Abandoned Equestrian Centre, Sussex, Kent..Rambo?!

L

lucemoose

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Sorry to be so super vague, but a while ago there was a link to an 'Urban Explorers' form/site where someone had visited a showground that had been left derelict and posted photos. I really want to see again but also I live a block away from an abandoned hospital much visited when I was stupider and younger and want to see if anyone has been there too-
so either if the original poster could see this and post the link to the UE site, or if someone knows what showground Im talking about could they post the name and Ill go from there. It was abandoned due to access route?
thank you!
 
It was Matthews Riding School in Gillingham Kent, it's where I learnt to ride when I was 11.
He wanted to hold big competitions there but the council wouldn't let him something to do with access I believe.

He started up a smaller riding school at Capstone country park where I later worked and taught people on the same ponies I learnt on
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I love looking at photos of derelict places like that (i know im strange.....
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Cant remember the link but I saw some once of a derelict theme park in japan and it absolutely fascinated me.

What a waste for an equestrian centre to be left though!
 
Thank you! The photos I remember were amazing, it looked like it was just ...left...
Ive been looking at pics of the hospital and now feel so so sick though, will stick to hunting the showground pics down..
 
omg that is so weird, just clicked on this post and it brought back SOOOOO many memories of a day in 1982 when I went with my friend, Fiona, who I trained with at Talland for a job interview (for her, not me) with the owner of Matthews Riding School, who wanted a Manager. He told us the sad story of his son. The place wasn't finished and he walked us round telling us all about his vision for it all and how amazing it was going to be with the arena etc. It was a bit surreal, he clearly wasn't very experienced at the time and there were some things which needed adjustment. I remember the surface in the indoor arena was woodshavings. I never went there again, Fiona didn't get the job, and the next time I saw it was today in these pictures of it derelict!!!! That is so WEIRD!!!!!
 
How amazing would it be for someone to pick up a place like that really cheap and do it up and get it running again

I LOVE things like this!
 
Sorry for the slow response...I've been working (for a change lol!) so only just seen this.

The venue was indeed Matthews Equestrian Centre at Gillingham and the owner was a guy called Tony Rocco who madehis fortune as a professional wrestler back in the 70's. He built the place as a memorial to his son (Matthew funnily enough) who died of leukemia or something like that at a very young age. Mr Rocco wasn't a horseman by any means...but he was a visionary and a very good publicist and so at the time Matthews Equestrian Centre featured heavily on the local (Meridian?) tv. He did get to hold few big shows and in fact I was privileged enough to compete at the first of them in the pro-am final...partnering none other than Michael Whitaker on Disney Way...one of my heroes at the time
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As has been said though, the council put the nail in the coffin of Matthews by refusing planning permission for more major shows and as a sort 'up yours' to them, Mr Rocco decided to leave it there to rot rather than redevelop it
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I have some video from around 1986 when I last rode there for those interested. Bear in mind that at the time this place was smarter than Towerlands and showjumping was at it's peak of popularity :-

http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/kirkkr/?action=view&current=boris_foxhunter_matthews.flv
 
OMG that is so sad i cant beleive they didnt let it hold any more shows !!

Shame they would now not reconsider and let someone redevelop it !! we need a nice showground like that near me x
 
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Those photos are creepy and spooky . . . . don't like it !!

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same here.

weird but very intersting website though
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why won't they let anyone develop it?

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It would prob cost a forture but how fab would it be. I imagine that the council will be aginst it anyway, they were before.
 
Gosh, what an incredible waste of a potentially fab equestrian centre (and pretty decent stables too!!) Would love to have the cash to be able to restore it....but hey
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*keeps dreaming* Perhaps we can all chip in a fiver.....??!!!
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Wierdly that large wall painting of the horse and the gallery overlooking the school has sparked off a familiar memory.....cant for the life of me think why I would have been there except for maybe a uni comp years ago!
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Wouldnt fancy being there on my own taking pics tho, no thank you!!!
 
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