# Government Animal Testing Lab, BBSRC



## shadowman (Aug 12, 2007)

On the way back from my RAF Upwood exploration i found this little jem of a site.

Its soon to be redeveloped for.....wait for it......a mixed developement of housing.......so get in while you have a chance.

Just on the outskirts of StIves in Cambridgeshire, is Houghton Grange, Former Government Biological Research Lab, now moved to the Infamous Palbright site.

The Exploration starts with a Recce of the perimiter where i discover this very old looking caravan...




Next up is the Coach House , part of the Houghton Grange Estate Buildings




The impressive looking Front Entrance,Houghton Grange




1960s Lab Block built next to Houghton Grange Old House




Random Overgrown Shot




Random Lab Block Shot




Inside Random Lab , High Biological Security Here, The Meters are Manometers, they measure the Air pressure in the room, it measure negative and posotive pressure, next up are Fan speed controllers to control air pressure in room(Lab), and lastly on the control panel is a unit warning when the underground waste water tank is full, this has to be boiled before being released into drain network.....


Inside the Lab working area, there are about 100 of these on site, it has its own internal staff toilet,so you dont leave the room for a leek.




Same lab showing view of AirLock sample hatch and peep nole to outside world




Still in the same Lab, the only way in is through a shower cubicle, you have to shower on the way in and on the way out.




I seem to have developed a nasty cough(bird like) only joking........Now a shot of the staff canteen




Run out of picture hosting space.........lots more to see........well worth a look........about 100 Acres in all


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## lost (Aug 12, 2007)

Looks good, is the manor still in use?


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## shadowman (Aug 12, 2007)

The old manor house is emptey.It has a bit of vandalism to the back,You can reach the manor house by going through the labs, labs have no power, but there may be a movement sensor in old manor house.


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## lost (Aug 12, 2007)

You _must_ get into the manor!


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## shadowman (Aug 12, 2007)

Round the back of the manor house it looks like this...
















I did not hang around this area as this is the area security check, and pikey scum had been destroying paraphet and stealing led form gutters,shitheads.


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## Foxylady (Aug 12, 2007)

Excellent find, Sm. Interesting labs and that manor house is a lovely building. Be great if you can find a way in, but if not then at least it's safe from trashing.
Love that caravan; rather quirky. 

Cheers for those.
Foxy


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## Pip (Aug 13, 2007)

Great find, and great photo's. Could you see what was in that caravan?

Pip


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## shadowman (Aug 13, 2007)

The Caravan was missing its door, but inside was looking ok, still fitted with old gas lamps, and a bookshelf with some old books in it.


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## Simon (Aug 13, 2007)

Interesting...

I used to drive past this site every day. There were always cars parked in the main drive, police dog training days, people living in the gatehouses.

There was some interest amongst urbexers a couple of years ago, but everyone got collared pretty quickly.

So, sounds like things have changed?

Well done getting those shots. First time I've seen a report from there.

Incidentally, as you came from Upwood and down to St. Ives, I assume you drove past the old Wyton photographic factory. Is that still there? Last time I drove past they were putting a new road in.

All the best,
Simon


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## Lightbuoy (Aug 13, 2007)

Great stuff Shads 
If it is dooable without being too risky, go for the Manor House. Bet that there's some lovely details inside. I do like the style of that place -looks a bit like Lutyn's interpretation of Arts & Crafts.
The labs just creep me out. Takes guts to look around a place like that me thinks! Well done -some good pics too 
That old caravan looks very twee with those leaded windows -reckon it would make a great mobile UE command centre for Krela 

Lb


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## shadowman (Aug 13, 2007)

Simon said:


> Interesting...
> 
> I used to drive past this site every day. There were always cars parked in the main drive, police dog training days, people living in the gatehouses.
> 
> ...



Hi Simon,
The gate house still has people living in it, i parked on the other side of the road and walked down a side farm track to avoid the gate house.
Lots of buildings are now accesable and have not been re-borded.
Look out for little black stick on swipe cards, KEEP away from these, this is where security clock in.
If you keep off the main drive i think you will be OK.
RAF Wyton has now completed the new road to the old factory, so i assume new houses are planned.


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## Simon (Aug 13, 2007)

shadowman said:


> Hi Simon,
> The gate house still has people living in it, i parked on the other side of the road and walked down a side farm track to avoid the gate house.
> Lots of buildings are now accesable and have not been re-borded.
> Look out for little black stick on swipe cards, KEEP away from these, this is where security clock in.
> ...



Thanks - I need to rephotograph the old photographic factory - my original 2002 shots are rubbish. Apparently it's quite a unique structure and so it needs a better historical record.

Ever thought of having a look at Wyton's bomb store? It's just on the north west side of the roundabout on the A141.

All the best,
Simon


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## skittles (Sep 7, 2007)

so who looks after the gardens

the directors of the site should be whipped publicly for leaving places like that to rot, then made to pay for repairs themselves


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## staffordshireranger (Sep 7, 2007)

wow these places don`t come up much, creepy places...what ever happened to huntingdon life sciences..great pics thats a must explore !


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## BarneySchwarzenegger (Oct 4, 2007)

Thanks for sharing pics,cool stuff.


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## LittleMadam (May 7, 2008)

Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but does anyone know the status of this place, it looks amazing! I cant seem to find anywhere if work has started or not.....

Tam x


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## Mr Sam (May 7, 2008)

caravan must be worth a few bob if its not too rotten


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## fezzyben (May 7, 2008)

Cool report. I always think these places are quite sinister. I only found out the other week that theres an animal testing place just out of Derby but its very live


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## mystic (Jun 24, 2008)

*Houghton Grange*

Hi everyone, I joined just to see the photo's of this beautiful place. Im lucky just to live down the road from this on the old RAF Wyton housing estate.
Are there any more photos of the house?
It is now up for sale as a development site, for houses and the old house to be turned into apartments, one is going to have my name on it!


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## rapidman (Aug 4, 2008)

*Houghton Grange*

I've always wandered what this place was as i drove by!!!

If you gut want to see it i would got really soon as i noticed a "FOR SALE" sign:icon_evil for posh flat's ect....

If anyone's up for it, im in!!


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## smileysal (Aug 4, 2008)

Just found a link to planning permission given to this place.

The Huntingdonshire District Council has finally granted planning Permission for residential development at Houghton Grange, nearly ten years after the owner the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) first promoted the site for housing.

The former poultry research station is situated on the south side of Houghton Road to the west of St Ives, and contains 18,960 square metres of laboratory and research buildings, including Grade II Listed gatehouses and the Listed Grange building, within a parkland setting of protected trees. Since the relocation of the research work to Compton in Berkshire in the late 1980’s the site has stood empty.

The rest of the info is here.

http://www.barfords.co.uk/news.asp?NewsID=59

Just found more info on whats happening 

The former Poultry Research Establishment site at Houghton Road, St Ives is to be sold for housing development. The site has a gross area of 28 acres of which 12.84 acres are developable, with the remainder being landscaped grounds and open fields. Located just outside St Ives, to the west of the Golf Club, the opportunity is being marketed by St Neots based Chartered Surveyors and Planning Consultants D H Barford + Co.

The site is being sold with the benefit of planning permission for a high quality housing scheme benefiting from a superb landscaped environment overlooking the Ouse Valley. The centre piece of the development will be the restored and refurbished Houghton Grange, a Grade II Listed Building providing an opportunity for conversion to residential apartments, hotel, restaurant or office use.

http://www.barfords.co.uk/news.asp?NewsID=97

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Explorette (Aug 4, 2008)

EDIT : oops, just had a look at the pics of mine, and its not the same one haha, sorry beer and curry confuse a little explorette


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## LittleMadam (Aug 5, 2008)

That sucks, have been meaning to go here for ages, the place looks waaaay cool.

Am deffo up for a trip, let me know if anyone interested, time is of the essence!!!


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## surlygirl (Aug 5, 2008)

count me in....

back from honeymoon thurs 21st, free that weekend.....


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## Pugstar (Dec 12, 2009)

Great stuff, I spend most of my Saturdays here as a kid because my dad worked there. There used to be a swimming pool round the back and a lovely ornamental fishpond.

Check out the site on google earth, theres actually two sites, Lucosis which was nearer to town side is heavily decayed as the council dumped tons of earth in the extrance road, effectivly making the site disappear, I want to try and drag my old man down there at christmas for a wander (might get away with an ex employee in tow) although he might get upset as last time he was there it was beautiful and well tended.


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## escortmad79 (Dec 13, 2009)

Wouldn't mind that Showmans wagon (caravan)


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