'Post-apocalyptic' old Corrie set – Rovers secret, nature taking over and empty shops

Coronation Street has gone through a fair few changes over the years, and the best is yet to come.

Earlier this year, ITV bosses confirmed that a new Weatherfield Precinct will be built and brought into use, featuring council-style flats around a balcony area with a courtyard of shops.

But that isn’t all. Since it was first broadcast back in 1960, the set has gone through many reincarnations, from when the wooden frame was first moved outside in 1968 to being reconstructed with real brick.

READ MORE:Ex-Emmerdale and Corrie star left ‘without pot to p**s in’ after being axed from soaps

In 1982, that set was entirely rebuilt in another location – and used until 2013.

Now based in Media City, the new Corrie set is a hive of activity with new shops and even a funeral parlour – while the old set lies abandoned.

Daily Star takes a peek inside…

Old businesses still on show

The old Granada Studios lot was very different from the modern Media City area, lacking the Co-Op, EE store, funeral parlour and Speed Daal restaurants.

Heck, it even has a Costa Coffee, with cobbles residents regularly seen carrying takeaway coffee cups.

But what it didn’t lack was the old Barlow’s Bookies and Elliot’s Butchers – which are now, sadly, gone.

The bookies, owned by Peter, was later transformed into Preston’s Petals, the florist which is now owned by his sister Tracy.

The 1968 set also featured Weatherfield Police Station, the builder’s yard and the kebab shop, which have all been retained in the new set.

Unloved and abandoned

Urban explorers have been to investigate the property on several occasions and found a “post-apocalyptic” scene waiting for them.

In snaps uploaded to sites like The Urban Collective, the old set has partially caved in, with all of its windows and doors missing.

One picture which showed the Rovers Return showed a variety of chairs still lying around abandoned, while plastic fencing could be seen in front of the Bistro.

Interestingly, before the new set could be built, the area – next to the Imperial War Museum North – had to be surveyed for any lingering WWII bomb threats.

Nature taking over

One of the most striking things about the old set is the amount of plant life that has taken over.

Vines can be seen growing over the door of Sally and Tim’s house, while poison ivy grows over Audrey’s old salon and stacks of concrete lie strewn about.

From nettles to reeds, urban explorers were forced to fight their way through the various plants just to make it to Corrie’s very own Medical Centre – which they found unlocked.

Interiors

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Though many of the buildings remain locked, some urban explorers have managed to investigate several buildings including the old Medical Centre and the Rovers Return.

Both lay empty, though wallpaper and flooring still remained in place.

The Rovers appears a lot smaller in real life, as the actual interior filming takes place in the indoor area of Media City.

Instead, the pub features a staircase to nowhere around the back, and a small front room complete with trailing wires and abandoned wooden shards.

None of the houses have upper floors in reality – which is no surprise as they are hardly ever shown on camera.

The back alley, however, is quite real, featuring rustic brickwork and wooden gates falling off their hinges.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk