# RAF 'Santas Grotto' , November 2013 (Image Intensive Post)



## zeroUE (Dec 3, 2013)

RAF 'Santas Grotto' is a closed RAF base in the UK. In the past it has had various military uses, and still to this day hosts firearms training and has living quarters in military use.
Why Santas Grotto? Well when we managed to get in we were like kids at Christmas!

This site is large, untouched, and unreported. There's no way that even a photo intensive report such as this can cover it all, so I will be adding on my website further galleries at a later time showing the individual areas such as the hangars, the kitchens, the bunker bar, accommodation, shooting range, dental clinic, the cells, the list goes on.

So far I have spent 13 and a half hours lurking around over two visits, the first with Kiefe Tripod-Holeologist, and the second with Kiefe and Dwrbecx. A third trip is planned to fill in the blanks.

Batteries were dying everywhere so the camera phone came into use on the photos of the Cells and Watertower. I'll get these re-shot properly in the future.

Hope you enjoy, and please don't ask where it is 

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Thanks for looking, remember to keep an eye out for the future galleries, you can get updates on these from http://www.facebook.com/zerourbex


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## mookster (Dec 3, 2013)

Very nice!

Bit too clean in most areas though, needs a few years for decay to set in!


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## zeroUE (Dec 3, 2013)

mookster said:


> Very nice!
> 
> Bit too clean in most areas though, needs a few years for decay to set in!



thanks mate, yeah some areas as very clean, others are getting a bit of peal going on. Unfortunately once the site goes out of MOD hands there are plans to demo a lot of the buildings so probably no time for decay to set in


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## tumble112 (Dec 3, 2013)

One of the best reports I've seen on here, thanks for posting. I wonder why those cars were left there?


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## zeroUE (Dec 3, 2013)

tumble1 said:


> One of the best reports I've seen on here, thanks for posting. I wonder why those cars were left there?



thanks for the comment! Cars are there for police training purposes


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## UrbanX (Dec 3, 2013)

Nice one! 
Place looks perfect! Looks like you could spend days there! Blown away by how mint it is. 
Looking forward to seeing more of this place! 

Edit: Just found this, and spent about 20 mins exploring it on Google maps!

So many odd features, and weird little bits fenced off for seemingly no reason?!

So many more questions than answers!


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## flyboys90 (Dec 3, 2013)

Dream come true a nice clean explore,thanks for sharing.


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## smiler (Dec 3, 2013)

i enjoyed that and look foreward to your next post, Many Thanks


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## zeroUE (Dec 3, 2013)

UrbanX said:


> Nice one!
> Place looks perfect! Looks like you could spend days there! Blown away by how mint it is.
> Looking forward to seeing more of this place!
> 
> ...



Still got a little bit more to see myself lol, yeah its a decent sized place it takes a while to get round the site, if your up for a look let me know


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## Dirus_Strictus (Dec 3, 2013)

A nicely done report - but as the site contains some real gems it does warrant some historical or descriptive facts.

On a very personal note - and no doubt nobody will agree with me - why lower the tone of the report by including the last photograph? Yes the car is valueless and probably the confiscated proceeds of crime, but would it have been any different if it had been a valuable classic in storage? I just feel that photographs such as this give ammunition to those people who do not see this pastime as a serious exploration of the past, rather they see it as something that should be legislated against.













to


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## SouthEast Slime (Dec 3, 2013)

Best report i have seen in a while! I have also just managed to find this im 99% sure, too far of a drive for me though sadly


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## night crawler (Dec 3, 2013)

Great report there but loose the cars or don't you read the rules


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## The Wombat (Dec 3, 2013)

Im afraid I have to agree with the others about the car shot...
BUT, the report is good, and photos are excellent


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## chazman (Dec 3, 2013)

a very impressive set of pics there.i expect alot of people here know what my work is and ive always told my colleagues theres a big difference in urban explorers and trasher chavs.shame about that last pic as it doesnt give my arguement much support! yea you didnt wreck anything but just comes across wrong.apart from that,well done,and no offence meant


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## zeroUE (Dec 3, 2013)

Thank you for the feedback folks, completely understand and have removed both pics with the cars, not a problem at all


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## Miz_Firestorm (Dec 4, 2013)

great report, personally I'd rather see something like this, clean and unspoilt by graffiti, whether it's clean or pealing, as long as it's not trashed it's all good


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## chazman (Dec 4, 2013)

good man.i wish i could put pics up of some of the places i look after.maybe in the future when various locations no longer need my services i can put stuff up.that way ive done nothing wrong regards work.


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## krela (Dec 4, 2013)

Cracking site. Thanks.


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## Swampster (Dec 4, 2013)

Great photo's, they give an air of enforced abandonment.. like the place was abandoned in a hurry!

Always sad to see another RAF base's demise.. though I use the term loosely with regards to this location, I think it spent most of it's life not actually in RAF 'hands' so to speak.


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## sYnc_below (Dec 6, 2013)

zeroUE said:


> Hope you enjoy, and please don't ask where it is



Enjoyed the post and photos but you've left a major clue as to its identity so pls don't assume it's 'safe'


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## krela (Dec 6, 2013)

tocsin_bang said:


> Enjoyed the post and photos but you've left a major clue as to its identity so pls don't assume it's 'safe'



Yep took about 5 seconds to find it, but it's an active mod site for now and it is kinda pointless "hiding" it anyway imo.


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## UrbanX (Dec 6, 2013)

I found it from the photos and description, but it took a while!  Just the right amount of clues imo  

I can deffo see why you'd want to keep the name off search engines tho!


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## Mars Lander (Dec 6, 2013)

Absolutely ACE!!! well shot and explored that man, I get both arguments for THAT shot of the cars, one hand it could be seen as gross disrespect and on the other shows your having a bit fun as that's what its all about too.

Top report.


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## shamen (Dec 6, 2013)

nice site! Agree with some of the other posts about the location, took me all of a minute or two to track this down from my armchair - though would have been a lot harder were it not for one certain picture 

The site is still active as another RAF site uses it for overflow lodging, but the technical site and airfield have been under disposal since March 2013 under the defense rationalization scheme.


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## krela (Dec 6, 2013)

shamen said:


> the defense rationalization scheme.



Oh is that what it's called? Don't the government give all these asset stripping money grabbing policies fancy names!


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## shamen (Dec 6, 2013)

krela said:


> Oh is that what it's called? Don't the government give all these asset stripping money grabbing policies fancy names!



They do indeed - as well as more than likely use the proper British English spell checker, unlike me.


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## peterc4 (Dec 8, 2013)

good stuff mate


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## Bluetwo (Dec 17, 2013)

An excellent explore! lots more there to see than I thought, having driven past it quite a few times I think I'll pay more attention next time I pass that way...


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## dora_marquez_86 (Jan 11, 2014)

great report.still hunting for location.but im sure ill find her


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## shatners (Jan 11, 2014)

Great report sir, very comprehensive.

Its named on the tuther site so don't think there's much point secret squirreling now......


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