Inside Bradford's oldest buildings including Midland Mills

The anonymous explorer, who runs popular social media pages 'Lost Places Forgotten Faces', is touring round 20 different sites in a bid to document these abandoned spaces that risk being 'lost forever'.

The photographer hopes to "bring a place back to life" with every picture, imagining "the staircases that were once walked on thousands of times a day by workers, old rusty machinery long disused, or old signs which offer clues to the buildings former life".

His work has been shared thousands of times on Facebook as he embarks on a 20-part photo series showing glimpses of the district's glory days during the Industrial revolution.

He described Bradford's buildings as "architectural masterpieces".

The Leeds-based explorer told the Telegraph & Argus: "Growing up I was always a huge fan of British Explorer Bear Grylls. I had all his DVD box sets and would watch them all the time.

"When I got older I realised there were a number of abandoned buildings in Leeds where I lived, so I began exploring them and researching their history to find out how they came to be derelict and in such a poor state. I began to find it all so fascinating.

"As I expanded my search from Leeds, I naturally crossed over to Bradford and soon discovered the city has an abundance of abandoned properties.

"You can cut through the dilapidation and see what the building once represented within the community.

"Photography helps to bring a place back to life, for others to see, even if only temporarily.

"Sadly, Bradford is littered with old dilapidated buildings that once played an important role in the city's past industrial life.

"I have roughly twenty different sites pinned that I plan on documenting, which includes mills, warehouses, schools, police stations and many other different types of building. Most of which have gorgeous architecture but have been left to fall into a state of disrepair, and sadly I feel many are now beyond saving.

"Bradford has a fascinating working background and played a vital role in the development of industrial Yorkshire, which is evident by the sheer number of old mills, foundries and factories. These types of buildings I feel are the most photogenic, but sadly the most neglected."

In his most recent adventures, the photographer has visited Midland Mills, the old Manningham police station, Stephenson Bros Dry Salters Mill, Mode Nightclub and Wapping Road First School.

For each building he visits, he takes a deep dive into its history and shares its journey from glory to dilapidation.

The tale of Wapping Road First School is an interesting one. The Victorian-era Grade II listed building opened its doors in 1877 as a 'board school' under William Edward Forster's Education Act of 1970.

In 1887, as headteacher Mr W.H. Sykes saw poverty-stricken families send children to school hungry, he sent out for bread, jam and tea and paid for it from his own pocket.

It is also where education campaigners Margaret and Rachel McMillan campaigned for better life quality for children in the state system.

The school closed in 2000 due to a lack of funds and has been the victim of vandalism and a number of fires over the years.

The photographer hopes that one day these buildings will find "a new lease of life in modern Bradford".

He said: "I believe the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and its committees need to work with the community and help to restore some of these grand buildings. I've spoken to many members of the public in Bradford, and they are disgusted that these significant pieces of the city's history have been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair.

"Some of these buildings are architectural masterpieces and we may never see buildings like these again. They need to act now in order to preserve these buildings for future generations.

"If these buildings were to survive and find a new lease of life in a more modern Bradford, drastic action needs to be taken as many are well on their way to collapsing. I would hate to see some of Bradfords most historic sites being lost forever.

"Stephenson Bros Dry Salters Mill is a very large and imposing structure and the upper floors have been damaged from a fire, so I was a little apprehensive and had to tread very carefully, but it was wonderful to see much of the old machinery and equipment still gathering dust. Midland Mills sadly has lots of drug paraphernalia throughout the premises, which became very eye opening to the problems and hardships some residents are facing."

See more photos on Instagram or Facebook (takes you direct to 'Lost Places Forgotten Faces').