Been meaning to do this for ages and we (me & sworks) thought it should be done before the grass and weeds start growing back for summer. Glad we did really, it was a nightmare of gorse and brambles even now with most train tracks being impassable. Must be infinitely worse when it all grows back.
The whole site is owned by the local council now and is up for redevelopment. It was plain that any investor has a LOT of clearing up and with the potential unmapped mine sites, ton upon ton of asbestos and the scale of the whole thing, the cost of cleanup will run into millions of £'s.
Anyway, the pics. The site is HUGE. No way can you visit everything on the same day and I quickly realised that having looked through previous posts from here you get unique shots every time it is visited.
Panoramic from the top of the spoil heap. There were numerous mines on this site and apparently some remain un-charted. The 3 buldings towards the right-centre were laboratories, obviously a dangerous place because uniquely they were covered on ALL sides by earth banks.
A guage showing quantity of fuel oil, possibly for the many train engines that serviced the site.
A repeater bell used for the external telephones.
Peeling paint and lichen on a window frame.
They don't make 'em like they used to.
Storage limits painted onto a wall.
What I'd guess as a light munitions store. Differs from the heavy stuff as it isn't reinforced as well. The doors on the buildings have been removed but they were obviously VERY high security judging by very solid steel & concrete door frames having holes for cross-bracing.
Evidence of the miles and miles of narrow guage railway that criss-crossed the site.
Electrical gear on the outside of a small railway engine house.
Don't know what happened here, but it seems to be the only one in this state.
I loved the simplicity in this;
A large electrical switch
Coat hooks
Many of the buildings were surprisingly beautiful AND INTACT! Honestly, some of these buildings were in amazingly good condition and still extremely solid.
A sign which has been shot with .22 air rifle pellets. I know of people that have been shot at in the local area with an air rifle!!!
Loving the bokeh;
And again;
An intrinsically safe exterior light fitting.
Exhausts for the 3 boilers that heated a group of buildings.
Outside...
Exterior panoramic of a light munitions store. The train tracks would split off and run inside the entrance there.
All pictures hosted by Flickr
Most of this report is above but the full set of pictures is HERE....>
The whole site is owned by the local council now and is up for redevelopment. It was plain that any investor has a LOT of clearing up and with the potential unmapped mine sites, ton upon ton of asbestos and the scale of the whole thing, the cost of cleanup will run into millions of £'s.
Anyway, the pics. The site is HUGE. No way can you visit everything on the same day and I quickly realised that having looked through previous posts from here you get unique shots every time it is visited.
Panoramic from the top of the spoil heap. There were numerous mines on this site and apparently some remain un-charted. The 3 buldings towards the right-centre were laboratories, obviously a dangerous place because uniquely they were covered on ALL sides by earth banks.
A guage showing quantity of fuel oil, possibly for the many train engines that serviced the site.
A repeater bell used for the external telephones.
Peeling paint and lichen on a window frame.
They don't make 'em like they used to.
Storage limits painted onto a wall.
What I'd guess as a light munitions store. Differs from the heavy stuff as it isn't reinforced as well. The doors on the buildings have been removed but they were obviously VERY high security judging by very solid steel & concrete door frames having holes for cross-bracing.
Evidence of the miles and miles of narrow guage railway that criss-crossed the site.
Electrical gear on the outside of a small railway engine house.
Don't know what happened here, but it seems to be the only one in this state.
I loved the simplicity in this;
A large electrical switch
Coat hooks
Many of the buildings were surprisingly beautiful AND INTACT! Honestly, some of these buildings were in amazingly good condition and still extremely solid.
A sign which has been shot with .22 air rifle pellets. I know of people that have been shot at in the local area with an air rifle!!!
Loving the bokeh;
And again;
An intrinsically safe exterior light fitting.
Exhausts for the 3 boilers that heated a group of buildings.
Outside...
Exterior panoramic of a light munitions store. The train tracks would split off and run inside the entrance there.
All pictures hosted by Flickr
Most of this report is above but the full set of pictures is HERE....>
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