Ventnor R1 Bunker Isle of Wight May 2008

[Truffle Pig]

Well as some of you may or may not know, the R1 bunker thats here on the island has been sealed and capped off from the rest of the world.....

Heres a few taster shots(im not uploading all of them now, as Ive only had 3hrs sleep, and Im fooked and gotta goto work now) :(


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00038.jpg
The capped off end where the guard house was.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00037.jpg
Dan in the main access tunnel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00036.jpg
Another tunnel shot with what looks like a gun rack on the right.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00001.jpg
Various machinery.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00019.jpg
A few spare keys.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00020.jpg
Running water :confused:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00028.jpg
Proberbly the main OPs room.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00025.jpg
Oooops ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/groupa.jpg
Group shot infront of a map of the south.

Another thing, it was well skanky down there, everything was covered with mould, and the lower level was flooded :(

More to follow......

[Truffle Pig]

From what I have found out, this place was built in late 1952, and operational until the end of the cold war, around 1991, then ALL entrances/exits were capped with concrete in 1994/5

More info on this place can be found on the usual subbrit site, although no underground pics.

The small gray bungalow built just inside the chain-link perimeter fence somewhat optimistically disguised the entrance to the bunker. Besides providing access to the top of a circular stairway guarded by a Service Policeman, the bungalow accommodated the Technical Officer together with his Warrant Officer. The roof space was used to store a small quantity of spare units for the radar 'heads'

The tunnel, which was about eight feet square, descended at a significant angle and was brightly lit, had smartly painted rendered walls and had a highly polished brown linoleum floor. After about 30 yards there was a wall mounted glass fronted cabinet which contained two service revolvers. It was hard to imagine the purpose of these, especially when I later learnt that the bullets for these were kept in a safe in the office above. The corridor continued, then turned sharply left and after another thirty or so yards reached a pair of massive blast doors. These were well over a foot thick and presumably motor driven, but thankfully I never saw them closed. The corridor was now at the right-hand side of a large room known as the Radar Office.

After this, doors on the right gave access to Officers' and Other Ranks' refreshment rooms and on the left, curtained access to the Operations Room. Next, also on the left, double doors led to a few steps down into a large high ceilinged 'plant' room housing ranks of motor generating equipment and air-conditioning apparatus. The corridor, now being only six feet across, continued through double doors and around a corner to a bolted heavy steel door through which was the main ventilation shaft which doubled as a route to the emergency exit. The shaft contained a zigzag of several flights of steel stairs and a large waterfall air washing system. Finally a heavy door in the side of the shaft, now a steel tube, opened to fresh air.

Anyway more pics;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00002.jpg
Compressor in the pump room.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00003.jpg
Electrics in the gas filtration room.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00004.jpg
Closeup.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00005.jpg
Fan powering the filtration.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00006-1.jpg
Blast doors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00007-1.jpg
Main corridor.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00011-1.jpg
Main corridor towards main stairway.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00015-1.jpg
Door towards emergency exit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00014-1.jpg
Emergency exit stairway.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00017-1.jpg
Somthing to do with the heating.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00026-1.jpg
Paperwork, this was all mouldy and fell apart when touched.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00027-1.jpg
Some form of teletalk.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00034-1.jpg
Transformer near main entrnce.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00035-1.jpg
Closeup.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00039-1.jpg
Another shot near the transformer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00021.jpg
Mess room.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00023.jpg
Womens sink, complete with bogroll.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00024.jpg
Im guessing some sort operator sat here, there were several bays.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00029.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00030.jpg
Not that its very clear, but you can make out the isle of wight on the glass.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00031.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/mahony1/v_00033.jpg
Leading upto the main entrance.

So theres a few more :cool:

Comments welcome.

[crossbar5]

Heres a few pics from my visits from June up untill it was closed....
ive tried to post pictures of things not already posted online and will no dowt add some more in time. All pics have been resized, higher res versions available on request.

Flooding of the lower level pdu pit
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/pdupit-masked.jpg

Decay
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/conf-marked.jpg

One of my fav pics from the many visits
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/4sm-marked.jpg

shhh..
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/silence-marked.jpg

Forward planning...
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/planning-marked.jpg

No.5 ...still alive ;) found in the storage area
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/number5-marked.jpg

Storage area (with back to No.5)
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/storage-marked.jpg

[Pic contributed] Emergancy exit closed... ne1 want to own up to those scarr's the wall and door :P
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/lockeddown.jpg

[Pic contributed] Apparently the lower lock put up a fight all the way...
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/finalfight.jpg

Once again open for tours....
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/blasted-marked.jpg

Airel feeder layout
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/feeds-marked.jpg

Swith room (lower level in a foot of water)
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/switchroom-marked.jpg

Power distribution
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/power-marked.jpg

Looking towards emergancy exit
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/emhall-marked.jpg

Usefull numbers
http://www.rizla.plus.com/incoming/usefulnumbers-marked.jpg

Hope you enjoyed my first 28dl post ;)