Fylde Farm - A study of Decay and Dereliction

Abstract

The aim of this project is to examine how abandonment and dereliction is impacting how
Fylde Farm is understood and perceived as a sense of place. This is important because to
many people, a decaying building is considered to be a ‘blot on the landscape’. This work
will draw on work by geographers on derelictions and sense of place, in order to analyse
how different meanings are formed to Fylde Farm. It examines the work carried out by
urban explorers and explains urban exploration, in addition to exploring the origins of Fylde
Farm, from the 19th Century to its closure in 2005.

The research was carried out by a series of semi-structured interviews with neighbours and former employees of Fylde Farm. The interviews were contextualised in order to ascertain an understanding of how the site is interpreted; this is in addition to on-line analysis of urban exploration websites. The research suggests that the decay and dereliction of Fylde Farm has caused a variety of
emotions to be expressed, some by neighbours and some by former staff and pupils. The research also suggests that Fylde Farm should not have been closed. It was a ‘good place’ with a lot of memories and meanings attached. It provided care and protection for vulnerable young people, in addition to the guidance and structure that they needed in their lives. Although for some young people, Fylde Farm was not the right institution for them to be placed in.