
These are the haunting pictures from inside of an abandoned catholic seminary which was deserted more than twenty years ago and rocked by historic sexual abuse allegations.

St Joseph's Seminary in Upholland, Lancashire, saw its last batch of pupils leave in 1992 and now the vast halls and dormitories hold just a few stark remnants of the hundreds of pupils that once flooded the halls and chapels.

A loan, rusty record player which would once brought music to entire classes of animated youngsters lies in the centre of a huge empty hall which is now blanketed in a thick layer of dust.

These are the eerie photos of the monolithic former school which was closed more than twenty years ago and has left a legacy far more deep-rooted than just the building that remains

A priest who worked at the now abandoned St Joseph's Seminary in Upholland, Lancashire, had allegations made against him by a former pupil and was suspended by the Catholic church

Despite the inside being virtually empty, the beautiful statues of religious figures still stand on the top of the walls of a building which was once a sign of great magesty

A broken, dust-covered record player, once used by the hundreds of pupils that flooded these great halls, sits covered in dust in the middle of the huge space, which is now littered with rubbish and debris

These two metal bed frames are among the few items left at the school, which opened in 1883 but saw its last batch of pupils leave in 1992, and was later rocked by allegations of sexual abuse about

The school now casts an eerie shadow but is considered a favourite spot for urban explorers who flock to the building to take pictured of the haunting empty halls, chapels and dormitories

The school has a long heritage and gave a Catholic education to pupils for more than 100 years. These stsudents of the now abandoned school worked on the surrounding grounds of the 153-acre site in 1900

Less than a decade after it opened, this was a picture of the thriving school in 1894, when it provided a Cathlic education to hundreds of children in the Lancashire town

Ornate statues of religious figures stand watch from the roof of the imposing, monolithic structure, which first welcomed pupils in 1883 and stands within a 153-acre site.

A few metal-framed beds, rusting and without mattresses, still remain in the dormitories, but they will never welcome pupils again after it is alleged in 2004 that Father Michael Higginbotton had sexually abused a former pupil.

Photographer Rik Cotterill explored the 153 acres that make up the seminary and his pictures shows derelict dormitories, chilling chapels and shadowy statues.

The 27-year-old said: 'When you first lay eyes on St Joseph's you are instantly in awe of not just its size but also the presence it holds.

'That buzzing feeling you get when you begin to wonder what lies behind its doors is unforgettable.

'The entire main building has four main sides with a courtyard isolated in the centre of the grounds.

'The atmosphere within a place that's as large as this, but equally as silent and peaceful, is something I'm not sure I've felt anywhere before or since.'

Urban explorers in the UK refer to the sites as the 'ultimate explore' and Rik explains why he was so keen to visit.

The statue on the roof seems to look down on St Joseph's Seminary, where the overgrown grass on some parts of the site is now as tall as the windows on the buildings

The ornate building continues to stand tall in the town, but it is now just a shell, with the decoratively shaped windows letting the light into vast and empty rooms with virtually no furniture inside

The peeling walls and plaster from the roof now lying on the floor if this dormitory are a sign that the scandal-hit school will never again welcome pupils from its doors

The few items that remain in the building, such as this metal-framed sewing machine, are a remnant from a different era, both in general society and in education in Britain

The stainless glass windows once lit up the rooms with a technicolour glow, but now the rooms are totally empty and the buildings are falling into disrepair

The window frame is ornately patterned and was part of a grand building that opened to pupils in the 1880s, however, the cobwebs and build up from the crumbling walls are a sign of how this once mighty school has fallen

'Despite having been closed since the early 90's, the late Victorian architecture has stood the test of time and is truly a testament to itself and the history it holds,' said Rik from Warrington.

'In many respects time has been paused here for the past 20 years.

'This is just one of the reasons why the seminary has become something of a legend among enthusiasts who endlessly admire it for what it has to offer.'

'I'd like to thank the urban explorer community for their efforts to preserve St Joseph's over the years whilst ensuring its historical significance has not been forgotten.

Photographer Rik Cotterill explored the 153 acres that make up the seminary and his pictures shows derelict dormitories, chilling chapels and shadowy statues

The main chapel, despite being empty for more than 12 years, is still a magnificent sight, with light flooding in from the window, illuminating the grand golden carvings of Jesus on the wall

The building has now been empty so long that it holds skeletons of dead animals. This artistic picture by Rik Cotterill shows the skeleton of a bird lying next to a torn page from the New Testament at the Catholic school

This is a sign of the humanity, once in abundance at the deserted school. It contains a 'Sakesperian' costume, a misspelling by a pupil who obviously meant to refer to the famous playwright

'We fight a constant struggle against those who wish to do nothing but damage these properties.'

St Joseph's, referred by its students simply as Upholland, was divided into a junior and senior seminary.

The junior half provided a semi-monastic education to boys aged 11-18 whilst the senior half trained 18-24-year-olds in philosophy and theology.

A detailed account of daily life at the seminar was taken in the 1960s. Published in 2012 it explores the reasons why the Church's traditional form of seminary training may have predisposed certain priests to molest children.

This was one of the key findings of a major investigation conducted on behalf of American bishops into the causes of the sexual abuse crisis within the US Catholic Church.

According to an investigation by the Northern Echo newspaper, allegations of sexual abuse were made by a former pupil against Father Michael Higginbotton in December 2004.

This is a memorial in the grounds of the famous school in Upholland. Photographer Rik Cotterill said: 'Despite having been closed since the early 90's, the late Victorian architecture has stood the test of time and is truly a testament to itself and the history it holds

Another record player in the school rocked by the allegations of historic sexual abuse, for which the Catholic Church paid £35,000 to the alleged victim in an out of court settlement in 2008

A rat on the windowsill at the school, which died so long ago that it seems to have been preserved in the Victorian structure, which Mr Cotterill said has truly stood the test of time

Father Higginbottom was suspended by the Catholic church and withdrawn from his post in Darlington, County Durham, which he had since moved onto.

Parishioners and former St Joseph's pupils alike were outraged by the decision and campaigned to get him reinstated.

In 2008 the Catholic diocese settled the case out of court, paying the man £35,000.

Father Higginbottom was never formally charged of any offence but remains absent from work. The Catholic Church has never commented on the case and Father Higginbottom has previously said he is not allowed to comment.