Report - Kelmarsh Fuel Depot, Northamptonshire (July 2017)

[Hariboking727]

The History​

This site was one of a few fuel depots manned during the Cold War as part of the Government Pipelines and Storage System (GPSS). I'm not sure when it was decommissioned as there's very little online about it.

The Explore​

Getting in the site was very easy as multiple holes had been put in the chain-link fence. unfortunately the owner has decided to either fill in, brick up or weld shut most of the underground areas.

Luckily for us someone had broken down the wall into the main pump room so I managed to snap a couple shots in there.

A few more pictures before we got chased out my some farmer in the adjacent field

Thanks for looking,
Matt.

 

[Lost851]

Good to see this! I've been meaning to take a drive up to this one. I've got one down the road from me. All the underground is flooded apart from one fuel bunker. Always been curious how much is underground. I dont know if it's just the fuel bunker rooms or if theres more, tunnels etc. This was in use untill about 96 I think so maybe the same for yours. Surely for the cold war they had some protection. Maybe undeground just incase they had to keep the place running under nuclear warfare bla bla.
Can't find any history on this place either, just other explorers reports which seem to think there is tunnels. Such a shame for the flooding, we will never know. Still fully submerged after all this weather! Maybe it's retaining the water haha

 

[mookster]

Good to see this! I've been meaning to take a drive up to this one. I've got one down the road from me. All the underground is flooded apart from one fuel bunker. Always been curious how much is underground. I dont know if it's just the fuel bunker rooms or if theres more, tunnels etc. This was in use untill about 96 I think so maybe the same for yours. Surely for the cold war they had some protection. Maybe undeground just incase they had to keep the place running under nuclear warfare bla bla.
Can't find any history on this place either, just other explorers reports which seem to think there is tunnels. Such a shame for the flooding, we will never know. Still fully submerged after all this weather! Maybe it's retaining the water haha

Not Islip by any chance? It provided fuel to RAF Upper Heyford in it's day and closed along with the base in 1994 - most of the structures have been demolished now.

 

[Lost851]

Not Islip by any chance? It provided fuel to RAF Upper Heyford in it's day and closed along with the base in 1994 - most of the structures have been demolished now.

Ye man, Buidings have been demolished? Tjeyre all locked up aswell unfortunately. Would be good to see in the bomb shelter thing, blast doors welded shut since closure..

 

[mookster]

Ye man, Buidings have been demolished? Tjeyre all locked up aswell unfortunately. Would be good to see in the bomb shelter thing, blast doors welded shut since closure..

Yes a lot of the above ground structures, I'd say around 3/4s have gone. The buildings always were locked up tight until a few months or so before clearance began when I turned up and found them all wide open.

 

[Lost851]

Yes a lot of the above ground structures, I'd say around 3/4s have gone. The buildings always were locked up tight until a few months or so before clearance began when I turned up and found them all wide open.

Ahhh bugger, didn't realise. That makes sense of the huge mound in the middle of the site then, rubble pile! You ever seen any underground here? There's one underground fuel tank which you can access the underground service room thing. nothing interesting though. You reckon there's much underground? All the coastal fuel depots seem to.

 

[mookster]

Ahhh bugger, didn't realise. That makes sense of the huge mound in the middle of the site then, rubble pile! You ever seen any underground here? There's one underground fuel tank which you can access the underground service room thing. nothing interesting though. You reckon there's much underground? All the coastal fuel depots seem to.

On my visits there all the underground stuff has always been flooded, so not much to see I don't think. Most of the underground stuff there would be fuel reservoirs anyway.

 

[Hariboking727]

Good to see this! I've been meaning to take a drive up to this one. I've got one down the road from me. All the underground is flooded apart from one fuel bunker. Always been curious how much is underground. I dont know if it's just the fuel bunker rooms or if theres more, tunnels etc. This was in use untill about 96 I think so maybe the same for yours. Surely for the cold war they had some protection. Maybe undeground just incase they had to keep the place running under nuclear warfare bla bla.
Can't find any history on this place either, just other explorers reports which seem to think there is tunnels. Such a shame for the flooding, we will never know. Still fully submerged after all this weather! Maybe it's retaining the water haha

Some parts of this one are flooded, but mainly just sealed up. I haven't been there since last year so it may all be sealed up again.

 

[Mintyjimbob]

This site at Kelmarsh is all sealed up now, or the underground pump Room is at least which is a shame. :

 

[True_British_Metal]

Yes a lot of the above ground structures, I'd say around 3/4s have gone. The buildings always were locked up tight until a few months or so before clearance began when I turned up and found them all wide open.

They're still there actually! They just excavated the fuel tanks to assess their depth and profile the site. They've not been demolished because the new owner can't get planning permission to do what he wants with the site.

The underground bits that are flooded don't lead anywhere when I checked. They're all dead ends. At the top of the site are 4 fuel tanks accessed by these black ports. I went inside them but didn't take any photos. Absolutely stank of kerosene as you'd expect.

 

[True_British_Metal]

Ye man, Buidings have been demolished? Tjeyre all locked up aswell unfortunately. Would be good to see in the bomb shelter thing, blast doors welded shut since closure..

The blast shelter doors are locked and jammed shut. I've consistently tried to open them and failed.

If you want to access the underground tanks look for the black portals at the top of the site; 3/4 are open and accessible.

 

[Lost851]

The blast shelter doors are locked and jammed shut. I've consistently tried to open them and failed.

If you want to access the underground tanks look for the black portals at the top of the site; 3/4 are open and accessible.

The blast shelter doors are locked and jammed shut. I've consistently tried to open them and failed.

If you want to access the underground tanks look for the black portals at the top of the site; 3/4 are open and accessible.

Ye I presumed most buildings were still there. I've been twice, first time I gotnout just before a man started walking around, looking for me I think. Went back the other week when I was bored. Saw everything then! Definetly smelt! A good explore anyway Got down 2 different tanks but that was it. Would love to see in the blast shelter, wonder what was left. Handles are snapped off now though.

 

[True_British_Metal]

Ye I presumed most buildings were still there. I've been twice, first time I gotnout just before a man started walking around, looking for me I think. Went back the other week when I was bored. Saw everything then! Definetly smelt! A good explore anyway Got down 2 different tanks but that was it. Would love to see in the blast shelter, wonder what was left. Handles are snapped off now though.

Don't worry about him, that's just the guy who lives next door. He walks his dog round the place. He won't say anything.

I took a photo with my phone, it's only got bits of junk in it. It'll still be interesting to see.