Merstham AAOR Bunker
History
AAOR's or Anti-Aircraft Operations Rooms were used to coordinate early warning radar information by filtering the RAW data from the radar to make the data as useful as possible. They also coordinated with ROC.
Merstham AAOR Bunker, or sometimes known as Pendell Camp was constructed as an Anti Aircraft Command Operation room in 1951 when it was used until 1960. It formed part of the Pendell Army Camp that was demolished when the M23 was built in 1974.
In the early 1960s the bunker was taken over by the Home Office and used by the Metropolitan Police as its Southern War Headquarters. It remained in use until 1991 when it was stripped out. The site was sold in 2001 and slowly fell into dereliction.
At some point It was used to grow cannabis and was raided and cleared out. Evidence of planters and fertilizer still remain.
Explore
I've been here twice, parking up the first time and making my way up the long wooded, wet and muddy path, Merstham AAOR was in view with a huge 10ft fence perimeter keeping people out, the only way in was of course.. to climb the fence.
We did with some difficulty as there was no access for feet or hands to help aid is in the climb.
We finally got over and inside the chamber we went, the big iron door was open as if it had been blown off the hinges!
The oily smell filled the Bunker, the explore was nice, different, very dark and reminded me of my explore at portsdown Bunker Tunnels.
We took pictures for quite sometime, taking multiple pictures as I couldn't see due to the dark and made our way out. The second explore here was much easier, the perimetered fence was no longer there and had been mowed down with force, easy access, the big iron door was still hanging on by a thread and nothing had changed inside!
View attachment 934483
History
AAOR's or Anti-Aircraft Operations Rooms were used to coordinate early warning radar information by filtering the RAW data from the radar to make the data as useful as possible. They also coordinated with ROC.
Merstham AAOR Bunker, or sometimes known as Pendell Camp was constructed as an Anti Aircraft Command Operation room in 1951 when it was used until 1960. It formed part of the Pendell Army Camp that was demolished when the M23 was built in 1974.
In the early 1960s the bunker was taken over by the Home Office and used by the Metropolitan Police as its Southern War Headquarters. It remained in use until 1991 when it was stripped out. The site was sold in 2001 and slowly fell into dereliction.
At some point It was used to grow cannabis and was raided and cleared out. Evidence of planters and fertilizer still remain.
Explore
I've been here twice, parking up the first time and making my way up the long wooded, wet and muddy path, Merstham AAOR was in view with a huge 10ft fence perimeter keeping people out, the only way in was of course.. to climb the fence.
We did with some difficulty as there was no access for feet or hands to help aid is in the climb.
We finally got over and inside the chamber we went, the big iron door was open as if it had been blown off the hinges!
The oily smell filled the Bunker, the explore was nice, different, very dark and reminded me of my explore at portsdown Bunker Tunnels.
We took pictures for quite sometime, taking multiple pictures as I couldn't see due to the dark and made our way out. The second explore here was much easier, the perimetered fence was no longer there and had been mowed down with force, easy access, the big iron door was still hanging on by a thread and nothing had changed inside!
View attachment 934483
