#car fortress

High Chelmer Car Park, Chelmsford, 2025

A large, multi-storey concrete car park with a “market” sign on the side. Colourful murals and bikes are near the entrance; trees frame the image. The sky is clear and blue, casting shadows on the building.

A low-angle view of a concrete building with repetitive square grid-like openings and balconies. The sky above is clear and blue, with leafy tree branches partially visible at the top right corner. Shadows from the trees fall across the building.

A multi-storey concrete car park with geometric, grid-like openings stands above a street-level market, which has a white awning and colourful market signage. The sky is clear and blue, with sunlight casting shadows on the building façade.

Charles Street car fortress, Manchester, 2025

A multi-storey car park with exposed concrete, black columns, and bright blue stair railings. The central staircase is visible, zigzagging upward. Overhead, the sky is cloudy and grey. A tall, rusted lamp post stands in front of the building.

A large, grey, multi-storey car park with graffiti on its walls stands beside a wet, empty road curving to the right. The sky is cloudy, and modern, mid-rise buildings are visible in the background. The scene is deserted and urban.

A multi-storey concrete car park with exposed floors and railings. The lower level is covered in colourful graffiti. Overgrown plants line the base, and the sky above is cloudy. The structure appears empty and neglected.

Back where it all began.

Manchester Palace car fortress, 2025

A multi-storey car park with brown, corrugated metal panels and concrete floors. The lower level features brickwork, metal vents, and small windows. Vertical and horizontal lines create a grid-like, repetitive architectural pattern. No cars are visible.

A tall, narrow concrete stairwell with vertical grooves and tall windows stands next to a multi-storey car park. A yellow “Car Park Exit Only” sign is mounted on the wall. The sky is overcast and part of a red brick building is visible.

I can only imagine the name refers to the palatial nature of this car park, and not the Palace Theatre next door.

Underground car park entrance, Manchester, 2025

A concrete car park entrance with overhead “Maximum Height 4.5m” sign, SLOW painted on the ramp, red and white bollards, stop signs, and arrows directing cars. Yellow safety railings and various signs are visible along the grey walls.

Oakland House & car fortress, Manchester, 2025

A tall, dark brick office building with many narrow windows stands in bright sunlight against a clear blue sky. Reflections appear in the glass windows on the left. A car park is attached at right, and the area in front is mostly empty pavement.

A narrow, empty street runs between a dark, tall office block on the left and a beige multi-storey car park on the right. The sky is clear and blue, and a pedestrian bridge connects the two buildings above the street in the background.

A multi-storey concrete car park with three visible floors and an exterior staircase on the right. A striped barrier blocks vehicle entry, and two red-and-white bollards are at the entrance. Sunlight casts shadows; a sign reads Oakland House.

The Imperial Hotel & environs, Torquay, 2025

A large white hotel named “The Imperial Hotel,” with multiple storeys and blue awnings at the entrance. Several cars, including an orange pick-up truck and a small grey car, are parked out front. Flagpoles with flags and palm trees are near the entrance.

A low, flat-roofed concrete car park with a red and white barrier at the entrance. Trees and bushes partially surround the building, and the sky above is partly cloudy with patches of blue visible. Gravel covers the foreground ground.

A rectangular vent with geometric concrete designs sits in a rough, pebbled grey wall. Bare vines criss-cross the vent, and cables run below it. Green spiky plant leaves partially obscure the right side of the image.

1860’s hotel with a faded 1960’s exterior, pleasantly squat multistorey car fortress, and decorative vents.

Plymouth railway station car fortress, 2025

A multi-storey concrete car park with vertical pillars and a circular ramp is shown under a cloudy sky. A covered pay station and pavement are in front; trees and buildings are visible to the right and behind the structure.

A symmetrical section of a multi-storey car park features a central brick stairwell with windows and a blue door, flanked by open concrete parking bays. Several parked cars and a cloudy sky are visible. The setting appears urban and utilitarian.

It’s remiss of me to have been to the station so many times, but never to have taken a picture of Intercity House before it was redeveloped.

…the new station with its large office block, ‘Intercity House’, was formally opened by Dr Richard Beeching, the British Railways Chairman, on 26 March 1962.
Plymouth railway station, Wikipedia

What a privilege!

Theatre Royal car park, Plymouth, 2025

A large, multi-storey concrete car park with rounded edges and horizontal lines dominates a mostly empty urban street. The sky is partly cloudy, and a tall office building is visible in the background. Road signs and pedestrian crossings surround the car park.

A multi-storey concrete car park with wide, flat, textured floors and gaps between levels. A white streetlamp stands in front, and a metal fence borders the pavement. Yellow and red pillars are visible inside, with a partly cloudy sky above.

A multi-storey, concrete car park with three main levels, supported by red and blue columns. There’s a street in front with a railing and a yellow sign warning of a car park height restriction. The sky is cloudy.

A multi-storey concrete car park with three visible levels. No Entry signs and barriers block the entrance. Faded NO ENTRY is painted on the ground. The sky is partly cloudy above the building. The scene appears quiet and empty.

Staircases, Torquay, 2025

A closed shopfront with a sign reading otto. Two symmetrical staircases lead up on either side, separated by a central railing and a grated window. Overcast sky and some palm trees are visible above the structure. The area appears empty.

Merseyway Shopping Centre car park, Stockport, 2025

A close-up view of a tall, brutalist concrete building with vertical columns and geometric patterns. The weathered façade features deep grooves, angular cut-outs, and repeating rectangular forms. The sky above is overcast, adding a sombre tone.

A concrete wall with a grid of geometric cut-outs in various shapes lets light and glimpses of sky through, casting shadows and creating a pattern of rectangles and squares across the surface.

A tall, weathered concrete structure with a faded green door and peeling paint displays a large blue “PRIMARK” sign at the top. The building stands on a rain-soaked rooftop car park under a grey, overcast sky.

A wet, empty rooftop car park under a cloudy sky features a tall, dark brick tower in the centre, surrounded by white, weathered concrete barriers and posts. The scene looks desolate and industrial, with reflections visible on the rain-soaked ground.

A heavily weathered concrete barrier with rectangular cut-outs stands on a rooftop. Through the central cut-out, a car park and distant buildings are visible under a cloudy grey sky, creating a sense of urban decay and overcast atmosphere.