# Factory Shelters - August 2015



## SlimJim (Aug 10, 2015)

Explored with Konrad and The Vampiric Squid.

After a monumental fail trying to get into a local Fort Knox and dragging The Vampiric Squid all the way up from Hampshire on his hairdrier, I decided it would be a good idea to do something that had been on my list for a long time.

I'll keep it short and sweet because there's little to no history on the shelters themselves, so here's a nice set of air raid shelters from a factory that made cable during the war...

We'd been up all night and hadn't had any sleep since the previous night. We'd been on the go for about 5 hours by the time we got to the tunnels. Here's Squid passed out. I've been winding him up with this picture all afternoon by posting it everywhere! I envy him for being able to sleep anywhere he drops 




There's some pretty nice stuff knocking about including this...




And these lovely old Elsans...












There's tons of mint and near mint original signs on the walls to titillate too!








On to some tunnel shots...




The tunnels themselves are actually quite plain, but it's the size of the place, quality of construction and how well preserved they are that is actually the icing on the cake.




Group shot, looking a bit like some sort of crap boyband.




More pics on my Flickr.

Here's a bit of video for it. Please excuse my excitement annd subsequent swearing! 


Thanks for looking!


----------



## krela (Aug 10, 2015)

Wow they're really impressive, nice one SJ.


----------



## TheVampiricSquid (Aug 10, 2015)

Ha nice set mate, and I have seen that picture of me in about 3 different urbex groups this afternoon


----------



## smiler (Aug 10, 2015)

Interesting place, I liked it, Thanks


----------



## Sam Haltin (Aug 10, 2015)

Amazing condition this place is. Just like walking into a museum. Picture 8 is my favourite.


----------



## UrbanX (Aug 11, 2015)

That tunnel shot tho... 
Fantastic set of images, thanks for sharing your adventure!


----------



## Conrad (Aug 11, 2015)

Cheers for driving and explaining about the toilets and other stuff I wouldn't have known about! Really enjoyed this place and how untouched it was.


----------



## Dirus_Strictus (Aug 11, 2015)

An important manufacturing site during the war - thus the need to protect a very skilled workforce that had to work a continuous three shift system due to the manufacturing process involved. In the late 60's these shelters were often used as a prime example of underground works undertaken by a construction company well versed in underground tunnel works. There were many underground shelters etc. then, that although driven through very similar strata, exhibited vast amounts of water penetration and cracking linings. Many of these sites are still accessible, but exhibit ever increasing structural/flood damage and show that they were built by firms with a workforce that had little or no underground experience - a wartime expedient. As can be seen, this site is still in an almost pristine condition - a testament to the methods used by the construction company and the skill of workers who built this complex to a very tight timescale. Nice report here - well done!


----------



## fluffy5518 (Aug 21, 2015)

Lovely set of pics mate ! Have known about this place for a while but thought it was sealed tight now ! It's really refreshing to see a place in pristine condition. The signage and the elsans are top notch. Let's hope it stays that way ! KEEP 'EM COMING !


----------

