Remains of abandoned children's home with haunting past captured in eerie images

13 February 2023 , 16:13

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Eerie images taken inside St Gabriel's Convent and the lodge (Image: UGC - urban explorer 'The Shadow')

Newly released images show the eerie remains of a former children's home abandoned and left to ruin.

The former St Gabriel’s Convent has stood in Liverpool for almost two centuries and has been left abandoned for years.

But the building holds a dark past where many horrendous crimes took place.

The three-storey building, formerly known as Knolle Park, was built in 1828 and was initially run by an order of Roman Catholic nuns as a children's home.

But when the First World War broke out in 1914, the German nuns returned to their country and were then replaced by The Poor Servants of the Mother of God.

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The convent was first run by Roman Catholic nuns (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The building has stood abandoned for years (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The site later changed into Knolle Park Children’s Home and many changes were made to the building including outbuildings and extensions used as a nursery and children's home.

It soon went on to become St Gabriel's Covent where crimes against many children occurred.

In February 1998, volunteer worker John Christian, who also lived on the grounds, was jailed for sexually abusing young boys at the convent for over two decades.

Many horrific crimes against children occured at the convent (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The site later changed into Knolle Park Children’s Home (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

It was reported that many of his crimes occurred at the lodge in the property and also the dormitories.

The building shut its doors for good in 2010 and has since been left abandoned.

The building shut its doors for good in 2010 (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The three-storey building, formerly known as Knolle Park, was built in 1828 (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The site has been subject to redevelopment plans including turning it into a care village and a residential complex but the building still stands empty.

In 2018 the property was badly damaged in a fire but thankfully the main manor house raimed intact and had many of the original features.

The building has also been victim to many thefts and vandalised to some extent.

The building had been damaged in a fire in 2018 (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

The building has been vicitm to many lootings for metal (Lost Places & Forgotten Faces)

Urban explorer Lost Places & Forgotten Faces visited the run-down St Gabriel’s Convent and shared photos from his time there on Facebook.

In a Facebook post, he wrote: “It’s covered in scaffolding on the outside, and inside isn't much better! Rotten floors, collapsed roofs and fire damage throughout. This place has really been devastated.”

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