St Peters & St Paul's newham - Kent

 St. Peter's & St Paul's 

Date  Januray | Location Newham | Open to the public 

This was the second church on our list. We parked our car and headed over to the church, which is located in a small village (I have to say that the signal is poor there as well). This visit was quick; we were in and out in about 20 minutes. It was nice and interesting, though. The church dates back to the 13th century, like most of the churches, and hasn’t really changed much since then.

St peter's Church Oare Kent

 St peter's Church

Date January | Location Oare, Kent | open to the public 

I had this church on my maps for a while, and since it was part of a cluster of churches we were visiting, I was excited to see it. I must say, like many churches, it had a familiar feel. This one was small but featured some interesting stained glass windows and even a map of the church displayed inside. As we were leaving, we discovered that I could turn on the lights.

This church is Grade I listed and dates back to the 13th century. It features a 15th-century door and has undergone significant restoration. Originally built in a marshy area, the church underwent a major restoration in 1868

St John the Baptist Church Doddington,

 St John the Baptist Church

Date January | Location  Doddington | Open to the public 

My 5-year-old and I were looking at a map to find places we could explore, and we noticed there were five churches clustered together that we could visit. So, we got in the car and planned a route using the map. This was the first church we explored that day. It was small and beautiful inside, and it had some original paintings on the walls, which were nice to see.

The church is located in a very rural area of Kent. It is Grade 1 listed and is a rare 12th-century church, featuring a 17th-century tower and a 13th-century south chapel.

Arethusa Venture Centre Second Visit - Upnor - Kent

 

Arethusa Venture Centre

Date Januray | Location Upnor | Satuts Abandoned 

This was my second visit to Arethusa, having been there in 2025, where I only explored the poolside. This time, the exploration was straightforward, and I found that some of the buildings were open, which I hadn't seen before. However, the rock climbing wall was sealed up again, so I couldn't get inside. I also wanted to revisit the pool, but that was sealed off as well. Nevertheless, it was still cool to see the areas I was able to access.

To keep the history brief, the place closed down in 2019 and was raided in August 2025 for a cannabis farm. They want to demolish the site and build a bunch of new flats. The site was built in 1935 and was used by schools to offer a number of different activities.

Orchard Hospital - Dartford

 Orchard Hospital 

Date January | Location Dartford | Satuts  Abandoned 

There isn't much to say about this exploration other than it was really cold and the ground was icy. I was informed about this site by another explorer in the area, so while passing by with my friends and my 5-year-old, we decided to check it out. There isn't much to see, as the buildings are all quite similar. Some have graffiti, some have fire damage, and others are unreachable due to overgrowth. To keep the history brief, Orchard Hospital was established by the Metropolitan Asylum Board in 1902 to provide temporary accommodation during the smallpox epidemic. After the smallpox cases declined, the site was lent to the war officers from 1915 to 1919. Many of the buildings were damaged in World War II from bombings.