# RAF Greenham Common, Berkshire, June 2008



## zimbob (Jun 21, 2008)

Visited this as part of a 1300 mile roadtrip with *Bryag* and *Bax_* last weekend 

I guess everyone knows the history of this iconic site 

The Silos have been posted elsewhere by others, so I thought I'd put up a few pics of the other parts of the base...

The Control Tower - seales up tighter than a drum 












The runway was once Europes longest, but has now been grubbed up 






There are little signs left scattered about :






Sub-station kinda place still remains, though pikeys have had their way with the cabling :






Good thing I hadn't pressed this a few years back 






The Fire-fighting plane was rather cool 











The Command Centre was still there :






Complete with _serious_ hatch :











Old signage still extant :






And rather odd bits and pieces :











Any ideas? These were behing this blast door :






We also found the Worlds smallest strawberries 






Tasted okay though 

Looking back :






Really enjoyed finally seeing this place, in spite of trekking miles round the fence to find the access point, unnecessarily as it turned out, if we'd only turned right instead of left to begin with ​


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## smileysal (Jun 21, 2008)

Excellent work and excellent pics. You have loads of pics of parts I haven't seen before. Glad to see the control tower is still there, sad to see the former runway in that state.  

Cheers,

 Sal


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## MD (Jun 21, 2008)

nice pictures mate 
id love to see this place what with all the history and stuff


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## KingElvis (Jun 21, 2008)

Very nice photos of some strange structures


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## geordie (Jun 22, 2008)

Myself and my brother (who lives in basingstoke near to this site) did a simlier report on 28dl and we got slated and the report was removed stright into the recircle bin 

Glad to see that it hasnt really changed at all and it was better weather for you 
Great report and some great picture


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## Bobble (Jun 23, 2008)

I would love to do this site, really into the cold war stuff big time.....would it be possible to PM me with the access details please??


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## geordie (Jun 23, 2008)

PMed you Bobble with details


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## *MrB* (Jun 23, 2008)

Nice work zimbob


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## dewtech_2008 (Jun 23, 2008)

Those small strawberries are actually redcurrants FYI


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## BigLoada (Jun 23, 2008)

dewtech_2008 said:


> Those small strawberries are actually redcurrants FYI



I disagree. Look at the leaves. Redcurrant leaves are palmately divided, with 5 lobes. This plant has 3 serrated edged leaflets per petiole which in my o[pinion is a strawberry


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## Bax__ (Jun 23, 2008)

They tasted like strawberries....


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## Bryag (Jun 23, 2008)

dewtech_2008 said:


> Those small strawberries are actually redcurrants FYI



Really?? They really did look exactly like strawberries, only tiny. I thought redcurrants had a smooth outer skin, and grew in bushes, whereas strawberries have a dimpled surface and grow on a ground creeping vine (like these)? I don't want to get drawn into an argument here, but All three of us world-wise men believed them to be Strawberries- even the leaves were indicative of a Strawberry plant.



Geordie said:


> mYself and my brother did a simlier report on 28dl and we got slated and the report was removed stright into the recircle bin



28DL had alot of good folk there, but also a number of egomaniacs and sycophants, so I really wouldn't let it bother you. 
The silos were not as impressive as I thought they would be, perhaps it was the weather, but they somehow lacked the Armageddon experience I was expecting. The rest of the site I had never seen pictures of before, so was actually more interesting to explore in a way. The brown aluminium-clad building was the command centre or Armageddon Central to be more precise. The order to launch the nukes would come from there (as they sheltered in their hardened bunker concealed within it's flimsy looking façade!)

Here are a few of mine from the day










This is a particular favourite if mine. Picnic table atop the building that would have ended the world. I just found it rather ironic (in an Alanis Morrisette way)





I suspect the holes were hermetic filters for the bunker within





It is now home to..















Water goes in, Waste comes out





Nearly forgot the obligatory control tower shot





And a similar "walking away" (in a Craig David sort of way, eh Kes?) to Zimbobs shot





I do have other shots of fence climbing malarkey, but in the interests of not giving away infiltration methods, I have decided (however funny) to omit these​
While posting, I see the great strawberry debate has grown some legs. Whilst I do not claim to be an expert, I know what a strawberry looks like, and I know what a redcurrant looks like. Now, unless the radiation from the nukes kept here has had some adverse effects (perhaps that would explain the size, although I thought radiation made stuff bigger and better - according to Marvel anyway) It looked like a tiny strawberry and it tasted like a tiny strawberry. Let's face it, it was a tiny strawberry. Debate over ;-)


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## zimbob (Jun 23, 2008)

Bryag said:


> I do have other shots of fence climbing malarkey, but in the interests of not giving away infiltration methods, I have decided (however funny) to omit these[/CENTER]



You've gotta send me those 

Nice pics from a great trip


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## zimbob (Jun 23, 2008)

Bax__ said:


> They tasted like strawberries....



They definitely were, exactly like the ones growing/getting eaten by the birds in my garden, just ickler


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## Bryag (Jun 23, 2008)

zimbob said:


> You've gotta send me those
> 
> Nice pics from a great trip



I'll pm you the link.


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## Bax__ (Jun 24, 2008)

No point posting my photo's, The security guard at the command centre was pretty cool even though we were sooping about the place.....

Zimbob,

pretty much the first thing I did when I got back was to get hold of the photo's of us mid climb just to see how stupid 2 grown men look trying to scale a 10ft fence...


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## Bryag (Jun 24, 2008)

Bax__ said:


> No point posting my photo's, The security guard at the command centre was pretty cool even though we were sooping about the place.....
> 
> Zimbob,
> 
> pretty much the first thing I did when I got back was to get hold of the photo's of us mid climb just to see how stupid 2 grown men look trying to scale a 10ft fence...



The the security guard must have had aircon in his wee van, and a friendly wave by me was enough to see him away! It was too hot for a rumble!

Fortunately, as the official recorder of said incident, I was spared the indignity of being caught on camera (although I can imagine what my fat ass may have looked like in action!)


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## Foxylady (Jun 26, 2008)

Only just read this one...brilliant photos and tour guys. There's loads of stuff there that I haven't seen before and didn't realise was there. Excellent work. 
Oh, and the strawberries...they are definitely strawberries. They are wild strawberries and the latin name is _Fragaria Vesca_. Now you know who to ask for all those pesky wildlife questions.


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## Lightbuoy (Jun 27, 2008)

Nice job chaps 

Shame no access was possible to the Control Tower. Good effort though -especially like the shots of the "plane" -doesn't look too aerodynamic though!! 

Lb:jimlad:


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## Bryag (Jun 27, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> Only just read this one...brilliant photos and tour guys. There's loads of stuff there that I haven't seen before and didn't realise was there. Excellent work.
> Oh, and the strawberries...they are definitely strawberries. They are wild strawberries and the latin name is _Fragaria Vesca_. Now you know who to ask for all those pesky wildlife questions.



It is really strange, but Zimbob and I were chatting about how we had talked about things recently, and then they have happened. Last night on a wee Dam/Heritage Site(Closed)/ROC post explore, I asked Zimbob if he had upset you, as you had not commented in this thread (as you very kindly have on most of our other threads) I come home tonight, check DP and there is your post. It is just too weird. That is too many to be coincidence.

Zimbob, let's discuss what we would do if we won the lottery.....

Thank you for your support on the great strawberry debate. Are they always that small??



LightBouy said:


> Shame no access was possible to the Control Tower. Good effort though -especially like the shots of the "plane" -doesn't look too aerodynamic though!!



The control tower was well sealed, although I have seen much more daunting fences. It is right next to a very popular car-park for dog walkers, and it was too busy to even attempt a closer look. Still, reading up about it they are planning to turn it into a museumy type thing, which I think is rather cool


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## Foxylady (Jun 27, 2008)

Bryag said:


> It is really strange, but Zimbob and I were chatting about how we had talked about things recently, and then they have happened. Last night on a wee Dam/Heritage Site(Closed)/ROC post explore, I asked Zimbob if he had upset you, as you had not commented in this thread (as you very kindly have on most of our other threads) I come home tonight, check DP and there is your post. It is just too weird. That is too many to be coincidence.



Ah, I've missed a lot of threads recently because I've been too unwell to do more than look at a few on the home page. No-one's upset me, honest, but I do like the way you thought it was Zimbob that did!  



Bryag said:


> Thank you for your support on the great strawberry debate. Are they always that small??



Yes, they are. There's a fantastic meadow up on the cliffs near to me that's absolutely full of them. I think I've even got a pic of it on DP in the off-topic forum about Goat Island, which is an amazing place.


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## Bryag (Jun 28, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> Ah, I've missed a lot of threads recently because I've been too unwell to do more than look at a few on the home page.



I am sorry to hear that, Foxy. I hope you are feeling much better now?



Foxylady said:


> No-one's upset me, honest, but I do like the way you thought it was Zimbob that did!



Well it couldn't have been me, I am far too charming



Foxylady said:


> Yes, they are. There's a fantastic meadow up on the cliffs near to me that's absolutely full of them. I think I've even got a pic of it on DP in the off-topic forum about Goat Island, which is an amazing place.



I will have a look for that now


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## zimbob (Jun 28, 2008)

Bryag said:


> Well it couldn't have been me, I am far too charming


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## Foxylady (Jun 28, 2008)

Bryag said:


> I am sorry to hear that, Foxy. I hope you are feeling much better now?



It's an on-going thing unfortunately, but I am feeling much better recently, thanks. 



zimbob said:


>


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## fender100 (Jan 12, 2009)

*Greenham Common*

Check out my website on RAF Greenham Common;

www.greenham.greatnow.com


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## wearethemoos (Aug 9, 2009)

This is another site my dad patrolled during it's existence. He was there on day 1 when they started putting the fences up to make the place and was often back on detatched duties when there were protests and such on.


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