# RAF Daws Hill - Dec '14



## UrbanX (Dec 15, 2014)

After seeing the three reports on this place pop up on here, I had to go for a mooch around. 

There's lots to see on the site. But I was major disappointed with how my photos came out. So I apologise now for the fuzziness of the pics! Like any good explorer I blamed my lens. After trying my normal zoom, and my 50mm, they were both pin sharp so it must be a lens issue. I think 300 explores had just taken its toll, and the sharpness has just dropped off. In fact I was actually so p**sed off with it, I got rid of the lens later that day! 

The History:
This is one of those RAF bases that seemed to flit between between RAF and USAF. The US first came to the site in 1942, just after they'd formally stuck their oar in. The camp had to rapidly expand, so told the adjoining school that they had 3 weeks to find new facilities as they were taking over! 

The Americans were gone by '45, but were back again in '52 for the Cold War. Their presence fluctuated, and records show that there were 800 US troops here back in the summer of '69. 

Then in 1975 Bohemian Rhapsody came out. Oh, and they built a huge nuclear bunker under the base as cold war tensions grew to fever pitch (nothing to do with Bohemian Rhapsody, although could have been Rod Stewarts 'Sailing' spending 4 weeks at #1). The bunker boasted 21,000 square feet, and housed all of the high tech gear needed to launch and guide nuclear missiles. 

Between 1985 - 1985 a peace camp sat outside the base, campaigning against US missiles being bought to the UK. 

The base closed down in its purely military capacity around 2005. There was a number of educational facilities on the site which stayed active, allowing the last class of students to graduate in 2007. 

The site was sold to Taylor Wimpey in 2011, with planning permission to build 441 houses on the site. In March 2012 they applied for planning permission to fill in the bunker, and destroy years of unique heritage for a couple of extra houses. This got delayed and delayed, while English Heritage managed to slip in a Listing order, meaning the bunker is now Grade II listed, and cannot be touched. Win! 

The Explore: 

Visited with Priority 7, far too early on a Sunday morning. Due to lack of traffic we'd got there way too early and were in about an hour before sunrise. We holed up in the community centre for an hour shooting the breeze, and letting all of social media know we were 'chillaxing' - you can get good 3G in there. 

The sun came up and we started exploring the massive site, heading straight for the bunker first - but it wasn't to be today. So we headed to the next nearest building which happened to be the sports centre. 

Entrance foyer



Main Gym: (apologies for the blurriness, my lens is well on its way out and it was virtually pitch black in here!) I was also distracted by the positioning of that girder right over a window opening...



Small Gym 



Selfie: 



Heading out of the sports centre, there are two large student accommodation blocks: 






Kitchen:









Hairdressers calling card: 



Other bits of paperwork found around the accomodation: 









The site has been used for Police firearms training, and theres still a few blank casings scattered around: 






Next we went to the actual schooling building themselves. There was obviously a leaning towards the sciences as there were more labs than any other type of room. 





















We had a mooch around the community centre, and the bowling ally we decided to hit the smaller ancillary buildings. 













The bank: 






Thanks for looking, time to go. Thanks for reading!


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## Mikeymutt (Dec 15, 2014)

Excellent I like it..I have been wanting to go here for a while now..made me want to go more now..


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## flyboys90 (Dec 15, 2014)

Nice one and great photos.


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## MD (Dec 15, 2014)

nice one 
its a massive site 
i cant see that bunker opening anytime soon


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## UrbanX (Dec 15, 2014)

MD said:


> nice one
> its a massive site
> i cant see that bunker opening anytime soon



Maybe it's for the best, although I'm heading straight down there if I hear it's opened! 

I hope the Listing protects it a bit, but TBH I'm converting a listed barn at the moment and I'm shocked how lax the enforcement has been!


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## HughieD (Dec 15, 2014)

Great attention to detail there. Thanks for sharing.


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## King Al (Dec 16, 2014)

Great pics as always UX, the reports on this place keep getting better and better!


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## mockingbird (Dec 16, 2014)

always envious of your close up shots!!! nice report again mate!


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## Stealthstar79 (Dec 16, 2014)

Great write up and fab pic's too!


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## Snips86x (Dec 17, 2014)

Stunning location - do you have plans to visit the bunker?


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## night crawler (Dec 17, 2014)

Nice set of photos


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## RNHWV8 (Dec 17, 2014)

Excellent report - many thanks UrbanX. I really must go there now seeing it is practically on my door step!


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## Snips86x (Dec 17, 2014)

RNHWV8 said:


> Excellent report - many thanks UrbanX. I really must go there now seeing it is practically on my door step!



Any particular time in mind? I'm at Heathrow on Monday and I'd love to get a look in!


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## krela (Dec 17, 2014)

Snips86x said:


> Any particular time in mind? I'm at Heathrow on Monday and I'd love to get a look in!



Please stop trying to arrange meet ups. It's not allowed here. Use PMs to do that kind of thing.


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## LittleOz (Dec 17, 2014)

Looks alright that, the colonial touches add an extra level of interest  
Probably a good thing you didn't run into CO19 while you were there?


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## Snips86x (Dec 17, 2014)

krela said:


> Please stop trying to arrange meet ups. It's not allowed here. Use PMs to do that kind of thing.



I was simply expressing an interest!!


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## UrbanX (Dec 17, 2014)

LittleOz said:


> Looks alright that, the colonial touches add an extra level of interest
> Probably a good thing you didn't run into CO19 while you were there?



In a lot of rooms there were both US sockets and UK 3 pin sockets side by side! 

CO19 actually had a large map of the whole site in one of the rooms, with all of the buildings labelled. I took a quick phone snap of it so we had our own hand held map while going round!  

I'll be at the front of the queue if I hear that the bunker is open! 

My Lens was well and truly mashed after this! Luckily my replacement arrived yesterday!


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## PhoenixTorch (Dec 18, 2014)

UrbanX said:


> In a lot of rooms there were both US sockets and UK 3 pin sockets side by side!
> 
> CO19 actually had a large map of the whole site in one of the rooms, with all of the buildings labelled. I took a quick phone snap of it so we had our own hand held map while going round!
> 
> ...


Very good pictures even with your lens trouble! which canon and sigma lenses are these if you don't mind me asking UrbanX?


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## UrbanX (Dec 18, 2014)

Cheers for the comments guys and gals!  

They're the 
Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6
Canon 10-22mm f3.5

To be fair the Sigma served me well for 300 explores. It's been thrown through holes caving in Wiltshire, splashed by Icelandic waterfalls, sweated on whilst rooftopping East Asia, and irradiated from the last five Chernobyl trips, it even came through a floor with me last month  
So I'm not saying its a bad lens from the off, it just lost performance after all of the above. I've heard good things about the Tokina 11-16mm too. 
All taken on a Canon 550D, low end SLR.

Cant wait to use the new lens 'In anger' over the Xmas break!


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## Snips86x (Dec 18, 2014)

UrbanX said:


> Cheers for the comments guys and gals!
> 
> They're the
> Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6
> ...



wow, its served you well then 

I've had the Tokina and its a great lens. I'd also recommend the Sigma 17-55 /2.8. I'm currently using one on a 7D (hopefully to be a 7D MK ii soon) and its mint!


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## RNHWV8 (Dec 18, 2014)

Snips86x - I just sent you a PM.


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## RNHWV8 (Dec 18, 2014)

Snips86x said:


> Any particular time in mind? I'm at Heathrow on Monday and I'd love to get a look in!



I have sent you a PM. 
Cheers.


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## DirtyJigsaw (Dec 19, 2014)

Fantastic Set there regardless of you blaming your lens! I saw your report and its made me wanna go there even more. Watch this space.......


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## GPSJim (Dec 22, 2014)

Excellent report Mr X. It looks like a nice mooch too.


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## PCWOX (Dec 23, 2014)

Did you not find the cinema when you were there? That's a beaut


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