# RAF West Raynham, all the goodies!



## cgull123 (Dec 14, 2009)

Thanks to Black Shucks recent post,I popped along here. What a mint site and a relaxed explore. 5 hours wandering around was knackering tho. Released a trapped harris hawk from the newer control tower and climbed (most) of a water tower-pretty good for me even tho the treads were dodgy. Couldnt get in the hangers and the Rapier dome would only be accessible thru the air ducts!

Didnt go to the other side of the site by the southern perimeter but there was some demo going on there. There are also 3 or 4 live businesses operating on the site, one is a mechanic I think.

Some history: RAF West Raynham was a Royal Air Force station located to the west of the village of West Raynham in Norfolk, England. It opened in the 1930s and closed in the 1990s. In the mid- to late-1950s RAF West Raynham was Central Fighter Establishment of the Royal Air Force. It still had at least two operational Meteor jet fighters, a squadron of twin tail-boomed Venoms and Vampire trainer jets. The very 'latest' arrival in 1957 was a flight of Gloster Javelins, which also appeared at Farnborough the same year. Its main pilot training squadrons in 1957 were Hawker Hunters - comprising two wings - Red and Yellow.

Some buildings:

Type C Hangers (Set of Four)
Control Tower (Building 72)
Parachute Store (Building 65)
Workshops (Building 66)
Station Sick Quarters & Annex (Building 46)
Station Armoury (Building 70)
Works Dept. and Water Tower (Building 68)
Central Heating Station (Building 69)
Station HQ and Ops Block (Building 22)
Guard House (Building 42)
Officer's Mess (Building 10)
Felbrigg Walk (Two NCO Married Quarters)
Five Blocks of Airmen's Married Quarters

I have learned that ALL the buildings were recommended to be Grade 2 listed, but this has been withdrawn, so they can be flattened. It also pisses me off when you see the mint sports hall just left to rot when many schools aint got half of this, but rant over... the pics (tried to post some different ones to others, more on my Flickr)...

Newer control tower...

















Gas decontamination bunker. Has a three stage decontamination suite with control cell and blast doors. Bloody dark but cracking...
















Guard room,inc cells...











Main water tower, top and bottom...











Deisel generator, WITH starting handle...











Telecoms suite...
















The chapel











And finally a random kitchen flaky paint shot. Top place - get there!!!!


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## UrbanX (Dec 14, 2009)

Pffft 'all the goodies' where's the inside of the dome? 
Only kidding, great report, cracking set of photos!


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## Black Shuck (Dec 15, 2009)

UrbanX said:


> Pffft 'all the goodies' where's the inside of the dome?
> Only kidding, great report, cracking set of photos!



The Dome Im afraid is totally locked down!


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## cgull123 (Dec 15, 2009)

I have dome photos on my flickr (outside only). See them at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157623001781710/

Cheers


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## night crawler (Dec 15, 2009)

Great stuff well done on that one


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## Lightbuoy (Dec 15, 2009)

Amazing place by the looks of it!!! Thanks for sharing your snaps


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## klempner69 (Dec 15, 2009)

Absolutely cracking set of pics..apart from the peely paint kitchens,it looks mint.
ps dont discuss access details of any sort,cheers.


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## Speed (Dec 15, 2009)

nice, probably the best report from here ive seen, cirtanly got some bits ive not seen before!


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## cgull123 (Dec 15, 2009)

klempner69 said:


> Absolutely cracking set of pics..apart from the peely paint kitchens,it looks mint.
> ps dont discuss access details of any sort,cheers.



Done (removed)


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## UrbanX (Dec 15, 2009)

Soz, I may have provoked that... 
What camera do you use Cgull?


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## cgull123 (Dec 15, 2009)

UrbanX said:


> Soz, I may have provoked that...
> What camera do you use Cgull?



EOS 450d with Sigma 10-20. Some have slated this lens but forthe money its top

Cheers mate


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## UrbanX (Dec 15, 2009)

cgull123 said:


> EOS 450d with Sigma 10-20. Some have slated this lens but forthe money its top
> 
> Cheers mate



Seriously? I use the 17-85mm IS USM, and think a serious lens change is needed! I really fancy the 24-70mm L f2.8, but thats a serious bit of glass! and I'll miss the focal lengths either side, I really use my lens on both extremes! Once agin, fantasic pics, the light in the sports hall is amazing!


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## cgull123 (Dec 16, 2009)

UrbanX said:


> Seriously? I use the 17-85mm IS USM, and think a serious lens change is needed! I really fancy the 24-70mm L f2.8, but thats a serious bit of glass! and I'll miss the focal lengths either side, I really use my lens on both extremes! Once agin, fantasic pics, the light in the sports hall is amazing!



Ive only got L glass in my Canon 70-200 which I use mainly at air shows. This is a cracking lens tho. Its amazing for urbex how often I use the 10mm end of my 10-20, especially for big stuff like power stations. Cheers


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## OSPA (Dec 16, 2009)

Nice explore, I love the sky in the second pic!


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## whatalotafun (Dec 16, 2009)

OSPA said:


> Nice explore, I love the sky in the second pic!





x2!

very nice explore!


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## TK421 (Dec 16, 2009)

What a great set of photos, and great report, if I could find a picture of a pair of dogs bollox, I would sit them next to the 2nd picture, it's mint!


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## whatalotafun (Dec 16, 2009)

is that second picture just done on a long exposure?

if so how long did you set it for?


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## cgull123 (Dec 16, 2009)

whatalotafun said:


> is that second picture just done on a long exposure?
> 
> if so how long did you set it for?



No just good old HDR mate!


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