Visited with: @UrbanZ
Intro:
By far the funniest and most enjoyable part of our Wiltshire trip had to be
@UrbanZ getting wedged so tight in-between a steel gate and bar, that the ensuing panic induced 'wriggle push pull' to freedom dance resulted in an extremely loud bottom burp (or worse
).
Explore:
If all directly related premises are taken into account, this site massive, and sealed tighter than a nuns... ermm...! But one nap and a few recces later we were in.
Upon entering the site from the main road you're greeted with the main station and a couple of outbuildings. This is where the explosives would have been transferred from the mainline locomotives to smaller ones capable of accessing the mines. A couple of the smaller trains are now in a museum.
Passing through the site there are various buildings, all in a bad state of disrepair and covered in horse shit due to a farmer using them to store cattle for many years.
Further into the increasingly overgrown site you come across a road bridge, then the impressive looking mine entrance with twin gates and doors, which are locked down tight. There is also and emergency exit on a second site close by, but again this is locked down.
Although having an interesting history, the site pretty much looks all the same, which was slightly disappointing considering the amount of time it took to gain entry.
The History:
The RAF acquired the land constructed multiple buildings on the site since 1936, mainly for administration purposes, and to provide services in its underground stores which was a bomb store throughout WW2, the final building being completed in 1939.
There were also immense surface storage bomb and ammunition dumps in other locations in the area, particularly in Grovely Woods.
Unlike most other RAF depots, Chilmark continued in use after the war. In 1994 supplies were transferred to the Nato depot at Glen Douglas in Scotland, prior to the complete closure of Chilmark in April 1995 with the loss of 200 jobs. Since then the site has been cleared of explosives, and much of the land towards Dinton has been sold off. In 1985 a bunker was built in the southern part of the site to serve as a Regional Government Headquarters, but this was decommissioned and sold in 1997.
Much of the site around Chilmark Quarries remains in Ministry of Defence ownership, and includes two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Now onto the pics. There are quite a few so i do apologize.
Some of the many outbuildings.
Looking back at the main entrance.
Main passageway leading in.
First and only room within the mine.
Ramp for what I assume would have been used for the loading and unloading of cargo.
Walkway to lift and emergency exit.
Emergency escape ladder and lift shaft.
Collapsed roof section past this door.
Obligatory
End of the line folks.
Thanks for looking
Intro:
By far the funniest and most enjoyable part of our Wiltshire trip had to be
@UrbanZ getting wedged so tight in-between a steel gate and bar, that the ensuing panic induced 'wriggle push pull' to freedom dance resulted in an extremely loud bottom burp (or worse
).Explore:
If all directly related premises are taken into account, this site massive, and sealed tighter than a nuns... ermm...! But one nap and a few recces later we were in.
Upon entering the site from the main road you're greeted with the main station and a couple of outbuildings. This is where the explosives would have been transferred from the mainline locomotives to smaller ones capable of accessing the mines. A couple of the smaller trains are now in a museum.
Passing through the site there are various buildings, all in a bad state of disrepair and covered in horse shit due to a farmer using them to store cattle for many years.
Further into the increasingly overgrown site you come across a road bridge, then the impressive looking mine entrance with twin gates and doors, which are locked down tight. There is also and emergency exit on a second site close by, but again this is locked down.
Although having an interesting history, the site pretty much looks all the same, which was slightly disappointing considering the amount of time it took to gain entry.
The History:
The RAF acquired the land constructed multiple buildings on the site since 1936, mainly for administration purposes, and to provide services in its underground stores which was a bomb store throughout WW2, the final building being completed in 1939.
There were also immense surface storage bomb and ammunition dumps in other locations in the area, particularly in Grovely Woods.
Unlike most other RAF depots, Chilmark continued in use after the war. In 1994 supplies were transferred to the Nato depot at Glen Douglas in Scotland, prior to the complete closure of Chilmark in April 1995 with the loss of 200 jobs. Since then the site has been cleared of explosives, and much of the land towards Dinton has been sold off. In 1985 a bunker was built in the southern part of the site to serve as a Regional Government Headquarters, but this was decommissioned and sold in 1997.
Much of the site around Chilmark Quarries remains in Ministry of Defence ownership, and includes two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Now onto the pics. There are quite a few so i do apologize.
Some of the many outbuildings.
Looking back at the main entrance.
Main passageway leading in.
First and only room within the mine.
Ramp for what I assume would have been used for the loading and unloading of cargo.
Walkway to lift and emergency exit.
Emergency escape ladder and lift shaft.
Collapsed roof section past this door.
Obligatory
End of the line folks.
Thanks for looking
