# RAF Upwood



## Yorkie0362 (Mar 4, 2007)

Hi Everyone,

On Saturday I was given an opportunity to photograph some areas of RAF Upwood, it's my first proper UrbEx hopefully the first of many. Here are some of the photo's I took during my visit. They can be seen in total on my website http://www.cjg.me.uk



































































To be honest, it's not the most interesting of visits, everything has been stripped, even down to the wooden flooring in the mess. I will have another opportunity to get some more pics in the summer, then I can do the rest of the buildings, I'm really keen to see the mural as mentioned by other visitors. So, I hope my first new thread is ok.

Rgds

Yorkie


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## Bishop (Mar 4, 2007)

Yorkie0362 wrote.



> So, I hope my first new thread is ok.



It's good stuff Yorkie0362, all rather interesting and I like the pics.

The armoured vehicle is rather interesting it's a cold war Russian PT-76
amphibious tank used for reconnaissance, I wonder how that ended
up there?

Also like the spiral staircase pics, very nice.

Wikipedia page on RAF Upwood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Upwood


B


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## Yorkie0362 (Mar 4, 2007)

The owners of the site rent it out to an airsofting group, whom I believe dotted the tanks around for cover and realism.


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## Yorkie0362 (Mar 4, 2007)

Few more to go :






Some of the previous residents had some expensive tastes











The last remaining radiators, probably forgotten by the "clear up" peeps


























Im going to sort out some more visits this summer...


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 5, 2007)

Howdy Yorkie!

Brilliant report there buddy -good effort for a first go!  
Looking at the petrol pump pic, I'm guessing that the base was used by the USAF at some stage? (US GALLONS).
Like the chain link fence going up that wall at a crazy angle!

Hemswell Thor -another great location by the looks of it. What the heck is that big tower all about then? Wouldn't like to stand a'top there on a windy day! 

Lb


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 5, 2007)

Ooooh -glazed brickwork too -my favourite!


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## Yorkie0362 (Mar 5, 2007)

Thanks for the comments, they really are much appreciated, number one reason I enjoy this hobby so much is experiencing the atmosphere of the abandoned sites, and I think the dereliction and waste takes on a life of it's own as nature reclaims. Secondly it's almost like a duty to catalogue what I see and knowing that others appreciate it makes it very worthwhile.

Upwood played satelite to Alconbury I believe post cold war and a lot of the housing occupied by American airmen and their families, hence the pump and I suppose the American style fire hydrants, of which I don't recall seeing on any of the operational bases I have lived on in the past.

The thing I need to improve is the documentation as I visit, I found when I got home a collection of 150 or so photographs of which I couldn't remember which building was which.

Hemswell Thor is another great explore, as are so many of the Lincolnshire bases, the tower there was the water tower, but I believe now an antique dealers.

As the weather improves I will be going on more visits, and improving some of the previous work. I have started to get a little braver and venturing out of the car and into buildings, but it takes some guts to start poking around when there are people milling around. I would probably feel more comfortable with a fellow explorer or two. My best mate does tend to tag along but he lives miles away so opportunities are rare these days, I'm also trying to encourage one of my colleagues to join in.

Anyways, thanks again for the comments.

Yorkie


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 5, 2007)

No worries there! 

Ta for the additional info.
For me, you've hit the nail right on the head when it comes to what UE is all about. Sure, it can be a great buzz -going to someplace that perhaps no-one else has set foot in for years, but recording / documenting such places is very important, as we will then have a permanent record for future generations of how things used to be.
You mentioned that you used to live on airbases? What was that like?
Me Dad used to have to visit many of the bases for his work (Henlow, Lakenheath, Weathersfield, Mildenhall etc.). Got a good friend who's based at Lakenheath, as part of the Firefighting team. He says the place is pretty big!
Yup, UE sure does get the ol' ticker going -especially when taking part in the latest UE Olympic event -running away from Security!!!  

Lb


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## Yorkie0362 (Mar 5, 2007)

Some of my happiest memories are from living on working air force bases, my Dad was in the Air Force. The community spirit is everything, and when your a kid they have activities all through the summer holidays, and of course to a kid it's a world without any crime, if anyone wants to break in your house, they have to get passed an armed guard first. Funnily enough when I lived on the bases, they didn't hold a lot of interest to me, it was the norm to be surrounded by odd looking buildings and cool planes, it's only now I feel the need to explore......


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 5, 2007)

I guess that it's the age old thing, that sometimes we don't fully notice or get interested in something 'till it's gone, or we've gone from that something!
I remember dozens of times walking past an old Workhouse here in Colchester, when it had no fence, and the doors were wide open. But i never did go in. And then they stuck up an annoyingly pointy high fence, and THEN I wanted to look around! Now it's been razed to the ground!
Ta for sharing ya memories!

Lb


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## King Al (Mar 6, 2007)

Nice tour those tanks look cool 

I’ve just been looking at Simon’s tour in 2002 on his web site urbex UK “the usaf have left the building” its nice to see that the place has continued to survive so well unlike so many others, Upwood has been on my list for a while now and I think its time to have a look .

Ps just out of interest “airsofting”


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## Bishop (Mar 6, 2007)

Yorkie0362 wrote.



> hence the pump and I suppose the American style fire hydrants, of which I don't recall seeing on any of the operational bases I have lived on in the past.



Theres American style fire hydrants at RAF Kemble (Gloucestershire) painted a
bright yellow, Kemble was used by the USAF for a while in the 90's.

King Al wrote.



> Ps just out of interest “airsofting”?



Airsoft is a bit like paintball but instead of firing paintballs you fire a 6mm
plastic ball, the guns run on either gas or electric and can fire at similar
rates to the real thing.

Wiki page on Airsoft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft

Bishop


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## King Al (Mar 7, 2007)

Thanks bishop, I don’t fancy getting shot any time soon plastic ball or other wise I think I will try and find out when they meet up and work around it!


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## Yorkie0362 (Mar 7, 2007)

I believe it is alwasy on a Saturday FYI


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## Bishop (Mar 8, 2007)

RAF Upwood, Urban Assault airsoft link. Damn I missed the Jan 4th
Night Pistol and Shotgun Game, actually I bet that would be a good
laugh though airsoft doesn't half sting.

Their next event is Saturday 31st Mar Full Day.

http://www.urbanassault.org.uk/

B


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## smileysal (Mar 8, 2007)

Thanks for that bishop. not sure bout airsoft, but wouldn't mind having a go at paintballing  

 Sal


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