Water Tower, Stannington. April 08

**Mudlark** · Apr 17, 2008

Hi all!

This is my first report on here, so please let me know if i have got anything wrong!
This is also my first bit of high stuff, and it was a total buzz to do!!!

Well, a bit about it, its a water tower, in a field, in stannington. There you go.. :lol:

But, as i told my horrified parents who asked 'what the bloody hell are you doing climbing water towers in the middle of nowhere??!!'

'because its there, and i could!'

I think this belongs in rural, so, on with the pics......

not the highest, granted.... but when you can still see the floor under our feet, your brain says... NOOOO! DON'T DO IT!!!

Still, the view was well worth it!

A few more steps, and i was right at the very top, trying to steady my shaking hands onto SOMETHING....

It was well worth it, the views were stunning! Could have stayed up there all day!!
But, with Geordie lurking on the bottom (He did have a go, granted, but only got half way up....) i made my way back down again!

A nice little explore, good for my first climb!!

Sorry for those who have seen this before..... i'm just proud of myself right now!!!!!

krela · Apr 17, 2008

Watch out... climbing is addictive

I'm guessing that's the ww2 era water tower that would have serviced RAF Stannington?

**Mudlark** · Apr 17, 2008

Possibly yes, the site we visited after that was Tamwell Airfield.... or 'Tamwell Under a Farmer's Field' as we called it

You could still see the runways though, and i bet you could see more from the air!

There is a little building in the trees too....

would this have been part of it??

boxerheaven · Apr 17, 2008

nice pictures lovely view and well done for getting so high up dont think i could it does give you a cool feeling when your back on terra firma

Foxylady · Apr 17, 2008

she_geordie said:
There is a little building in the trees too....

Can't quite tell, and don't quote me on this, but that looks to me like part of an underground Stanton shelter that's 'come up' due to earth erosion. I really like the above ground blast shelters...they looked almost untouched.
Well done for climbing the water tower girl! :mrgreen:

Great views.

**Mudlark** · Apr 17, 2008

The blast shelters were great, but totally flooded...... and we were being watched by a few hundred beady eyed sheep..... lol!
There was an idential set further across the field, and over the road a huge high wall covered in paintball splatter!!!

and as for the water tower, i was took me a while to get back down to earth afterwards!!!
Kinda makes you go weak at the knees when you come down, i'd love to do more high stuff!

smileysal · Apr 17, 2008

Great pics you've got, and you've definitely got more guts than to me climb up there lol. The views are great from up top. I'm trying to overcome my fear of heights, and been coerced into climbing a couple of roof's by TnM but haven't gone as far as climbing stuff like this.

Really like the remains of the former airfield. How much stuff is left around there? Love old military stuff and airfields especially.

Cheers She_geordie, and welcome to Derelict Places.

Sal

**Mudlark** · Apr 17, 2008

I think this is what is left of Tamwell, all this is now a farmers field full of sheep!!

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.131287&lon=-1.725765&z=16.3&r=3&src=msl

Can see far more from the air than you could from on the ground!!!!

smileysal · Apr 17, 2008

aha, thats why i couldn't find it on google earth. It was also known as RAF Morpeth.

Opened in January 1942 with the 29 group flying training cmd.
April 1942 - July 1945 80 (French) Operational Training Unit,
Closed in December 1945.

Hope that helps?

Cheers,

Sal

**Mudlark** · Apr 17, 2008

wow, i'm impressed

just having a look on the internet now, so much history to the place, and yet, if you didnt know what you were looking for, you wouldn't even know it was there!!!

smileysal · Apr 17, 2008

hehe, download googleearth, it tells you about stuff and has pictures and links as well. Even tells you about the different pillboxes dotted around the country, and what types they are.

But beware, Google Earth is even more addictive than Flashearth lol. You can lose track of all time when you're on it

Sal

BigLoada · Apr 17, 2008

Good to see this airfield again. Its very close to my heart having spent a lot of time there as a kid.

smileysal said:
aha, thats why i couldn't find it on google earth.

Sal

Its Tranwell

BarneySchwarzenegger · Apr 18, 2008

Nice report there she geordie, it looks a big un. I would have waited on the ground. Are all the ladders safe?

Mr_hiboy · Apr 19, 2008

Love this shot!

**Mudlark** · Apr 19, 2008

BarneySchwarzenegger said:
Nice report there she geordie, it looks a big un. I would have waited on the ground. Are all the ladders safe?

bloody hoped so!!! :lol:

lol, yeah it was still pretty sturdy all the way up. its amazing what you DONT think about until you get down....

The scary part was at the very top, some of the wire mesh had come away so it buckled when i put my foot on it, put a few years on my life!!!
thats why they say
'test it first, BEFORE you put your weight on it!!'

Well Wasp · Apr 19, 2008

theirs two water towers their
i think the one you climbed is more recent as it seemes rather sturdy and safe (me a brickers had a look inspired by your climb after being escorted from a nearby site)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?t=h&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF8&ll=55.13309,-1.706377&spn=0.001205,0.002441&z=18
the other one, i noticed this while up their, its closer to the airfeild

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?t=h&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF8&ll=55.137465,-1.708995&spn=0.001214,0.002441&z=18
and the one you went up

of course i may be very wrong so any info i would enjoy reading, i would feel a little silly if the other "water tower" turns out to be something farm related, but it didnt look like it

also well done for the climb, gave us some great views aswell, and climbing is very adictive :mrgreen:

tarboat · Apr 20, 2008

Looks like a great climb. Those are Braithwaite tanks and are still in production, should you wish to purchase some tanks and a steel tower to mount them on! :lol:

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