Inside the fire-ravaged hotel that was venue for child sex abuse and drugs

12 March 2023 , 09:35

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The hotel was destroyed in a fire (Image: BeardedReality)

An urban explorer has delved inside a fire-ravaged hotel which was a venue for child sex abuse and drugs.

Daniel Sims visited the dilapidated Clayton Lodge Hotel in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, after neighbours complained the site was being plagued by antisocial behaviour since the fire.

Daniel, who also uses the urban explorer name BeardedReality, saw trashed bedrooms, graffitied walls and extensive fire damage, including burnt-out furniture, charred floorboards and mounds of black soot.

In a reception room, Daniel also found a grand piano which remarkably had remained untouched by vandals.

And in the wine cellar, the young man came across a table with a pentagram engraved on it.

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A blaze ripped through the empty building in April 2021 (BeardedReality)

In 2017, Clayton Lodge Hotel had its alcohol licence suspended for three months following a major investigation into issues such as child sexual exploitation, drugs, fighting and the flouting of fire regulations.

The hotel closed in March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic but never reopened. A blaze ripped through the empty building in April 2021.

Five engines and 30 firefighters were called to the blaze but around a quarter of the 50-bed hotel was destroyed.

The Clayton Lodge Hotel closed in March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic but never reopened (BeardedReality)

An investigation into what sparked the fire got underway but was delayed amid safety concerns. Later, a structural engineer said it was not possible to determine a cause.

In June, plans to build more than 50 new homes on the site were submitted to Newcastle Borough Council. The plans were put forward by Lioncourt Homes following a public consultation.

It wants to develop a mix of two, three, and four-bedroom properties, including detached, semi-detached and terraced homes.

The Clayton Road site has since been plagued by antisocial behaviour (BeardedReality)

Daniel can be found as BeardedReality on Instagram and YouTube. The video of his exploration of the abandoned Clayton Lodge Hotel can be found here.

Police have previously released safety and legal warnings against urban explorers entering condemned and abandoned buildings.

Ruby Davies