# Ex - US Army Hospital Devon



## TuningHouse (May 10, 2009)

Probably been covered before but this was my girlfriend and my, first go at derelicts. new to camera skills too so please feel free to comment on everything. 
This is an Ex US army hospital, that when shut down, then housed polish refugee's after 1947. All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried in the surrounding fields with a great big "order" placed on them to prevent digging. We got approached by police at the end who were pretty decent, then the owners of the land came and spoke to us. The were pretty cool and asked me to pass on a message - Please do not publish the location of this site - even if people know where it is. It is being pulled down this year, and part of it is now under Heritage act as 5 different types of rare bat are livving in the top buildings. The bats will not return if they see people entering the buildings. 

Anyway, with that said 

































Over 200 pics in all, but this is 36 of them 
















I mean, what is Betamax haha


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## TuningHouse (May 10, 2009)




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## TuningHouse (May 10, 2009)

Not sure what this is, but it was in a room marked up Bakery





Really really eerie place this is.....


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## klempner69 (May 10, 2009)

*Interesting*

Very interesting place especially knowing there is stuff buried...what a waste not to recover it.

Stu


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## Urban Mole (May 10, 2009)

TuningHouse said:


>



OMG 

Check out all that archive footage, and proberbly of the hospital too, some of that needs saving or atleast converting and uploaded...


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## TuningHouse (May 10, 2009)

In the late 50's part of it was opened up as a dance hall for the Poles and was a big hit with other locals too. It started to close in 1976 ans was eventually closed in 1992 with Asbestos issues. The Poles were re housed in a new block (on site and very close), and litterally once they have died out (they are on their 3rd generation) they will level the new block too, and sell the land off (except the bat buildings)

Got all that info from the land owner, a second generation Polish imigrant. I thought they were going to kick off at first, but they were ok when they found out we wernt Graffing the place.


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## Urban Mole (May 10, 2009)

You should ask him if you could have some of that old film etc, might be something interesting on it, maybe


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## TuningHouse (May 10, 2009)

Urban Mole said:


> OMG
> 
> Check out all that archive footage, and proberbly of the hospital too, some of that needs saving or atleast converting and uploaded...




There was absolutely tonnes of them - at least 6-7000 reels, some new, some old. Some films included "Sparticus" and loads of items marked up with codes. The owner even said he ad no idea about it all. 

We also got stopped before getting to the Mortuary !! Damn it


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## Badoosh (May 10, 2009)

Urban Mole said:


> OMG
> 
> Check out all that archive footage, and proberbly of the hospital too, some of that needs saving or atleast converting and uploaded...



I couldn't agree more with you! Let's hope they salvage the stuff before any demolition takes place.

Cracking pics & report. Need to get back here for another visit methinks.


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## Neosea (May 10, 2009)

Good going for a first! Cool photos, looks a good place


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## TuningHouse (May 10, 2009)

I may just phone and ask the land owner if I can go back, and get into the mortuary. Its very difficult not to offend those that have been born and brought up there though. I cant help feeling that its a bit crass, me with my camera photographing their entire life.

How many pics do you guys normally put on a thread ? Or is the above about right ?


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## Foxylady (May 10, 2009)

TuningHouse said:


> All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried in the surrounding fields with a great big "order" placed on them to prevent digging.



It's amazing how much that went on...most of the ex-US airfields had stuff buried so that they didn't have to take it back with them to America.
Excellent first report and photos, TH.  
As far as the amount of photos, it's really up to the poster. Some post up a few and have a link to the rest, but I personally post up around the same amount that you have. Any more than that is porabably a bit too much though!


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## Urban Mole (May 10, 2009)

Wow I missed this bit;



TuningHouse said:


> All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried in the surrounding fields with a great big "order" placed on them to prevent digging. We got approached by police at the end who were pretty decent, then the owners of the land came and spoke to us. The were pretty cool and asked me to pass on a message - Please do not publish the location of this site - even if people know where it is. It is being pulled down this year



Scan reading 

Its a pity that these things were buried, you would have thought that collectors or historians etc etc would want them dug up and put on display, I hate it when history is removed 
When its being demo'd, get up there with a metal detector and see what lies beneath the ground


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## kernowexpeditionary (May 10, 2009)

didnt realise there was a mortuary??? any chance of a flashearth link [email protected]


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## S1MON (May 10, 2009)

Nice pictures there, i've been there twice lately late at night tho, very interesting place. bit spooky at night. 
shame to see most of it trashed tho.

Yeah any info on them mortuary would be helpful 


EDIT: Oh yeah, has anyone noticed the oasis lyrics on bits of a4 paper around the reception area? lol


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## james.s (May 10, 2009)

I think you should dig the jeeps up 

I like the picture of the sofa and wheelchair. Nice work!


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## Lightbuoy (May 11, 2009)

Good first post TH

Looks like there's a fair bit to see here too


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## sallybear (May 11, 2009)

Betamax videos and old Walkers packets brings back my childhood that does *sniff*

Cracking explore!! gret pics


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## simaving (May 11, 2009)

*Army hospital Devon*

Wow I thought stories of American equipment being buried at bases was an urban legend!! Has no one ever dug anything up? Would make a cool time team special or similar ha ha


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## escortmad79 (May 11, 2009)

simaving said:


> Wow I thought stories of American equipment being buried at bases was an urban legend!! Has no one ever dug anything up? Would make a cool time team special or similar ha ha



Couple of GMC 6x4s, a Diamond T & a few Willys/Ford Jeeps would be nice!


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## TuningHouse (May 11, 2009)

Thanks for your comments 

Apparently its a lot of Willies Jeeps, ansd Bikes (Harleys i imagine). 

Im not too sure on getting the image up on FlashEarth, always comes up as blurred for some reason. But i can give you the details via PM and then circle the Mortuary, if you would like


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## Evilgenius (May 11, 2009)

Mortuary where!? We went down there last weekend and thought we covered all of it, maybe not! 
It is a fair size site and alot of the rooms do look the same so might of missed it, i feel another trip coming!


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## Cuban B. (May 11, 2009)

A nicely decayed site, surprised to see so much left behind since it used to be an army base.


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## Scotty (May 11, 2009)

Cuban B. said:


> A nicely decayed site, surprised to see so much left behind since it used to be an army base.



army base was years ago (over 50 i bet now).

it was a army base 1st then a polish site for the 2nd WW.

this site been plastard all over the forums for about a year now and new bits are still be found/opened up.

keep meaning to get back. been almost a year since i've been.


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## sheep21 (May 11, 2009)

cracking site with so much to see! Alot of good photos too (the more the better IMHO!). Thans for sharing a unique site with such a rich history.


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## TuningHouse (May 11, 2009)

As you drive up the road, mortuary is last building on the left (open door!!) so possibly not alot left, and wrecked. 

I need to find another place this weekend, i have the bug haha. Anyone know any others around Exeter ish ? (They could email me to keep it on topic if they prefer - i would be muchly chuffed) 

Cheers again for the coments


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## Philip (May 11, 2009)

All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried

Over the years I've heard this story loads of times relating to ex WW2 bases,but tbh find it fairely unlikely. Why? Has any one had to bury a pet? What size hole a small dog-a helluva lot bigger than youd suppose !
So now we are meant to believe that rows of lorries/jeeps/aircraft are buried in pits ? Why go to the trouble and expense? After all the Cold War was starting,France was fighting in Viet Nam,so its not as if wars were over!
However love to be proved wrong

Forgot to say-great report


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## TuningHouse (May 11, 2009)

I totally agree, i would love to believe it myself, no matter who told me. I know the expense of moving trucks etc, was out of this world in a country in severe debt after WWII, but i mean these stories have been going around for years - even where i used to do motorcross about 10miles from this site, apparently they stopped everyone as they were digging up the dirt, and what lay beneath ????? Only a load of crated jeeps haha - really ?


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## Badoosh (May 11, 2009)

Philip said:


> All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried
> 
> Over the years I've heard this story loads of times relating to ex WW2 bases,but tbh find it fairely unlikely. Why? Has any one had to bury a pet? What size hole a small dog-a helluva lot bigger than youd suppose !
> So now we are meant to believe that rows of lorries/jeeps/aircraft are buried in pits ? Why go to the trouble and expense? After all the Cold War was starting,France was fighting in Viet Nam,so its not as if wars were over!
> ...



I think we'd all like to be proved wrong, maybe one day a lone guy with a metal detector may provide the answer. On the subject of expense, it's a hell of a lot cheaper to bury the stuff, or relocate within the UK rather than ship it back. There would certainly be no aircraft but vehicles & equipment, possibly. With Vietnam, just look back & see how much was left over there. Until someone "accidentally" unearths a Willy's jeep or whatever though, we shall never know. Which reminds me....i need a new spade!


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## Mad Doc (May 11, 2009)

hi
do you know when it is being palled down? i love the place and have done so many photos of it. i may have to go for one last visit.


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## escortmad79 (May 11, 2009)

Philip said:


> All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried
> 
> Over the years I've heard this story loads of times relating to ex WW2 bases,but tbh find it fairely unlikely. Why? Has any one had to bury a pet? What size hole a small dog-a helluva lot bigger than youd suppose !
> So now we are meant to believe that rows of lorries/jeeps/aircraft are buried in pits ? Why go to the trouble and expense? After all the Cold War was starting,France was fighting in Viet Nam,so its not as if wars were over!
> ...


It is quite feasible that it happened, it certainly happened with traction engines & steam wagons.

Used to have a list of engines that had been buried over the years but lost it a few years ago.

In recent years a few have been unearthed after being buried for 70+ years over in New Zealand.

End of their working life so they were simply tipped into a pit & covered over so this could be a possibility


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## skittles (May 11, 2009)

'All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried in the surrounding fields'

Is this fact or myth? 

What does 'a great big "order" placed on them to prevent digging.' mean?


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## kernowexpeditionary (May 11, 2009)

i heard of many such tails.... although surely with vehicles, steel etc in such short supply just after the war then it wouldnt be wasted?


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## simaving (May 11, 2009)

*Ex army hospital devon*



Philip said:


> All of the american bikes, Jeeps etc were crated and buried
> 
> Over the years I've heard this story loads of times relating to ex WW2 bases,but tbh find it fairely unlikely. Why? Has any one had to bury a pet? What size hole a small dog-a helluva lot bigger than youd suppose !
> So now we are meant to believe that rows of lorries/jeeps/aircraft are buried in pits ? Why go to the trouble and expense? After all the Cold War was starting,France was fighting in Viet Nam,so its not as if wars were over!
> ...



Seems I'm not only one who thinks this could be just an urban myth.After all there was enough american load carrying ordnance returning home post war to shift a few jeeps and bikes.... And If there was a ridiculous amount left that was uneconomical to ship back surely sumat would have been unearthed by now? I have heard tales of auctions at end of ww2 where crated American ordnance was bought,this sounds more plausible to me dunno what everyone elses opinion is,cheers simon


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## Scotty (May 12, 2009)

kernowexpeditionary said:


> i heard of many such tails.... although surely with vehicles, steel etc in such short supply just after the war then it wouldnt be wasted?



I was thinking that.

there has also been a lot of building work in the serrounding areas so something would have been dug up 'if' there was something there.

I think they would have housed them next to the great SSR rather than digging a big hole.


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## TuningHouse (May 12, 2009)

Right they are pulling down the buildings THIS YEAR, the only thing slowing it down its the bats return to the buildings at the top. If they return now, as planned - the destruction wont commence until they leave for the winter (back to the chudleigh caves), if they do not return or are scared off - the destruction will commence asap. 
They have already started converting the two buildings - and have nearly finished, so there are builders present on weekdays, up at the rear of the site. 

When i say "order i mean!, the government (MOD) placed a "area of conservation" (or likewise) order on land that alledgedly has these crates underneath. To prevent tresspassers, and general digging up. I would love to see what happens during the knock down, to prevent the JCB's from turning it all over. I imagine they will shut the gates and prevent access to everyone at all times.

After the war steel would have been in short supply, but the machinery was US owned, on US granted land, and they were probably thinking - we have just had 2 world wars, when is the next one coming. Lets leave vehicles here, incase we need to come back over and use them. Plus we are forgetting, USA decision makers have and always will be ........... odd


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## missfish (May 12, 2009)

Wheelchair and sofa shot is awesome!


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## smiffy (May 12, 2009)

TuningHouse said:


> After the war steel would have been in short supply, but the machinery was US owned, on US granted land, and they were probably thinking - we have just had 2 world wars, when is the next one coming. Lets leave vehicles here, incase we need to come back over and use them. Plus we are forgetting, USA decision makers have and always will be ........... odd



Oh yeah I can think of no possible better way to preserve and keep something ready for future use other than burying it........
Get real fer christ sakes......
Besides..... .. under the agreed terms and conditions of LeaseLend NONE of the material of war (meaning ANYTHING they supplied us with basically ) could be returned to the USA and ALL of it had to paid for by the British Governement.........therefore anything left over after the war belonged to the UK and was ours to dispose of not the Americans anyway and that included equipment still in US camps or not yet issued from supply bases....
.......thats how and why thousands of trucks / jeeps etc etc etc etc ended up being sold off to private buyers...( 'Ruddington was just one of the places that thousands of trucks / jeeps etc were sold off from.........locally to me the US bases did a roaring trade on 'back door sales' to the public in the immediate months after the war was over)
.....My Granddad made a damn good living out of buying and selling ex- military (British and US) equipment after the war and he would have definately scoffed at anyone suggesting that 'saleable' gear was 'buried'............ besides...........our Government of the day was so desperate for hard cash they would have dug the stuff up themselves to sell it on if this myth had been at all true ..
...The only thing that he ever said he saw deliberately dumped was ammunition...
..Trucks and Jeeps etc buried????
Bought and scrapped by the thousands maybe ........or .......more likely....bought and sold off to private users maybe .................but just buried and left ???? 
This hoary old tale is just summat that has been naively repeated over the years cos its a nice story and gets folk all excited at the thought of all those glistening gleaming jeeps still in their crates just waiting for you to find ..........
No way sorry.. I ain't buying that myth 'til someone digs a load of them up and if that was gonna happen it would have happened before now especially with a restored Jeep being worth anything from £10 to £20 grand...........


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## escortmad79 (May 12, 2009)

TuningHouse said:


> They have already started converting the two buildings - and have nearly finished, so there are builders present on weekdays, up at the rear of the site.


Which buildings are being converted? The two new bits?

Which areas are the builders working on? The new buildings, the huts along by the fence running down to Trago, the golf course side or the central compound where the school etc is in?


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## TuningHouse (May 12, 2009)

the two ones that are being converted for the bats, are up by the new Polish Home - by a massive gate. Only way i can describe it is to say they are the furthest away from the entrance to the site

And Smiffy, yes haha


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## simaving (May 13, 2009)

*Ex - US Army Hospital Devon*



smiffy said:


> Oh yeah I can think of no possible better way to preserve and keep something ready for future use other than burying it........
> Get real fer christ sakes......
> Besides..... .. under the agreed terms and conditions of LeaseLend NONE of the material of war (meaning ANYTHING they supplied us with basically ) could be returned to the USA and ALL of it had to paid for by the British Governement.........therefore anything left over after the war belonged to the UK and was ours to dispose of not the Americans anyway and that included equipment still in US camps or not yet issued from supply bases....
> .......thats how and why thousands of trucks / jeeps etc etc etc etc ended up being sold off to private buyers...( 'Ruddington was just one of the places that thousands of trucks / jeeps etc were sold off from.........locally to me the US bases did a roaring trade on 'back door sales' to the public in the immediate months after the war was over)
> ...



My feelings exactly,Lovely urban myth and id realy love for someone to prove me wrong........... Didn't it happen on german airfields at the end of ww2 though? undergroung ones full of ME 262's and Nazi Flying saucer technology? LOL only joking ......


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## smileysal (May 13, 2009)

Excellent pics mate, I do like these. Love the way nature always takes buildings back. 

And smiffy, they used to bury airplane parts around lincoln, and other places they built them. Wings, and other parts of planes, wrapped in sackcloth, put into large crates and buried. An old neighbour of my parents when he lived in Lincoln during the war, watched from a wooded area, as they were doing just that. I wasn't as interested in things like that till much later in my life, so never had the chance to go searching for them. He's died now, and so have other members of his family, so can't track exactly whereabouts they did bury them. The area he did tell me about is now a housing estate, and industrial estate and all concreted over, so you'd never find them now even if you did have the equipment - unfortunately.  (There is a company who has a radar type machine, that uses sonar to find things that are buried, can't remember the name of the company now either.  but they have found buried planes in other parts of the world etc that have been buried in the same way.). Hope that helps?

 Sal


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## escortmad79 (May 13, 2009)

Chances are anything buried at this particular location will be buried under either the golf course or under Trago!


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## thenoisydrum (May 13, 2009)

That looks an evil robot with one eye and a leafy eyebrow!


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## Scotty (May 13, 2009)

other reports on this site from over the year/s. 

8th Dec 07

10th Jul 08

5th Sep 08

14th Dec 08

11th Jan 09

Its nice to see how the buildings has changed over time, both in a good way and bad way.


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## escortmad79 (May 13, 2009)

My first visit: 28th December 2008


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## dangerous dave (May 13, 2009)

Please do not publish the location of this site - even if people know where it is. It is being pulled down this year, and part of it is now under Heritage act as 5 different types of rare bat are livving in the top buildings. The bats will not return if they see people entering the buildings.

Anyway, with that said 


all aboard the fail train or did you not clock this


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## smiffy (May 13, 2009)

smileysal said:


> And smiffy, they used to bury airplane parts around lincoln, and other places they built them. Wings, and other parts of planes, wrapped in sackcloth, put into large crates and buried. An old neighbour of my parents when he lived in Lincoln during the war, watched from a wooded area, as they were doing just that. I wasn't as interested in things like that till much later in my life, so never had the chance to go searching for them. He's died now, and so have other members of his family, so can't track exactly whereabouts they did bury them. The area he did tell me about is now a housing estate, and industrial estate and all concreted over, so you'd never find them now even if you did have the equipment - unfortunately.  (There is a company who has a radar type machine, that uses sonar to find things that are buried, can't remember the name of the company now either.  but they have found buried planes in other parts of the world etc that have been buried in the same way.). Hope that helps?
> 
> Sal



I am not trying to argue or annoy anyone Sal but........
....."a neighbour of my parents....whos dead now of course........along with all living relatives.......location completey forgotten now....gone forever......buillt over too !!"
Its all a bit convenient ain't it ????
Its also a bit too like.... ' A cousin of my Uncles best mate who knew a man who had a dog...etc etc etc "

First off.........Just how realiable was this 'old neighbours' 'evidence'????
and more to the point his 'memory'?..
I know loads of old bullshitters around here who will happily sit in the snug bar and for a pint or two tell you just whatever you got a mind to want to hear ...especially if they see yer eyes light up.........
..Its in the nature of old folk to add a little jazz to their tales........ over the years a pile of junk such as a load of tin baths and some tables out of the canteen becomes ...
........ 'Back just after the war it was !!!!! ....Brand spanking new Spitfires they was!!!!!............I'm telling ya!.....wrapped up in teaclothes they was ! as good as new they was!......still lying there now!!!' .....
...etc etc etc or summat similar..........

I stand ready and willing to be completely corrected and proven wrong but.........
..............I repeat.........
Never mind the staggering price of a _restored _Jeep .......A pile of totally rusty crap which is only just faintly recognisable as once being a Jeep and is only 'restorable' by throwing yet more thousands of pounds at it will still fetch up to 5 Grand ......If there are any buried out there someone would have dug them up by now .........and the same goes for Aircraft and / or parts......
.. never mind what the scrap value was back in the Fifties their value now to vintage aircraft restorers would be absolutely colossal......... Back in the 50s would have been only a few years after they were supposedly buried and when memory / local knowledge of where exactly they were would still have been clear.........so surely someone would have done a little excavating ?????
And finally
.......If the site you are on about was built over then the buildings would have had foundations dug 
and roads would have been excavated around the site ...septic tanks would also have been dug out and deep trenches for drains and services etc etc would all have been dug............and with all this activity ....not one piece of an airframe came to light??????
Come on Sal.................


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## TuningHouse (May 13, 2009)

dangerous dave said:


> Please do not publish the location of this site - even if people know where it is. It is being pulled down this year, and part of it is now under Heritage act as 5 different types of rare bat are livving in the top buildings. The bats will not return if they see people entering the buildings.
> 
> Anyway, with that said
> 
> ...



Epic epic fail - i never looked at the properly, and read it as Ford Park, about 3 miles away hahahaha


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## escortmad79 (May 13, 2009)

That's Forde Park or Forde House


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## TuningHouse (May 13, 2009)

Oh well, not as if you all didnt know about the place anyway haha


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## Fusion87 (May 20, 2009)

I've just created a book with a selection of my photographs from Little Poland on Blurb if anyone is interested. I've also based my whole final year art degree on Little Poland. 

Book link http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/680923#book-summary


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## escortmad79 (May 21, 2009)

Nearly got caught here last week by one of the workmen! 

Very close call, but I managed to evade being spotted


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