for unknown reasons, leaving the structure incomplete.

Situated north of the Nishi-Zaō Park observation area, the tower is notable for its unusual form, resembling a UFO when viewed from above. The structure consists of a cylindrical concrete base from which exposed steel framing still protrudes, marking the point where construction stopped. Despite its unfinished state, the tower remains a visible landmark in the mountainous landscape. The project was initiated by Fujii Nichidatsu, head priest of Nipponzan Myōhōji, as part of a broader effort to construct Peace Pagodas across Japan and worldwide. Contemporary newspaper articles from 1981 and 1983 describe steady progress and expectations of completion, yet the work was later suspended without official explanation. Adjacent to the pagoda are several buildings that appear abandoned at first glance. Inside, however, an altar and a small temple can be found, suggesting that part of the complex is still in occasional use.

Translated text from the on-site sign:

“The Heiwa Daihōtō was initiated by Fujii Nichidatsu, head priest of Nipponzan Myōhōji.”
“It enshrines sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha transmitted from India.”
“It was intended to pray for world peace and universal coexistence.”
“It honors ancestors and those who sacrificed their lives during and after the war.”
“It aimed to create a place of spiritual peace and a new landmark for regional development.”
“The tower transcends sectarian boundaries and was meant as a cultural heritage for future generations.”

Today, the Heiwa Daihōtō stands as a rare example of late-20th-century religious architecture interrupted mid-construction, reflecting both spiritual ambition and historical discontinuity.

KEJONUMA LEISURE LAND [JP]

Exploration #274 Kejonuma Leisure Land (化女沼レジャーランド). Hidden in Japan’s remote Tohoku region, Kejonuma Leisure Land is an abandoned amusement park built in 1979 along the shores of the Kejonuma Dam, a place whose name translates evocatively as “Pond of the Ghost Woman.” Once envisioned as a symbol of postwar recreation and regional revival, the park attracted up to 200,000 visitors a year despite its isolated location. It operated as a pay-as-you-go park and featured a surprising variety of attractions: a Ferris wheel, carousel, tea cups, go-kart track, miniature train, jungle gym, trampolines, and even a small golf course and driving range. At its peak, the site also included accommodations such as campsites, huts, and a hotel, as well as an amphitheater for events.

Like many small Japanese amusement parks, Kejonuma Leisure Land could not survive the economic downturn of the late 1990s and increasing competition from large theme parks such as Tokyo Disneyland. It closed in 2000, though it was never fully abandoned. The owner continued to maintain the land and later explored redevelopment plans centered on hot springs. Today, the park is largely reclaimed by nature. Rusting rides emerge from tall grass, with the Ferris wheel still standing proudly as a haunting landmark and a favorite destination for urban explorers.

THE JEEP OF MISHIMA TUNNEL [JP]

Exploration #273 The jeep of Mushima Tunnel. The Mishima Tunnel is an abandoned passage hidden along an old mountain road that once connected Kimitsu City and Kamogawa City in Chiba Prefecture. Completed in 1953, the tunnel was originally built as part of a remote forest road intended to link the inland communities of Kimitsu and Kamogawa.

Construction was difficult: the planned route crossed rugged terrain, and the soft rock surrounding the tunnel required full concrete reinforcement. Funding was so limited that the village reportedly sold off nearly all of its forest land, eventually even advertising the sale of the Kiwadadai plantation in local newspapers, to secure enough money to finish the project. For decades, the Mishima Tunnel served as a vital connection through the mountains, until the opening of the modern Kimikamo Tunnel on February 24, 1993. With the new route in operation, the old road and the Mishima Tunnel were abandoned.

Today, the remains of this forgotten road tell a mixed story. On the south (Kamogawa) side, the old approach is blocked by barriers but still relatively intact, aside from a small landslide area that poses some danger. It remains passable on foot. The north (Kimitsu) side, however, has fallen into deep neglect, overgrown with dense vegetation and barely recognizable as a former roadway. Both entrances of the tunnel are now sealed. At the Kimitsu-side portal lies one of the site’s most striking features: the heavily decayed shell of what appears to be a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser.

The vehicle has been abandoned for years, rusting away in front of the sealed entrance. As of January 2024, the Kimitsu Civil Engineering Office has posted a removal notice on the vehicle, though its extraction seems nearly impossible, the car is non-functional, and the surrounding road is completely inaccessible to vehicles. A memorial stone dedicated to workers who lost their lives during the construction also stands on the Kimitsu side, offering a poignant reminder of the human cost behind the tunnel’s creation. The Mishima Tunnel remains a powerful relic of postwar rural engineering, an isolated, atmospheric ruin that preserves both the ambition and the hardships of the era in which it was built.

CENTRALE IDROELETTRICA DELL’ARDO [IT]

Exploration #270 Centrale idroelettrica dell’Ardo. The idea of bringing electric lighting to Belluno dates back to 1890, when the opportunity to replace oil lamps was considered. Initially, it was thought to exploit the Ardo torrent, but its inconstant flow forced the search for alternatives. Thus, in 1897, the first power station was built on the Caorame stream, 25 km from the city, guaranteeing the lighting of 260 incandescent lamps.

The increasing demand for energy soon made a new plant necessary. In 1907, the Società Bellunese Industria Elettrica started the construction of the Ardo power station, which went into operation in 1910 with two Francis turbines, manufactured by the Riva company of Milan. The facility, with a capacity of almost 500 kW, supplied energy for public lighting and local industries.

After passing under the control of SADE and then ENEL, the power station operated until 1966, when a flood of the torrent severely damaged the hydraulic works. In 1968, ENEL decided not to renew the concession, judging the restoration to be unsustainable. Since then, the building has been left to decay, a victim of theft, vandalism and, finally, the collapse of the roof, which has made any hypothesis of recovery impossible.
Today, the Ardo power station is reduced to a ruin: without a roof, the interior is invaded by vegetation and the structure continues to deteriorate..

SAPONIFICO LEDÀ [IT]

Exploration #251 Saponificio Ledà. The former Ledà soap factory was built by Giovanni Carlini at the end of the 19th century in an area where the Carlini mill already stood.

It was originally a sulphur soap factory for the production of Oneglia-type soap. It was powered by a steam engine and a water mill and the power was transmitted through a complex belt drive system that is still visible today. Later the factory was bought by the Ledà family, one of Sassari’s historical noble families. The soap factory experienced its greatest period of prosperity here: sales spread throughout Sardinia, and the plant was expanded and grew structurally, also associating the production of olive pomace oil.

After a few decades and for reasons not entirely known, the factory closed its doors and was abandoned to itself, leaving the machinery in place.

CANDEGGIO ZUCCHI [IT]

Exploration #236 Candeggio Zucchi. This former bleaching mill is an old factory where textile fibres were bleached using bleach. It was founded in 1942 when Vincenzo Zucchi, already owner of the weaving mill in Casorezzo, bought an existing bleaching mill on the banks of the Ticino river. The facilities have now been abandoned for more than 30 years.

BATHHOUSE No.5 [GE]

Exploration #228 Bathhouse No.5. Bathhouse No.5 was one of the nine thermal baths located within the large central park of Tskaltubo (წყალტუბო), the town located in west-central Georgia designated as an important balneotherapy centre by the government of the former Soviet Union.

Tskaltubo has always been famous for its healing mineral waters and radon bath treatments. The centre focuses on balneotherapy for circulatory, nervous, musculoskeletal, gynaecological and skin diseases. The first balneological baths were opened around 1870 and in 1925, the first sanatoriums and curative structures were built. Development continued apace and in 1931 the town was designated a balneotherapy and spa centre by the Soviet government. Tskaltubo was one of Stalin’s favourite holiday resorts: he had a private swimming pool in Bathhouse No. 9, which is still in use today and not far from the abandoned Bathhouse No.5.

During the Second World War the hotels were used as hospitals, but after the war Tskaltubo became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Soviet Union. Moreover, it was not only a luxury holiday for the rich, but spa treatments could also be prescribed by doctors and provided free of charge to the poorer population. Four trains arrived daily from Moscow. There were about 5,000 beds in 19 hotels and sanatoriums and up to 1,500 people a day underwent treatment.

The independence of Georgia in 1991 and the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of December 1991 caused the Tskaltubo spa industry to collapse. Without guests, most hotels and resorts were forced to close. Buildings were abandoned and fell into disrepair.

In 1992, a war broke out in neighbouring Abkhazia. More than 200,000 displaced Georgians fled the conflict and about 10,000 of them found refuge in the empty buildings of Tskaltubo. It was supposed to be temporary accommodation but today, almost 30 years later, these makeshift flats have become permanent homes for new generations of families. The condition of the buildings is extremely poor even though they still possess the magnificence of Soviet architecture. A couple of former structures, Hotel Medea and Hotel Imereti, are still so incredibly photogenic that they host multiple wedding photo shoots during the summer months. Bathhouse No. 5, on the other hand, is just a skeleton of mouldy, peeling walls within the large city park.

In Tskaltubo there are other former thermal bath like the Bathhouse No.8.

VILLA LA ROMANTICA [IT]

Exploration #134 Villa La Romantica. The first building, which would later become Villa La Romantica, was built by the ancient Bolognese senatorial family Berò. They owned the villa in the 16th and 17th centuries, while in 1700 it was acquired by the Savini, owners of a large amount of land in the area.

At the beginning of the 19th century, much of their property was already acquired by the Cocchi family, who also owned the canapiculture business (before the Savini), which represented a fundamental source of income. The villa, on the other hand, passed to General Giuseppe Grabinski during the period of French domination. Luigi Cocchi bought the Berò estate between 1830 and 1832 from General Grabinski (1771-1843). The house on the Berò estate was not altered for forty years, until Alfonso (Luigi’s son) decided in 1872, a few months after his marriage to Marietta Garino, widow of Valperga, to start restoration and rebuilding work on the villa. The Cocchi family went to Budrio in the summer and his wife Marietta in particular benefited considerably from her poor health. Alfonso named the building on the Berò estate Villa Mary, in honour of his beloved wife, and intensified his efforts, which during the 1870s led him to design the building (consisting of eight flats and a silk dryer), a greenhouse and an ice house, which were built a few years later.

Around 1885 the restoration work was complete and Villa Mary took on its splendid appearance, characterised by marvellous stucco work, rooms furnished with remarkable artistic imagination and witty architectural solutions. Unfortunately, in 1888 Marietta Garino died and Alfonso Cocchi (born in 1850), although saddened by his wife’s sudden death, tried to maintain the business in Rome. During the summers in Budrio, Alfonso became closer to Anna Pagani (born in 1869) and in 1890 their first child was born. In a short time the number of children increased (up to seven) and Cocchi realised that it was necessary to rework the structure of the house, which was partly redesigned to accommodate a large family.

In 1892, the villa – equipped with electric light, powered by huge batteries placed in the basement, and radiators – took on its definitive appearance, marked by the addition of some appendages, forming terraces and a portico. In 1894 Alfonso married Anna Pagani and two years later the patriarch donated all his property to his wife and children, continuing to live with them until his death in 1921. On 31 October 1928, Bianca Zucchelli bought the Cocchi properties, including the famous Villa Mary. The people of Budrio were immediately impressed by the habits of the new inhabitant, who wore long dresses, often made of silk and adorned with very elegant lace. Zucchelli’s strong link with the past led her to give the villa the name “Villa La Romantica”, precisely because it defended the aesthetic canons of the 19th century. The inhabitants of Budrio extended the name to Bianca, who organised parties and refined receptions.
Bianca stayed in her villa until the day she died: 25 December 1943. The owner donated the house to the “Casa per artisti ed operatori dello spettacolo” (House for artists and operators in the performing arts) in Bologna, but unfortunately the bombings that took place between 1944 and 1945 jeopardised the viability of the villa, which was later acquired by the Fondazione Zucchelli.
Unfortunately, from that moment on, the villa was left to its fate. The well-kept vegetation, which at first characterised the beautiful surrounding gardens, began to creep in everywhere, enveloping the building and it was gradually stripped of its furnishings and decorations. Today, all that remains is what time, thieves and vandals have failed to destroy or take away.

(source:  budrionext.it).