National Gas Turbine Establishment - Pyestock - May 2011
Visited with NickUK
(I'd like to start by saying a massive thanks to all those who helped with info, Host especially for providing a detailed map and everyone else for their hints
)
Pyestock, Pyestock...
I have been yearning to visit Pyestock since Host told me of his adventures there last summer and I recall it being one of the first places I ever read about before I became interested in the exploring scene.
As usual, we started out in Manchester, leaving in the evening so that we would arrive in the small hours using the cover of darkness to make our way into the site, a simple yet effective task.
Trips like this need more than just fuel
In these hours, most security guards are asleep, supressed, watching late night TV or glancing up from the newspaper to make sure that the site they are supposed to be protecting is still safe, or even better, still there...
The security firm hired by the land-owners of Pyestock take a completely different approach...
We began our walk into the forest, the gap between the fence and forest lit by intermittent spouts of moonlight. However, we could hear music, some heavy 90's hi-hop music (Oldskool would have started busting moves if he was present). Taking into account a 4 hour drive and a lack of sleep, a few moments were required to ensure this was actually happening. Walking blindly through the forest, not really sure what to expect or what was happening, a noise could be heard, it got louder, more aggressive... HIT THE DECK!
Main beams flashed in between the trees and overgrowth, intense light and a satire of flashing orange, the engine revving high, then stopping, the lights would go off and fly in another direction frantically. What the hell was going on... By now it was too dark, we couldn't see, we were tired and demotivated and to be frank, on edge. I had been warned security were active, but did they know we were there? We had maintained dark silence all the way to the fence, back to the car for a nap and re-think...
Navigation in the day was to be easier
Morning approached, it was cold. Breakfast was had, after another hour or so scouting, we made our way into the site treading cautiously through the dead leaves and twigs that litter the perimeter making our way past monstrous structures, water tanks, office buildings, cooling towers with one objective in mind, the Airhouse. We'd already seen the "Gurkha" patrolling the perimeter that morning so this was no easy task, crossing one side of the site evading a vehicle and a man on foot was hard work, but perseverance and patience paid dividends. We had made it, seemingly unseen into the Airhouse. I was a little bit more than happy. We ate lunch on the Gantry crane and took it all in, knowing what we had achieved so far was just a snippet of what was to come...
The Air House
Yes I was buzzing, more than that. Onto Cell 3 we went, approaching was a bit of an unknown and with security's jeep sometimes humming just feet from where we were, we needed to tackle this using patience again, bearing in mind, it wasn't even lunch time yet, there was no rush. We became a little lost in the entanglement of blue and white pipes at one point. Having been warned some access points were 'staged' by security, we were cautious of our entry but made it in again, unseen and relatively unscathed...
Cell 3
We were both looking forward to getting into this chamber with the huge doors, security however had other plans and had sealed this one shut, you can see into it, which I did or you can get in another way, I was about to play life games away from home, I'll leave that for another day and therefore the next shot of some nice wires will have to suffice
We then magically appeared in the Computer Building which has been absolutely trashed in parts, however, it have a good eye over the
Land Rover's sitting point and allowed me an hour's kip.
(Image Courtesy Of Bug)
Continued...
Visited with NickUK
(I'd like to start by saying a massive thanks to all those who helped with info, Host especially for providing a detailed map and everyone else for their hints
)Pyestock, Pyestock...
I have been yearning to visit Pyestock since Host told me of his adventures there last summer and I recall it being one of the first places I ever read about before I became interested in the exploring scene.
As usual, we started out in Manchester, leaving in the evening so that we would arrive in the small hours using the cover of darkness to make our way into the site, a simple yet effective task.
Trips like this need more than just fuel
In these hours, most security guards are asleep, supressed, watching late night TV or glancing up from the newspaper to make sure that the site they are supposed to be protecting is still safe, or even better, still there...
The security firm hired by the land-owners of Pyestock take a completely different approach...
We began our walk into the forest, the gap between the fence and forest lit by intermittent spouts of moonlight. However, we could hear music, some heavy 90's hi-hop music (Oldskool would have started busting moves if he was present). Taking into account a 4 hour drive and a lack of sleep, a few moments were required to ensure this was actually happening. Walking blindly through the forest, not really sure what to expect or what was happening, a noise could be heard, it got louder, more aggressive... HIT THE DECK!
Main beams flashed in between the trees and overgrowth, intense light and a satire of flashing orange, the engine revving high, then stopping, the lights would go off and fly in another direction frantically. What the hell was going on... By now it was too dark, we couldn't see, we were tired and demotivated and to be frank, on edge. I had been warned security were active, but did they know we were there? We had maintained dark silence all the way to the fence, back to the car for a nap and re-think...
Navigation in the day was to be easier
Morning approached, it was cold. Breakfast was had, after another hour or so scouting, we made our way into the site treading cautiously through the dead leaves and twigs that litter the perimeter making our way past monstrous structures, water tanks, office buildings, cooling towers with one objective in mind, the Airhouse. We'd already seen the "Gurkha" patrolling the perimeter that morning so this was no easy task, crossing one side of the site evading a vehicle and a man on foot was hard work, but perseverance and patience paid dividends. We had made it, seemingly unseen into the Airhouse. I was a little bit more than happy. We ate lunch on the Gantry crane and took it all in, knowing what we had achieved so far was just a snippet of what was to come...
The Air House
Yes I was buzzing, more than that. Onto Cell 3 we went, approaching was a bit of an unknown and with security's jeep sometimes humming just feet from where we were, we needed to tackle this using patience again, bearing in mind, it wasn't even lunch time yet, there was no rush. We became a little lost in the entanglement of blue and white pipes at one point. Having been warned some access points were 'staged' by security, we were cautious of our entry but made it in again, unseen and relatively unscathed...
Cell 3
We were both looking forward to getting into this chamber with the huge doors, security however had other plans and had sealed this one shut, you can see into it, which I did or you can get in another way, I was about to play life games away from home, I'll leave that for another day and therefore the next shot of some nice wires will have to suffice
We then magically appeared in the Computer Building which has been absolutely trashed in parts, however, it have a good eye over the
Land Rover's sitting point and allowed me an hour's kip.
(Image Courtesy Of Bug)
Continued...
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