Lead or Rumour info - Coopers Hill University - Egham

[Morgan]

New to this but, have visited this place many of times for a while, and thought id get a report up but due to our lovely weather has been a bit tricky, went and got some long exposure night shots the other night but of course it started raining so wasn't there long, the photos I have got don't really do the place justice, but when I get the time I will get go and get some good photos and make my first report on this place, lot of history and all that, building at the back is somewhat a few years older, have a look..

 

[The Kwan]

This looks reet interesting Morgan, thanks for the heads up its a pity that you have no internal shots but it really does look good and looking forward here to your report

 

[skiptour]

Looks pretty well guarded Morgan from my quick reccie, have you managed to access inside?

 

[Morgan]

Looks pretty well guarded Morgan from my quick reccie, have you managed to access inside?

Yes, many of times, demolition has started on the newer classrooms and accommodation in the past week, and with about 100 hippies living in the woodland area at the back(i know sounds crazy, but true) I think a few have been trying to find better shelter than there homemade tents with all this weather we are getting, i've seen new ways in recently which have all been swiftly sorted out, there are still plenty of ways around and in and out all over the place though still mate, The sports hall is the only completely inaccessible building I believe, after I have got my report done i have a few things I can send over that will help you out ALOT if you want?

 

[skiptour]

I think i found the worst entry point - the security hut! Don't know the area and i'd already been wandering about for 2hrs so that was enough for me at the time. Actually stumbled across a post about the hippies, and i suspect i passed two of them on my way down Cooper's Hill Lane. I'd be very grateful if you could send me some info - gilchrist1983 at hotmail dot com.

 

[elliot5200]

Looks good Morgan, it's a little out my way but might have to give this a look myself!

 

[Southside UE]

Nice work. Looks worth a mooch

 

[Harlquinth]

Very interesting! Sorry to here that they've started demolishing it though - I assume they've finally decided to start building something new?

Used to stay in the halls of residence here when I went to Royal Holloway university, and spent many an hour exploring the beautiful grounds.

Hope they manage to preserve some of the history of the place like they originally planned (there's various interesting statues and trees brought from abroad from when the place was an engineering college before it was a university - it has links with India if I remember). Will have to see if I can dig out some of the pictures I took before I left - I made sure I had plenty of pictures from around the grounds as they were in the process of selling when I was there.

Any idea if the old canteen building is being demolished or if it's been saved? It's the modern looking building, roughly in the centre of the site with the funny shaped roof. From what I remember, it's a unique building designed by a certain person (who I can't remember) - originally there were only four built to the design, and I believe it's the only surviving one.

Hq.

 

[Morgan]

Already been built just down the round, shame really, knocking everything uni related down apart from the old houses at the back, yes most statues have gone, one was of a duke who died in a car crash or something when they lived there, i know the building your on about, really odd roof like inside out, but yeah there knocking that down, they have only just started on the green houses or little sheds if you know anything about them? Also do you know anything about the well with the weird looking machine around it? Very curious about that..

Morgs,

 

[Harlquinth]

I remember that there was a small building near the back/side of the main (grade 1 or 2?) listed building with a sign on it which said 'Artesian Well', never saw what was inside though - have they knocked the building down but left the contents intact or something?

Wonder what happened to the statues etc - hopefully they've been saved somewhere. I remember on the original plans that were proposed they were planning to turn a lot of the grounds into a public park type area because they could only get planning permissing for building where the existing buildings were.

Shame that Royal Holloway didn't win the bid to own the site, as I'm sure they could have made good use of the existing buildings rather than it laying derlict for 6-7 years!

Hq.

 

[Harlquinth]

Found this website whilst searching which has a fair bit of history about the site: The Runnymede Campus Archive » History

Has a map of pictures which may be useful/interesting:
http://www.runnymedecampus.com/explore/

this is the Artesian well building that I remember, at the southeast corner of college/president hall on the map:
The Runnymede Campus Archive » The Artesian Pumping Well

Hq.

 

[Northern ninja]

Me and landie man hit this place up about a year ago got pics from the place but never did a report

 

[Gabe]

Its far from inspiring....

 

[Harlquinth]

Why?

 

[Gabe]

Cause theres very little to see, totally stripped out, proper derp.

Its only saving grace is the security guy gave us coconuts, true story.