Bunkerkid
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2009
- Messages
- 36
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- 45
Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces during World War II and the United States Air Force during the Cold War. After the Cold War ended, it was closed in 1993.
The airfield was also known for the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp held outside its gates in the 1980s.
In 1997 Greenham Common was designated as public parkland.
More history here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Greenham_Common
The brief history is of course from wikipedia, but this place has been done to the death over the years so ill skip that and get onto my own pictures from what was my first visit to the old base. Such a shame this has all been torn up now, would have loved to have seen the whole base in it's time. Visited with Tankman out on a day's explore, and this may be quite an open one on public land but still worth a good poke around.
First we saw these strange looking things sticking out the ground, which apparently were used for weather monitoring equipment to be housed in? Weird how everything is gone yet these still litter the old base complex.
Look up where the runway was from the bottom end of the runway, brilliant sky that day!
Difficult to get any decent pictures of the GAMA site with that damn fencing around it, best I could do to get a decent one without getting in was this. Would love to get inside and have a proper mooch on this bit.
The fence in question, never seen one like it and a real pain to climb!
Going round the side, one of the gates to the GAMA area.
Found a wild telegraph pole!
If you look you can still find signs of the old protesters, like these markings on this sign where they simply wanted peace in their words!
When they created holes in the fence they painted things like this to warn others, Cry out Shout!
The protesters were split into several different groups, whenever one was responsible for getting through a part of the fence they would leave their mark with their respective colour!
Peace!
A substation was sat in the field still, another oddity left while everything else was demolished. Tankman said when he visited in '98 this was still in great condition, now of course its been completely stripped.
Moving onto the truly awesome fireplane, what I came to see and one of the last things still standing after all this time!
Bit arty with the tail end!
Some more buildings remain on the nearby industrial estate, built up since closure.
The control tower is also still standing, with mixed view at the moment on its future. Several bids are in, some with developers wanting to turn it into a house and another campaign by the local people to turn it into a much needed museum for the base!
Round the back we also found this which we couldn't identify. Seems to be some sort of sonar buoy but we cant be sure, or maybe a drop tank though lord knows what its doing round there!
Not the best report of the old place im afraid but was a great day's wander around, just wanted to post some of my pics. Cheers for reading.
The airfield was also known for the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp held outside its gates in the 1980s.
In 1997 Greenham Common was designated as public parkland.
More history here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Greenham_Common
The brief history is of course from wikipedia, but this place has been done to the death over the years so ill skip that and get onto my own pictures from what was my first visit to the old base. Such a shame this has all been torn up now, would have loved to have seen the whole base in it's time. Visited with Tankman out on a day's explore, and this may be quite an open one on public land but still worth a good poke around.
First we saw these strange looking things sticking out the ground, which apparently were used for weather monitoring equipment to be housed in? Weird how everything is gone yet these still litter the old base complex.
Look up where the runway was from the bottom end of the runway, brilliant sky that day!
Difficult to get any decent pictures of the GAMA site with that damn fencing around it, best I could do to get a decent one without getting in was this. Would love to get inside and have a proper mooch on this bit.
The fence in question, never seen one like it and a real pain to climb!
Going round the side, one of the gates to the GAMA area.
Found a wild telegraph pole!
If you look you can still find signs of the old protesters, like these markings on this sign where they simply wanted peace in their words!
When they created holes in the fence they painted things like this to warn others, Cry out Shout!
The protesters were split into several different groups, whenever one was responsible for getting through a part of the fence they would leave their mark with their respective colour!
Peace!
A substation was sat in the field still, another oddity left while everything else was demolished. Tankman said when he visited in '98 this was still in great condition, now of course its been completely stripped.
Moving onto the truly awesome fireplane, what I came to see and one of the last things still standing after all this time!
Bit arty with the tail end!
Some more buildings remain on the nearby industrial estate, built up since closure.
The control tower is also still standing, with mixed view at the moment on its future. Several bids are in, some with developers wanting to turn it into a house and another campaign by the local people to turn it into a much needed museum for the base!
Round the back we also found this which we couldn't identify. Seems to be some sort of sonar buoy but we cant be sure, or maybe a drop tank though lord knows what its doing round there!
Not the best report of the old place im afraid but was a great day's wander around, just wanted to post some of my pics. Cheers for reading.
