# RAF Folkingham Vehicle Graveyard, October 2017



## urbexdevil (Oct 2, 2017)

Another location that’s been on the list of places to visit for the last few years checked off and completed! Explored with the one and only RelictaSpiritus, and bumping into Tiny Urban Exploration and some new explorers.



Making this the second location of the day with rapidly deteriorating weather and light conditions, we made our way through the various live fire and warning signs to find one of the largest collections of rusted machinery I had ever set upon exploring.

Interestingly, I always had this place down as a military vehicle dump given its ex RAF location, however despite the odd military vehicle I would have said it’s more of a digger dump than anything.

Making our way through the dismal wind and rain, trying to dry my camera lens on any last remaining dry part of my t-shirt and spotting who later turned out to be Tiny Urban Exploration in the distance the far opposite end of the runway, the time came to vacate the site and dry off.

That’s where I would say things became interesting, after opting for the quick route out back towards the main gate.

Just as we approach the gates, a car comes flying towards us with the passenger door already open in some sort of dramatic attempt to appear intimidating. The car comes to a stop and out comes a rather angry short farmer type claiming we had set of numerous alarms and he had calls from the police saying he had a “break in”.

Not feeling the mood for a debate, we simply apologised and were about to leave when he continues asking us what we were doing, to which we responded simply with “we went for a walk”, still clearly with camera tripods and all sorts on show. He continued pointing at his private sign and stating how we can’t simply walk where we want and how he doesn’t just walk around our back gardens, blatantly fishing for an argument.

Feeling quite amused I took my phone out of my pocket and began recording, expecting things to escalate, however he took this as his cue to pipe down after a very long awkward 10 seconds of silence. I debate giving this a share or not! *insert amused emoji*

The site is well worth a mooch about, perhaps in better weather conditions and if you’re prepared for a hilarious short farmer type.

History as per, pinched from Wikipedia.




> Royal Air Force Station Folkingham or RAF Folkingham is a former Royal Air Force station located south west of Folkingham, Lincolnshire and about 29 miles (47 km) due south of county town Lincoln and 112 miles (180 km) north of London, England.
> 
> Opened in 1940, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a troop carrier airfield for airborne units and as a subsidiary training depot of the newly formed Royal Air Force Regiment. After the war it was placed on care and maintenance during 1947 when the RAF Regiment relocated to RAF Catterick.
> 
> ...


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## Tizzme (Oct 2, 2017)

Fantastic ! I love it !!!


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## krela (Oct 2, 2017)

From airport vehicles to landfill dozers, there's a bit of everything here.


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## smiler (Oct 2, 2017)

I enjoyed your take on it UD, always nice to make new friends, Thanks


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## prettyvacant71 (Oct 2, 2017)

Now I'm not trying to stir things up a bit urbexdevil but yes you are right, this place is more photogenic in lovely warm sunlight, it brings out all the red and brown tones from the rust. So get back down there when its stopped raining 

I too had the "Sweeney intervention"...the 4x4 driving about kicking up dust, I thought there was gona be a bonnet roll from the driver. However, I saw this going on to a group of explorers in the distance so I took this opportunity to tuck meself into one of the digger cabs, I wasn't in there long before I realised I should have picked a better cab as this one had parts of a deers head inside it complete with dinning maggots. Anyway it allowed me to stay a bit longer so not all bad.

I did get caught on one occasion by the assistant of the owner who caught you, he did warn me I was "lucky" it wasn't the owner who caught me as he has clumped a few folks apparently. I was sent packing like a naughty child, so I hid in the woods for a bit then went back in after he had left...well you just would wouldn't you

Anyhow you got some great shots despite that miserable sky!


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## oldscrote (Oct 3, 2017)

loved that forestry commission crawler

It's a Cat D4D






https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/...0062/lot-02026caa-bde2-4473-b5fe-a78d00b68796


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## clinka (Oct 3, 2017)

Great photos - well done. Am intrigued by the last one - what is it? I have never seen a vehicle like that before.


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## BikinGlynn (Oct 3, 2017)

I had a lovely sunny day here last year unusually (so it seems) without getting caught lol.
We did have a small van driving round a few times but ducked behind digger scoops a few times & managed to avoid them!
Always nice to see reports though


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## Sam Haltin (Oct 3, 2017)

A lot of nice bits of heavy metal here.


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## urbexdevil (Oct 4, 2017)

prettyvacant71 said:


> Now I'm not trying to stir things up a bit urbexdevil but yes you are right, this place is more photogenic in lovely warm sunlight, it brings out all the red and brown tones from the rust. So get back down there when its stopped raining
> 
> I too had the "Sweeney intervention"...the 4x4 driving about kicking up dust, I thought there was gona be a bonnet roll from the driver. However, I saw this going on to a group of explorers in the distance so I took this opportunity to tuck meself into one of the digger cabs, I wasn't in there long before I realised I should have picked a better cab as this one had parts of a deers head inside it complete with dinning maggots. Anyway it allowed me to stay a bit longer so not all bad.
> 
> ...



Well worth a revisit I would say, so chances are when I find my way that direction again I will be back 

Haha this time it wasn't a 4x4 but a lovely mk2 ford focus in blue  Ironically we were already making our way out anyway, and even more ironically was discussing the fact we wasn't bothered about getting caught when we were on our way out anyway... tempted fate a little too much there I guess haha!

In all honesty if we went out the way we came in through the woods I think we would have made it without getting caught, but its all part of the fun really 

Does make me wonder where these alarms are though.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Oct 5, 2017)

After WW2 the countryside was full of scrapyards that contained all types of interesting stuff - ex mil, pre-war cars and commercials and the onset of the MOT test increased the contents by huge numbers. To a teenager who had just passed their test, those scrapyards kept your old banger on the road. Sadly; suddenly almost overnight the situation changed, as with the coming of the Environmental Protection Act, most of these scrap collections were bulldozed up and ended in the scrap furnaces. Only those places with proper, protected drainage managing to survive the clean up - as most of these places grew up on derelict farm or grass lands, they were illegal under under the EPA. This place operates as a dump, because allegedly the drainage system is able to contain and separate all vehicular leakages of noxious fluids and keep them from contaminating the environment. Evidently to those in the know, the grapevine seems to indicate that this may not be the case and the Authorities have been informed. I suppose the owner gets a bit 'uperty' when explorers visit, because he does not want his environmentally damaging goings on to be plastered all over the internet - thankfully it has been! Having spent a fairly large part of my working life making sure my employer protected the Environment, by implementing all the Regulations correctly - at a great cost sometimes, I angers me that greedy buggers, like the ones depicted here, just go on damaging the environment and nothing is done.


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## mookster (Oct 7, 2017)

The guy is a bit mad but it's his business premises so he has a right to be a little miffed at people wandering around - all part and parcel of the game.

I encountered him and his wife about five years ago when I went, luckily we were seen by the wife walking her dog first and were already having a decent conversation with her when the husband rocked up so the fact we weren't having an argument settled him a little and he actually allowed us to continue on photographing.


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## Explore-With-AZ (Dec 25, 2017)

cool i like the look of that


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