👻🏚️ Discover Leicester's Ghost Town: The Forgotten Houses Near General Hospital 👻🏚️

Welcome back to Leicester Living, where we uncover the most intriguing corners of Leicester and bring them right to your screens!
In this eye-opening episode, we're venturing into an almost forgotten part of the city, just a stone's throw from Leicester General Hospital. Join us as we explore the desolate streets and the mystery of the derelict houses that time forgot. 🕒🏠
🔍 The Mystery of Leicester's Unoccupied Homes 🔍
Dive deep with us into the heart of Leicester's own "ghost town," where rows of unoccupied dwellings stand silently, their windows boarded up, echoing stories of days gone by. We'll also take a closer look at some of the hospital's own abandoned buildings, adding to the eerie atmosphere of this neglected neighbourhood.
🚶‍♂️ A Journey Through Forgotten Streets 🚶‍♂️
As we wander through these deserted areas, we'll discuss the history, the possible future, and what has led to this current state of urban decay. It's a side of Leicester rarely seen by many, revealing the challenges and opportunities that lie within these empty spaces.
💔 A Tribute to Leicester's Hidden Side 💔
This video is not just an exploration but a tribute to the hidden facets of our city, encouraging conversations about redevelopment, conservation, and the stories behind these silent facades.
Make sure to subscribe and hit the bell 🔔 for notifications on our thought-provoking tours and insights into Leicester's diverse landscapes. New videos are posted every week!
Curious about other overlooked areas or have stories to share about Leicester's forgotten buildings? Drop us a comment below. Your insights inspire our adventures!
Stay connected for more discoveries:
Facebook: johnghentexp
Instagram: @johnghentexp
#LeicesterLiving #GhostTownLeicester #UrbanDecay #ForgottenHouses #LeicesterExploration

[@philipharris2319]

This is shocking what is going on with this country. Thanks for the video good Sir. 👍🏻

[@leicesterliving]

Thanks for the kind words. It is incredible, what a waste. I’m going to keep my eye on the area to see if it changes.

[@markchawner1586]

Used to live locally and it once was an area of mostly Nurses Bedsits. In the 80's they held some great Party's in those flats as there was also a big Social club based at the Leicester General Hospital. They had Party's every week in one of the Nurses quarters 🥳 One of my ex's lived there when I dated a Nurse. It was a nice, thriving area once and to see it as a Ghost Town is Heartbreaking. It has been totally neglected by the City Council and at first the NHS.

[@leicesterliving]

I have heard it was a bit of a party town at some stage!

[@raindog70]

The accommodation near the Wakerley Road end were student nurse flats, the houses at the other end were for doctors with families. The building you guessed was a community centre was a specialist unit for the severely disabled. You missed another building around the corner from there, which was the LCRC, the clinical research centre where volunteers would have new drugs tested on them-safely, of course. I know it’s been like that since at least the start of lockdown in 2020, that’s when I first noticed they’d been boarded up. It’s a real shame, there’s a lot of room to build quality affordable housing there. And don’t forget, just round the corner from where you’d parked is the old Lesters pub, which has been boarded up since-around, I think, - 2006.

[@leicesterliving]

@@raindog70 Some amazing information here!! Thanks so much for the comment, really helpful for people watching this video.

[@j1nino344]

No they have been boarded up way before lock down rain dog 😂 they have been boarded up since 2011

[@leicesterliving]

@@j1nino344 That is crazy if they have been boarded up since 2011!

[@zoechapman-zq6yg]

@@j1nino344 😳😳😳🥺

[@j1nino344]

@@zoechapman-zq6yg 😘😘😘😘😘

[@sandysanderson8588]

Great video mate. Its fantastic your showing the people of Leicester what's going on around them. I would have never known that was Leicester. Shame on you NHS/LCC.

[@leicesterliving]

Thanks for the feedback! It’s so strange that the properties have just been left. Hopefully there is a plan for them….

[@Cass234]

I’m a Leicester lass. Have subscribed and look forward to watching more from you 😊

[@leicesterliving]

Welcome aboard! Thanks so much, what a lovely comment to get!! 💙💙

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Subscribed to Your Channel as a Fellow Lestonian..Good luck with your Channel...urban decay and deprivation is very interesting to me also 😊😊😊😊

[@leicesterliving]

Thanks so much, really appreciate it! I need to get some more done.....urban history is so interesting, especially in your own city!

[@lestajesta9682]

I'm Leicester born in 81 i was born in General Hospital, the area around their use to be rough Rowlatts Hill Estate Thurnby Lodge in the other side and Northfields Futher down Uppingham road. These are where the English lads were rough, but there were also Sikh gangs knocking about the same time as Baby Squad like the the Wongs in Highfields Imperial pub. There were other Sikh gangsters at that time I can't mention because I might get filled in.

[@leicesterliving]

Very, very interesting. Lots of change in the area over recent years. Wonder if there is till that "undercurrent" of activity going on around there?

[@lestajesta9682]

The city overrun lucky by Indian Muslims not. Pakistanis.

[@glenoxman7904]

If those houses were yours or mine the council would be threatening us to sell them or get them rented! I had it years ago when I renovated a house in Braunstone, a worker from the council actually knocked on the door when I was working there and tried to threaten me 😅

[@johnghent5946]

You’re 100% right mate! They just don’t prioritise.

[@leicesterliving]

Crazy that you threatened, what exactly did they say??

[@trenz7452]

And you wonder why so many people are living on the streets. Well done the government

[@leicesterliving]

It just makes no sense to me. There is enough property there to solve every housing issue in the city in 1 go.

[@leighhunt1719]

Leicester city Council been Labour for years now we've got them in government future looks bleak.

[@leicesterliving]

It’s going to be an interesting few years on the property front! It will certainly help if we can get a settled housing minister.

[@wiz2769]

The Leicester city council has now bought all these houses from the hospital and they are going to do them up

[@blessed.970]

Always wondered why these 'good looking 'accommodation was always closed! So in need! Wish they do something about it!

[@leicesterliving]

A lot of people feel the same!

[@JoshJackson-lq7tj]

It’s like this in most parts of uk ,no wonder we have a problem with homelessness

[@leicesterliving]

I can imagine Leicester is not the only place with this sort of thing going on.

[@ravd8082]

@@leicesterliving these are owned by leicester general hospital they plan to renovate and provide accommodation, its not going to waste , plans have been submitted

[@leicesterliving]

@@ravd8082 Be great if this does happen, lots of different info in these comments!

[@deztaylor6750]

I remember watching the 2 high rise tower blocks being blown up in the 90’s in Rowletts Hill. Watched it from Humberstone Park.

[@leicesterliving]

@@deztaylor6750 that must have been amazing!

[@deztaylor6750]

@@leicesterliving it was very impressive. All those homes, gone in a matter of seconds.

[@lestajesta9682]

Had some good piss ups in Humbo Park.

[@leicesterliving]

@@lestajesta9682 Can't go wrong with a bit of park drinking!

[@davidshelley6598]

Been away for 7 years. I barely recognise the place. Cheers!

[@leicesterliving]

Certainly has changed a lot

[@jackie0604oxon]

Not that far from where I grew up; this is shocking. I've heard that a village near Market Harborough is fighting a proposal to build houses on fields, that would close the gap between them and Harborough - the reason is to house Leicester's overflow! The locals of course are saying that it's Leicester's problem, not theirs.

[@leicesterliving]

@@jackie0604oxon the housing problem, or lack of housing problem, is a big issue everywhere and Leicester is no different. But when you have this ghost town sat there doing nothing it is very strange!

[@davidjames6443]

I understand the council has brought these house from the nhs trust and are now going to be doing these up to be used again. The nhs trust couldnt or did not want to pay to bring these homes upto standard.

[@leicesterliving]

There are quite a few people that have mentioned that the council have bought them, I just don’t know why they are chucking everything at it to get the houses up to standard for occupiers.

[@kiljoy3254]

You’d think if there was a national tv campaign (I haven’t watched tv for years… do people still watch tele?) they could generate a lot of interest but the houses don’t come with a job package deal, so it wouldn’t be straightforward. But there are many thousands of people trying to get on the property ladder, if there were enough people tempted and could find work in the area, even if you/they could make a success of a portion of the properties initially that would make the area more attractive and hopefully have a snowball effect

[@leicesterliving]

Yeah would certainly make sense. They have done similar things in other areas of the UK to regenerate areas, no reason it couldn’t work here.

[@kiljoy3254]

@@leicesterliving I believe in Africa, (and China) China has built very substantial urban areas that just don’t have the key factors to draw people. I’m sure you are aware of that, it’s rather well known, though most of us don’t appreciate the sheer scale of the waste.

[@EniboyMe]

nice content keep it up

[@leicesterliving]

@@EniboyMe Thanks very much! If you have any other suggestions of what you think people would like to see/you’d like to see, then just let me know!

[@paulcheshire7794]

I grafted on that estate year's ago , Christ it's changed , mad in it

[@leicesterliving]

@@paulcheshire7794 Honestly, madness really!

[@leicesterliving]

@@paulcheshire7794 Crazy isn’t it…..

[@paulcheshire7794]

@@leicesterliving sure is

[@martinball54]

Itll be an immigrants village soon.

[@leicesterliving]

@@martinball54 Who knows……

[@mikalilypops3259]

Yeh bloody will 😡

[@gt9927]

I presume you've never been to Leicester

[@martinball54]

@@gt9927 only lived here all my life..........

[@InfluxRadio]

I'ts still the same now , i do around there on the bins. . Nothing has changed in 2 and a half years. Since i've been doing the round.

[@leicesterliving]

That is crazy! My grandad was a bin man for 30+years in Leicester, he loved it!!

[@InfluxRadio]

@@leicesterliving 23 years on the bins man .

[@InfluxRadio]

i love the job, its the company i work for. did you know Leicester has the highest bin count in the country. we are doing over 3000 bins. Tuesday to Friday. im nearly on 80 miles per week.( that includes my mondays overtime )

[@trenz7452]

Good video but if all the houses are boarded up where has all the cars come from???

[@leicesterliving]

The hospital is just round the corner, we believe they are visitor or staff cars.

[@dawnbuckler166]

I love leicester 💙 the king power 😊

[@Joserespect]

And to think..5 minute walk up the road there are houses worth millions and the dove one of Leicesters best pubs for food nowadays

[@leicesterliving]

Crazy isn't it.....how different house prices can be in such a short distance

[@D2THABIZZLE]

I’m from Leicester. There all bored up and I cant get nowhere to live the council is a joke. I’m pretty sure they used to be for the hospital staff

[@leicesterliving]

yeah they were defo for hospital staff, some people on here have confirmed that. Hope you get sorted soon....❤

[@evs9404]

The amount of money spent ensuring squatters cant get in could have been spent on placing the homeless into these properties. Corruption runs deep in Leicester.

[@leicesterliving]

Agree with this! Spend the money on getting people in, not keeping people out.

[@evs9404]

@@leicesterliving shows where the priorities lie with the council, sad times hopefully more people know about these more will speak up

[@leicesterliving]

@@evs9404 I guess it just needs people to be more vocal. The media can be very selective in what they promote though as we know!

[@evs9404]

@@leicesterliving 100% exactly that, ive lived in Leicester my whole life and didnt know about these empty homes until I saw your vid, awareness is the first hurdle for many!

[@leicesterliving]

@@evs9404 Could not agree more, things get hidden away. Think I need to get out and find some more stuff going on that people don't know about!

[@sandeepk4093]

Former nurses' accomodation. I wonder how they keep the houses from becoming damp/damaged.

[@leicesterliving]

So I think when they board them up they sometimes remove the windows to give ventilation. Some of the properties are damaged, but would take some big effort to get inside any of them to be fair

[@ChristenDome]

Remember how Granby Halls was wasteland/car park for years? How Frog Island was desolate for years? Suggest Mayoral skulduggery for the resultant sale of prime land for a pound! The long term strategy is to prove the land 'unsaleable' and then give it away to family, friends and those prepared to 'donate' large sums to personal pockets! All of the 'pork pie' libraries are currently being relocated to leisure centres and in a decade - these beautiful buildings will be acquired by those to whom they've already been promised. Perhaps one day.....some heads will be required for the personal pillaging of Leicester's heritage.

[@leicesterliving]

This is a very interesting concept. Lots of red tape and jargon can make a few people a lot of money. The joys of todays society.

[@James_Duncan]

Subbed you 🙏🏻 all the best from Scotland

[@leicesterliving]

Thank you so much.❤

[@waynewayne7898]

Yes it was

[@Biscuitboy44]

Rob fae lester here sadly our towns and cities are in decline 😢

[@leicesterliving]

@@Biscuitboy44 They’re certainly changing a lot. I was in London yesterday and to be fair, I quite enjoyed it but I was in the tourist parts, but as you are driving in the suburbs it was a lot different!

[@nicolamarie1159]

They were nhs staff housing

[@leicesterliving]

@@nicolamarie1159 Shame they aren’t used for something now….I’m really interested to see what they get used for

[@nicolamarie1159]

@@leicesterliving yeah it really is as like you said we have to many homeless and people living in poor conditions and there are loads of housing just sitting there but the council is broke so I don't think anything will ever be done with them as they have been like that since I was a kid

[@user-vj6op6zi2n]

Its true there are hundreds of properties and buildings which could be used for housing before new ones are built.

[@leicesterliving]

@@user-vj6op6zi2n you are absolutely right. Hundreds in Leicester alone!

[@user-vj6op6zi2n]

@@leicesterliving I live on Westcotes Drive and there is an old Guest house and an old people's home which could be both converted into flats but preferably for locals.

[@yusufpatel5356]

They need renovating , but Peter Soulsby says there's no money left .

[@leicesterliving]

Crazy isn't it.....this should be top priority for the council. All that housing sat doing nothing

[@worldwidecrimetime]

all spent on bike lanes

[@leicesterliving]

@@worldwidecrimetime They do love a bike lane that doesn't get used in Leicester

[@worldwidecrimetime]

@@leicesterliving they do mate yes. I am leicester as well I have a crime channel if u want to take a look 👌

[@williebobs3830]

Who ever is managing those properties should be fired.

[@leicesterliving]

Yeah, the lady I spoke with said that the council have done some work to the houses by all accounts, but things have just slowed down for some reason.

[@MrBobchat]

And yet Leicester has a huge amount of homeless, like everywhere. They should beg borrow and steal the funds to renovate these houses and rent them out to all sorts of people, not just any one demographic. They would be saving money in the longer term as they would be getting people out of expensive bed and breakfast accommodation. It could be done but it would need a proper plan and to be executed well. So not much chance then with LCC being what it is

[@leicesterliving]

I hugely agree with this. I do not know what the issue but they should absolutely be throwing all their resources at these properties just sat there waiting for people, it's not great at all.

[@EVERYDAYGames00]

Used to work on flats back there years ago horroble estate

[@leicesterliving]

Were they private flats or council ones?

[@EVERYDAYGames00]

@@leicesterliving council I believe

[@THAMESLINK319]

@@EVERYDAYGames00 They were owned by the UHL back then, not the council. They were for nurses/NHS staff, not council tenants.

[@markplummer1981]

This country makes me sick

[@leicesterliving]

😢Sad isn’t it

[@audie-cashstack-uk4881]

Bet tou still voted Labour tho didn't you 😂😂😂😂

[@1987RKiD]

It's being knocked down and new housing built

[@leicesterliving]

That's interesting, would be good if that did happen.

[@THAMESLINK319]

@@leicesterliving The above comment is incorrect. There's no plans to knock any of it down. It's all to be refurbished. Supposedly ready by the end of the year...

[@leicesterliving]

@@THAMESLINK319 Great if that happens, can't see it all being ready for the end of the year though!

[@aaronjordan8789]

Lot of potential homes for families . I used to work all around the area for a building company not gonna mention the name. But there was a lot of subsidence there I used to do a lot of under pinning there to raise certain parts of the houses. Shame 🇬🇧

[@leicesterliving]

@@aaronjordan8789 very interesting. Could be the reason they have been left empty….

[@1990MCV-t1h]

Maybe it was housing nurses whilst they were studying like on the old bursaries? They don’t do bursaries anymore

[@leicesterliving]

I think you are probably right, that seems to be the suggestion from a few comments on here

[@audie-cashstack-uk4881]

Ran away to Guernsey from Leicester 2012 utter shithole now live up north I will never fo back not eve to visit the dump....and lol empty houses 3 steps out of the estate terist houses cost 200 250k CLOWN UK

[@leicesterliving]

The prices in Leicester are pretty crazy now, city has changed a lot since 2012

[@Michael-hg5hr]

And theres a housing crisis in Britain no affordable housing for British people and we see this 😮

[@leicesterliving]

Absolute madness, honestly!

[@oliviareid894]

As far as I know someone has brought this development and they are waiting for planning for reopening . But there's alot of asbestos in them

[@leicesterliving]

I have heard there is a fair of asbestos kicking about in them

[@Shaunlunn81]

They are mostly all people who worked at the hospital students and that ,, big up RHE 😂 and that has gradually gone like that over 10 years

[@leicesterliving]

Crazy that it has just been left like this…..

[@Shaunlunn81]

@@leicesterliving yes I used to collect rubbish for them and scrap metal for these and Glenfield and all of a sudden there was no staff in the office at the this 1 I don’t no what happened or where they went too

[@ingy2468]

Those houses have been empty for many years. They haven't got money to house the minority indigenous English on a 6000 council housing waiting list and will spend money on Asylum Seekers' legal and illegal, immigrant cultural events and community groups and politically incorrect projects etc It's a sickening disgrace.

[@audie-cashstack-uk4881]

You got what was voted for

[@leicesterliving]

It's a strange old world we are living in now, it's just so sad to see these properties left like this

[@zoechapman-zq6yg]

Omg im leicester i cant believe this when theres so many homeless people im disgusted in l.c.c

[@leicesterliving]

It really isn’t great. I’m hoping there is a genuinely solid reason that these houses have been left like this.

[@zoechapman-zq6yg]

@@leicesterliving my fiend said if the a subsideance yes but ....theese houses are not moving or crumbleing down ....i feel sick both my kids are in leicester hostels and this is there to see omg 🥹🥺😭

[@leicesterliving]

@@zoechapman-zq6yg so bad isn't it.....sure if they threw all resources at it they could have them up and running quickly

[@zoechapman-zq6yg]

@@leicesterliving ow nooo why not just rip down a good market an spent council money building a new market ......its riddiculous the housing sytem is failing the asylum seekers have filled our hotels and our ex military on the streets sorry bbe im fraustrated with the whole city xx

[@enjoythesilence29]

Ex nurses houses , but it’s on the list for development soon.

[@leicesterliving]

That would be great news!

[@kiljoy3254]

I suppose the problem is, if you don’t have a relatively high percentage of responsible people, on fairly good incomes, who will maintain the properties it would sadly perhaps be better to let them go to ruin. You don’t want a haven of crime and squalor

[@kiljoy3254]

Hmm… I commented before you spoke about the demand for property. It does seem strange

[@leicesterliving]

@@kiljoy3254 Yeah I know what you mean. It’s tough….don’t want to just fill it with people who won’t look after them.

[@user-tt8bv8gz2i]

Yes old staff houses which they had to get rid but people started to use them for weed grows

[@leicesterliving]

@@user-tt8bv8gz2i Ahh did they. That doesn’t surprise me!

[@user-tt8bv8gz2i]

@@leicesterliving I work for the council so I get all this information, I think one caught fire too because of the grow

[@leicesterliving]

@@user-tt8bv8gz2i 😳😳🔥🔥

[@user-tk7kz1fl2r]

0:46 Leicester is looking rough now. People who keep saying UK is beautiful are deluded. Most areas where ordinary people live are horrible and messy.

[@leicesterliving]

@@user-tk7kz1fl2r Some parts are stunning but I agree, some of the places where people live are not the best.

[@dawnbuckler166]

With so many homeless people , to see all those house,s is disgusting

[@leicesterliving]

Have to say most people seem to agree….😢

[@shaneatkin4007]

There's poor people dying unnecessarily because medication that could save them is too costly for the NHS. Aargh

[@philsmith8507]

dont worry they won,t be empty for long gov will spend millions on them to house ( asylum seekers )

[@leicesterliving]

Who knows! They have been empty for a long time already according to local residents, crazy really

[@SuzyDann-zu3lk]

Who’s are the parked cars?

[@leicesterliving]

@@SuzyDann-zu3lk I suspect they are staff cars from the hospital, unless somebody knows otherwise??

[@sammcauley]

This is an utter joke, the housing market in Leicester at the moment is ridiculous. Myself and multiple friends are all struggling to find affordable rented accommodation as everything remotely affordable is designated as students only properties by private landlords. It's atrocious to see this many properties lying empty when this could be a viable solution to a very real housing crisis in our city.

[@leicesterliving]

@@sammcauley I could not agree more. Surely the council should be throwing every resource possible at this to get it sorted. I can’t even begin to imagine how many people could be housed here. Defo in the hundreds!

[@darrenmillward4445]

If anything these properties will be fenced off and used to form another caliphate for illegal immigrants..

[@m1pete]

They belong to the NHS.

[@davidreilly1031]

The NHS belongs to us. Zanu Labour will renovate them and then fill them with dinghy divers.

[@leicesterliving]

I am not sure it does now, I have heard the council have bought it??

[@rodneygunn788]

Haven’t visited in years can’t spy the language don’t have a passport

[@rodneygunn788]

Speak

[@mrlingualable]

They are maisonettes

[@leicesterliving]

I did wonder. Some looked like maisonettes and others looked like houses but that would make sense as to why they have no gardens as well.

[@likkleman23457]

You've just told every hobo where to squat lol

[@leicesterliving]

Good luck getting in these houses!!!

[@EgoChip]

Are these council properties, or privately owned? If they are council, then Leicester council should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Letting these homes sit unoccupied while people are homeless or living in unsuitable accommodation. If they are private, then the owner should be forced to use them, or lose them. Either way it's yet another symptom of our corrupt and decaying society.

[@leicesterliving]

There has been a lot of comments on here saying lots of different things and I still have no definite answer!

[@THAMESLINK319]

@@leicesterliving All the properties shown used to be owned and managed by the NHS/UHL, until Leicester City Council purchased the land and its properties off them. Since then, very little has been done.

[@leicesterliving]

@@THAMESLINK319 Seems to be a re-occurring theme, lots of comments like this

[@maryelisabeth7167]

The terrible waste when people are so desperate for homes.

[@leicesterliving]

Awful isn’t it…..I just cannot think of any reason that this site would not be utilised.😢😢

[@Deecharles9463]

Shame on Lcc, hundreds people on housing list and they sit empty . Please get these houses fix up for rent, people are homeless, then you claim city going bankrupt 😢😢

[@leicesterliving]

@@Deecharles9463 I could not agree with you more…..

[@ItsjustmeAmzy]

Omds I hate that area

[@leicesterliving]

@@ItsjustmeAmzy why?

[@ItsjustmeAmzy]

@@leicesterliving it’s just old and creepy ..

[@kevinthomas5992]

Getting ready for migrants.

[@leicesterliving]

Who knows….I for one am very interested to see what ends up being done here.

[@gt9927]

Can't we give these bones to immigrants?

[@michaelfitzharris1150]

They could put some of our homeless people in there.

[@leicesterliving]

This is the exact thought that crossed my mind to be honest. It probably solves the homeless problem in Leicester in one go!

[@nha9199]

From what iv read in 2023 they’re meant to be renovating these …. Let’s see what happens …I believe the council brought the site in 2021 from nhs

[@davidreilly1031]

It must be asbestos

[@leicesterliving]

I really have no idea and had not thought of this to be honest. Could well be?? There are people on here who helped build them so they may know more.

[@davidreilly1031]

@@leicesterliving I know that when we were in the EU, councils could access special funding for full refurbishment and renovation of social housing, if that housing was then used to rehome new arrivals rather than indigenous population. I witnessed it for myself 20 years ago in Beaumont Leys. Before the new residents were moved in, the police were on overtime guarding the blocks, to prevent break ins and theft of all the new white goods and furniture within. These shuttered blocks, may have been sold off by the NHS trust or leased to one of the management agencies charged with running migrant shelter, such as hotels etc. We're living in strange times where there are bigger wheels in motion, than us mere mortal nieve locals can comprehend. And to even suggest that gets you labelled a conspiracy theorist with an extremist agenda.

[@psulux]

The joke Which ain't funny

[@leicesterliving]

I know what you mean….😢

[@user-zi1lb9pj4o]

Fuck glad I left lestah!

[@leicesterliving]

It's not all bad!

[@daveemery344]

Asylum seekers need housing ffs gotta b cheaper than hotels

[@leicesterliving]

Unless it’s an Ibis…..😂