Around all the rubbish and debris, a single stone chimney marked
the resting place of The Stage Room, the communal area
of the hospital. Under this collapsed roof lay the remains of a piano
and the infamous Buxton Chair, immortalized in the Pwurg song “Buxton Chair Academy.”
At this point, two car doors slammed. Things were not right.
We edged back down the Covered Corridor and peered through a window to the
north – three men could be seen walking purposefully towards the hospital from the direction of
The Saw Mill.
Mustering all the decorum we could, we (to coin a phrase) legged it. It was at this point
that the simple geography of the hospital helped as we just made for The Grand Corridor,
ran down it until we hit the Courtyard, rushed through Reception,
dashed across the car park, and made a very inelegant exit of the site over the main gates.
My thinking at the time was that anyone who parked in The Saw Mill, and
who obviously had a way to get into the site from there, must be on official business.
(Stories from other explorers backed this up.) So, we felt it was time to leave.
As we left the site, five teenagers passed us on the main road outside. I turned to
watch them as they got near the main gates. They quietly jumped the gates themselves, and
disappeared into the hospital.
So, over a warming drink back at The Feathers, I think we had a lucky escape. And
as twelve people were in the hospital that cold December afternoon, the
CRX was becoming a popular place indeed.
Anyway, I never saw the Plunge Pool nor found the Mortuary. But
I know people who have been in the Plunge Pool, who will find the Mortuary
and have experienced The Flincher. If you enjoyed this little tour, and want
to know more, then head off to
The Shrine – the ultimate resource for the CRX.
© Simon Cornwell 2002
