Tales of the Urban Explorer: The Ripper Flats

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(Edited)

I do feel a little guilty about leaving @anidiotexplores out of ‘The Ripper Flats’ as he pinned down the location. Logistics meant a huge driving backtrack as at the time, he had no transport. Some other time perhaps?

Instead, I dragged @goblinknackers along as I was over at his haunt that day and I know he likes his history, especially when it involves, murder, prostitutes, death and horror.

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Being situated in a maze of streets, I figured we may be hassled with Karen’s but that was not the case at all. Saturday afternoon has it's merits, they are out shopping.

It was a decent day, mid-afternoon when we arrived and I noticed the original entry-point had been semi-sealed with some makeshift boards.

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Although quite climbable, we decided to scout the perimeter and quickly found a much easier access point.

So why ‘The Ripper Flats’?

This one has quite a gruesome history and I was here to try and feel the atmosphere and make some conversation with the spirit of Patricia Atkinson the prostitute, who in 1977 fell victim to the infamous Yorkshire Ripper.

Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper) was driving through the grim streets of Manningham when he spotted Patricia Atkinson, obviously the worse for drink, banging on the roof of a parked car, and shouting obscenities. He stopped the car and she jumped in without any coaxing, and she told him she had a flat not far away where they could go. They then drove the short trip to Oak Lane. As he was leaving his car, Sutcliffe retrieved a claw hammer from under his seat and hid it in his coat.

Once inside, after hanging up his coat, he retrieved the hammer and hit her on the back of the head with a total of four massive blows. She fell off the bed and onto the floor leaving lots of blood on the floor. He hit her again and then hoisted her up back onto the bed by picking her up under the arms.

Sutcliffe then pulled down her jeans and pants and exposed her breasts. He then began hitting her with one end of the hammer and clawing her with the other end, leaving oblong marks and grazes. He also stabbed her six times in the stomach with a knife as well as some stabbing attempts on her back, and slash marks along the left side of her body.
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Sutcliffe, who died in 2020 at the age of 74, went on to murder 12 other women before eventually being nabbed in 1981 after a nationwide manhunt.

He was jailed for life and never released.

This was a new kind of exploration to me, one where something monstrous had happened. I was not expecting to see bloodstains, but I had enough knowledge to know just where the room was where it all happened.

Watching YouTube does help in these cases.

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Having breached the fencing we were out of eyeshot of most Karen's beside the ones upstairs who happened to be gazing out over this wonderful mess of an ex-council block.

We quickly got inside by means of the many windows and doors which were gone or wide open.

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I could see this was going to be the derpiest of derps and besides Room 3 (where it happened), I might be lucky to see anything other than bad graffiti.

I am unsure how long these flats have been empty but found an old report about a blaze in 2010. It wouldn't surprise me if it's been abandoned for 20 years or so.

Walking through the empty corridors I felt the same as usual; absolutely nothing. @goblinknackers had wandered off in another direction so I was quite alone.

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One could easily escape the Ripper Flats by jumping out of the many glassless windows (probably into a nettle patch).

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Some string, wire or rope left behind by someone. It’s always very useful if you come here to kill yourself.

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Much of the flats had been affected by the blaze mentioned above in 2010. There could well have been others since.

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The stairs were very sturdy. The flats were likely a by-product of the late sixties or early seventies. Despite being unsightly, they don’t collapse too easily.

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This was the front door once; compare it with the image from 1977 that is taken from a different angle (below). Scenes like the black-and-white one remind me of my youth and childhood. The woman is Patricia Atkinson, the victim.


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Mailboxes or lockers? Probably the former having seen these in apartments in the USA. It was gratifying to see some form of ex-human existence.

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I would have been disappointed not to find any graffiti. Some of it was better than others, but Bradford is hardly renowned for its creative artists.

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Besides external views from the upper sections, it was not going to get much better.

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Exploring ‘The Ripper Flats’ was much like any other explore. We did not encounter anyone else while inside.

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After some hunting, I found the room in which it all happened. The entrance to Room 3; the distinctive marks on the wall gave it away.

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Where the jut is in the room once housed a table with the murder bed to the right. The curtains are long gone.

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All old images are sourced here: Source

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Looking back at the fire-tormented door we can see where the bed used to be, and where the murder took place.

Did I feel anything? Not even a prickle on my skin. I am far too de-sensitised about such things.

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What that other door is I can guess to be the bathroom which I didn’t photograph. It was quite empty, though access is now from outside the room as this door is severely jammed tight.

If this was the major attraction then it was quite disappointing. No blood, no screams..., I shouldn't jest. We worked our way back to the original entrance point getting lost as it was quite the maze inside.

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Such blood-curdling warnings written in blood send shivers down my spine. The shivers would have been intensified severely if the retard who wrote it could spell.

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I think it's time to rip this horror down, Bradford council. It's hardly a tourist attraction and will attract nobody besides the likes of ME and those weird paranormal idiots who visit at midnight.

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It does seem the sort of place that should be just torn down. I expect it attracts some murder tourists. Sutcliffe was a monster. I can remember when he was being hunted. It's sad that women still have something to fear from such men.

Anyway, it's a nice day out for you guys :)

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It could be gone even now. This was all last June. I too remember Sutcliffe and before him, The Black Panther who robbed and shot people in sub-post offices. One such office was close to where I lived.

Yes.., a lovely day.., I mean look at that sunshine!

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That was a new type of exploration to read. No complaints here, can never have too many murder mysteries.

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The murder mansions (there have been some) are generally torn down very quickly. I was shocked to see this still stands. A bit crap inside, but teeming with gruesome history.

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Hey dude when we first got there a few years back we left London to a town called "Bradford" and never considered anything like red light distract. We needed to get to Halifax. Anywho.. We cancelled our month after about 5 days and continued through England.

Just about 3 months ago we were watching one of our ever so revered murder mystery shows and they featured that crossbow guy. Eh..

That's where we stayed those 5 days.

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The Crossbow Cannibal. I may have seen in on one of those murder shows that are on late at night. That was much later. Some towns have red light districts, city's always.

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You have likely been in much scarier places, you just didn't realize that something horrible had happened there. It's too bad this one didn't live up to the hype. I wonder if you had taken your wife there if she had felt anything? Nice shots anyway. The black and white shots of the room look creepier than the color ones!

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(Edited)

@bingbabe would have staunchly refused to go inside, I know her too well.. she would have felt something. Will send this on to her later, she has no idea of the kinds of places I visit.

Interesting history, but ultimately bland inside. I would still explore it regardless of what went on if it was a drive-by.

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This place has really an interesting as well as bad story than your other explorations.

We did not encounter anyone else while inside.

Did you expect? What would you do if you encountered?

Encountering someone in such places would be scary, I would probably run away 😁

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Did you expect? What would you do if you encountered?

Yell... helloooo probably. It's usually kids or sometimes other explorers. If the latter, we usually have a chat. They tend to be a friendly lot.

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Yikes man, that is some proper horrible history!!! That man deserved to never be freed

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Locations like this are quite scarce. It might already be gone.., this was early summer! As always.. I'm way behind.

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Tsk! Bit of Artex and they'll be good as new. Shame really, they'd make half-decent flats given there's a massive housing shortage in the UK. The place could be named Atkinson House. Sounds like a typical English building name to me.

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The place could be named Atkinson House.

In memory? The reputation of it would scare the punters off. Like Cromwell Street, its better demolished.

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Mmm? Cromwell was demolished after someone pinched the house number. They knocked it down before ghouls could start stripping the place. Perhaps you're right.

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That's actually a pretty cool location. Very historic in a morbid sense. It looks like the kind of place that would be terrifying to go at night. But then again you could say that about all the places you visit. Still, I think this one is extra scary because of the history. I don't believe in ghosts but if they do exist then that place is probably definitely haunted

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Oh.., I don't know about ghosts. I never see any, regardless of creepiness. If I did.., that would be something different.

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You are a great explorer and I really like your sense of humor:
"Some string, wire or rope left behind by someone. It’s always very useful if you come here to kill yourself."
!LOLZ
!ALIVE
😉

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I don't take it all too seriously. Mixing some black comedy in seems to go down well.

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This is one of the fresh and interesting posts I read on Hive recently! I'm sure I wouldn't want to go to this place at night 😱. Thank you for sharing. ❤️

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Oh no, I don't do night explorers. For one thing.. you can't see much and it's the photography (as well as the buzz), I go for.

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Thanks, they make for unusual photography.., and I do 'the unusual' :)

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It's totally awesome! Do you also take videos?

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I can't help but laugh when you say the rope is for someone who is contemplating suicide

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Not to be taken seriously 🤣

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you motivated me to explore a similar abandoned house. and I will go alone and spend the night there. not a bad idea

Dịch trực tiếp

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and I will go alone and spend the night there. not a bad idea

Braver than me! I rarely go alone.. and it's always daytime.

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My friends often say that I have mental health problems 😂

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Great back story there @slobberchops guess there was no paranormal activity 😂 to report back on

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No paranormal shit. Wish a ghost would jump me TBH... that would be cool!

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I cannot believe that they haven't torn that down. They are ripping down places that are kind of cool and leaving this place up? I am so disappointed.

I have to admit, my tummy did a little twirl on this one. The bed, the blood, the girl. This was still an unusual scene.

Desensitized dude. :)

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It will be lack of money. All the councils are struggling and there are bigger priorities than this.

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That makes sense. I know we are hurting over here, but, from the outside looking in, it doesn't look as bad as it is.

Have an amazing Sunday. :)

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Nice to read one of your posts again @slobberchops and I can see you are having your usual fun adventures in broken down places. The Ripper Flats are very grim, desolate and terribly decimated like all the old empty buildings. Such a sad murder took place but that was a very long time ago. I agree pulling the Flats down would be the most sensible move by the council. Regards

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I have been in a few others where there have been reported suicides. This was a little more extreme!

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I guess it was an hideout for terrorist

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Oh shit this must be the dude they warned us to be careful of when using a caravan park close to Heathrow Airport in 1978, shows you crazies live anywhere.... Distance is quite away away from Bradford, we never heard anything prior that stop off in camper van right at the end of our travels.

Cesspit old hell hole should have been ripped down years ago, hanging around for more druggies and mayhem!

Grueling history, for shits and giggles a walk down memory lane... (Source: You Tube - Not Mine!)

!BEER

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Look at those cars! The motorway signs are identical to what the look like now.

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Why change it if it works...! Old cars and buses a good flash back in time, cars that lasted and you could still work on DIY 😆

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