Burning buildings to plane graveyards: haunting photos of Abandon Britain

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Stunning new photo book, Abandoned Britain, brings beauty to the world of broken-down buildings and empty homes

Abandoned Britain by Simon Sugden
"Drummonds Mill, Bradford, on fire" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

A striking new photography volume collects some extraordinary images of the titular Abandoned Britain, from historic buildings burning down to plane and car graveyards to disused bank vaults. 

Featuring stunning images captured by Yorkshire, England-based photographer, Simon Sugden, Abandoned Britain builds a picture of the afterlife of buildings, boats, landscapes and other manmade remnants as they are reclaimed by time and nature.

"In this collection of extraordinary photographs, photographer Simon Sugden has brought to the light the beauty of abandoned buildings and other sites no longer home to the activity of people," read the notes from the publisher. 

"A room in a disused Masonic Lodge in Liverpool" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

"These buildings and places have been left empty, often to gently decay and rot, but a ghostly presence of their previous life remains. The buildings range from mills, mines, factories and other industrial features, farmhouses and fairgrounds to hospitals, asylums, places of entertainment and religious buildings. 

"Sometimes we find boats, cars and aircraft left behind and rotting in the landscapes, nature is reclaiming many, others seem almost untouched by their disuse but all have a new kind of beauty."

"Amazing colors in the glass factory – there was a pink glow throughout" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

Containing over 120 images of hauntingly decaying buildings and neglected landscapes, Abandoned Britain is both a beautiful book of photography and a thought-provoking tome of what mankind leaves behind when lives end, money runs out or business interest expires.

Abandoned Britain is published by Amberley Publishing (ISBN 9781398110977, paperback, 128 pages) and will be released on December 15 in the United States, priced $28.95, and September 15 in the United Kingdom, priced £17.99. 

You can find out more about Simon Sugden and his photography at his official website.  

(Image credit: Simon Sugden)

"An aircraft graveyard – once collected by an old Spitfire pilot" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

"Rusting bulldozer at Flamborough Head" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

"Entrance to the [bank] vaults" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

"Abandoned car in the barn" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

"Empty pool in the sports centre" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

"An obsolete computer left behind in the laboratory" (Image credit: Simon Sugden)

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James Artaius
James Artaius
Editor

James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.