Report - RAF Honiley / Lucas Aerospace, Warwickshire, Feb 2018

[16vDeak]

I've known of this place for years. Situated in the middle of nowhere just outside Coventry, it's a super local site for me. Finally had a chance to check it out after years of wanting too. Visited with my two friends who'd trecked over from Wales to drop off some Leon FR seats for me!

Initially an active RAF site, it was decommissioned in 1957, where Lucas Aerospace then decided set up shop. From local knowledge, and from someone i knew who actually worked here, it was used for jet engine and aeroplane development. Sadly, i never had chance to actually talk to him about this, as he passed away before i began to look into this place. So i'm going off what i've heard from his lad. I do know he worked here from it's initial opening in 1958, to it's close in 1990.

The derelict site was then bought by ProDrive, as a new development site. My friend worked at ProDrive during this time, and during this period basically all of the development for the group A WRC Subaru's was done here. He used to walk down to these buildings on his break, when the building was still in an untouched state, be it a small amount of natural decay.

Since then (2001), it's been subject to an awful lot of theft, vandalism, and enforcment, as a large amount of the building has been cut of/bricked up, so i missed a fair bit of the site sadly.

It's now owned by JLR, and used as a test track / experience day. Pretty awesome watching the test vehicles etc blasting about the track, gives the area a good sound track. Much more pleasant than the sound of me dragging the arse of my poor Lupo up the dirt track...

Great explore regardless, dead spooky and a really ugly building. Didn't half shit myself mind when i disturbed what i think was a wild pig? Sounded like my voice was still breaking!

So, here's some of what i managed to take. Would've liked to of got some better shots but sadly i'm not used to my camera, so i still need to set it up properly!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

This was originally the lobby (Bricked up and boarded up) You can see how it was a relatively nice looking lobby in older threads / historical photo's

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

Test control cell with viewing windows, would've taken an age to smash through these considering they're meant to be blast proof!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

Old test tunnel. Why it's been bricked up i have no idea.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

Followed by these chambers. I'm guessing NVH / Sound deadening?

I'll have to make another visit eventually, if it's still around that is. Loads of areas i missed out due to time etc! Managed to have a quick look at the old Falcon clay pigeon club that's next too it (Closed Oct 2017), which will put your mind at rest if you panic over finding shot gun cartridges everywhere.

Only one photo mind, my camera died just after!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152546734@N07/

Thanks for reading!

 

[Mr Sam]

the first time we went some nosey muppet from the gun club came over getting all angered, the second time we bumped into a guy in the field with a gun that just said hello

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[Ian in lancs]

Thanks for these pics! I worked for Lucas aero 76-89. I went to Honiley a few times to test jet engine fuel pumps. I stood in the control cabin looking through the windows to the engine mounted on a frame in the test cell. The nvh pic is- a noice suppressor on the the intake side of the engine. The bricked up circular wall was the exhaust duct iirc a 90deg bend from horizontal to vertical. I remember going there in the snow once and hooning on the peritrack happy days

 

[mikeryan]

I know people who worked there as I work at what was Lucas aerospace. It was used to test fuel systems predominantly. I was told of an engine test bed there but I don't think that this was used extensively. The test track belonged to the automotive side when it was all one company. The guys had a weird shift pattern that meant one week in 4 they took turns to operate the gate house. They had to man the phones also with a traditional style switch board where they had to patch lines in. I am surprised it is still so intact. I will try and pop over to have a mooch.

 

[Insulinpeanut]

Looks amazing I want to get into urban exploring I’m Warwickshire based

 

[Fuzzball]

Looks like that was the last 'splore posted on here! Good overview of what the site looked like a couple years' ago!

Last time I visited was in 2012, I don't have much to add, except that I found some U-matic tapes in one of the outbuildings. I had a U-matic tape player in my uni hall room (as you do. I have all the latest home entertainment formats, me!) so I played out these tapes. They depicted various automotive engineering videos, one of which was a German-language video. Surprisingly well-preserved quality! Even when running through a U-matic player from 1980. I was blown away by how crisp the play-back looked considering. The tapes would have been from the days that the site was owned (or part owned?) by Lucas.

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Two quick clips from one of the German-language tapes (which I copied to DVD). No sound, as the U-matic audio circuits were fried it seems.

My beautiful and much-missed High-band Umatic tape player, which was almost in complete working order at the time.



There were also microfische slides as well, also illustrating diagrams and technical systems.

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