A grand 56-bedroom hotel, once heaving with injured soldiers during the First World War, now lies completely abandoned. Named The Rest, the Grade II listed building in Porthcawl, Wales was built as a convalescent hotel in the early 1860s. It was subsequently used as an auxiliary military hospital from 1915. Between World War I and II, the hospital provided care for more than 2,500 wounded soldiers from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Rest, which sits on a clifftop overlooking Rest Bay, returned to civilian use as a convalescent hotel in 1946, before it closed in 2013. Photographer Shaun Ashford, 25, of Cardiff, Wales, visited the historic site and captured the Victorian building’s empty interiors.
A cricket perches on an unusual seat after crawling up the snout of a crocodile .
A curious red squirrel takes a break from collecting nuts and tries her hand at photography .
EAGERLY BITING his nails, this little squirrel is clearly nervous of looming predators as he searches for his meal .
Leaping out of the ocean, a group of gentoo penguins fly through the air before landing safely on an iceberg .
This tranquil setting stretches for miles as the sun sets behind the mountain .
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .
A COUNCIL has come under fire for slapping fines on people’s GRAVESTONES for breaching petty regulations on pot plants .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
A floating market in Indonesia is bursting with vibrant colours as wooden rowing boats loaded with fruit and vegetables crowd the river .
AN ADORABLE one-eyed kitten has been dubbed the 'pirate cat' because of his pirate-like facial expressions .
