RAF Wroughton is today the overspill storage and archives site for the London Science Museum. It is closed to the public but access is possible by application for genuine researchers. With heavy security and numerous treasures in storage, it's a no go zone for the likes of us and that's a shame as this must have been one big WW2 airfield in it's day with the control tower, C Type hangars, D Type hangars, L Type hangars and Robins hangars all still present.
If anybody is thinking of requesting permission just to photograph the buildings, here's the typical response taken from the internet "Just got off the phone form a contact at RAF Wroughton/science museum, and we spoke about a visit to photograph the former WW2 buildings including the old control tower, hangars etc and the answer was NO WAY, they are doing building work to try and stablize the buildings and as such public access is out of the question".
My own experience is that if you drive up to the gate and politely ask to go in to look at the buildings, it's a polite Foxtrot Oscar.
This report is on a few airfield relics that can be seen outside the perimeter fence.
HISTORY
RAF Wroughton opened in April 1940. Also present on this site was RAF Hospital Wroughton. It was opened as the RAF General Hospital on 14 June 1941, and treated both military and civilian patients. It was renamed RAF Princess Alexandra Hospital on 4 October 1967. It was closed on 31 March 1996 and was demolished and now a housing estate.
The Science Museum took ownership of the 545 acre airfield in 1979, to be used as a storage facility for the largest objects of the Science Museum. A collection of approximately 26000 objects is currently kept in six of the hangars, from the first hovercraft to MRI scanners, computers to (de-activated) nuclear missiles. The store is particularly notable for its extensive collection of vintage aircraft, road transport vehicles, agricultural machinery and industrial collections.
In storage here is a Boeing 247 plane. That means nothing to me, but a person who works with me in the office and a bit of an plane spotter tells me it's extremely special and gives him wet dreams. He is fuming that it's not in an aircraft museum where it could actually be seen.
In December 2013 planning permission was given for a large solar farm to be constructed on about 67 hectares of the airfield, where over 150000 solar panels would be installed. If it happens, it will be the UK's largest solar farm.
THE EXPLORE
Surrounded by three hexagonal type 22 pillboxes, this has to be Britain's most heavily defended underground reservoir. It lies in a field in the vicinity of the married quarters (now a housing estate) and resembles a neglected and overgrown Teletubby Land
And in it's heyday...
Anyways. back to the present
It's difficult to determine any history for this reservoir, but an information panel on the wall informs me that Eric sucked cock here. An arrow showed me the exact spot. It was a privilege to had stood on the exact spot that this great event in British history occurred and I felt honoured. I have been unable to determine who Eric is or when this historical event may had happened. However, if Eric is reading or if anyone here was witness to this event then please let us all know.
Probably about 15m long and 5m wide.
Next we look at the three type 22 pillboxes which are equally spaced around the reservoir. The type 22 pillbox is the regular shaped pillbox. If it was an irregular hexagon shape, then it's the type 24. It is estimated that some 28000 pillboxes and other hardened field fortifications were constructed in the United Kingdom during World War Two, of which about 6500 still survive. The type 22 is the second most common type of pillbox with about 1347 remaining.
First pillbox:
Second pillbox:
Third pillbox:
Inside I was greeted by the hospitality of the previous residents and made to feel very welcome.
Finally, not too far away, was the remains of a small underground room with a heavy door support and the remains of electrical wiring. There are no remains of stairs and I guess access would have been by ladder.
Thanks for reading
If anybody is thinking of requesting permission just to photograph the buildings, here's the typical response taken from the internet "Just got off the phone form a contact at RAF Wroughton/science museum, and we spoke about a visit to photograph the former WW2 buildings including the old control tower, hangars etc and the answer was NO WAY, they are doing building work to try and stablize the buildings and as such public access is out of the question".
My own experience is that if you drive up to the gate and politely ask to go in to look at the buildings, it's a polite Foxtrot Oscar.
This report is on a few airfield relics that can be seen outside the perimeter fence.
HISTORY
RAF Wroughton opened in April 1940. Also present on this site was RAF Hospital Wroughton. It was opened as the RAF General Hospital on 14 June 1941, and treated both military and civilian patients. It was renamed RAF Princess Alexandra Hospital on 4 October 1967. It was closed on 31 March 1996 and was demolished and now a housing estate.
The Science Museum took ownership of the 545 acre airfield in 1979, to be used as a storage facility for the largest objects of the Science Museum. A collection of approximately 26000 objects is currently kept in six of the hangars, from the first hovercraft to MRI scanners, computers to (de-activated) nuclear missiles. The store is particularly notable for its extensive collection of vintage aircraft, road transport vehicles, agricultural machinery and industrial collections.
In storage here is a Boeing 247 plane. That means nothing to me, but a person who works with me in the office and a bit of an plane spotter tells me it's extremely special and gives him wet dreams. He is fuming that it's not in an aircraft museum where it could actually be seen.
In December 2013 planning permission was given for a large solar farm to be constructed on about 67 hectares of the airfield, where over 150000 solar panels would be installed. If it happens, it will be the UK's largest solar farm.
THE EXPLORE
Surrounded by three hexagonal type 22 pillboxes, this has to be Britain's most heavily defended underground reservoir. It lies in a field in the vicinity of the married quarters (now a housing estate) and resembles a neglected and overgrown Teletubby Land
And in it's heyday...
Anyways. back to the present
It's difficult to determine any history for this reservoir, but an information panel on the wall informs me that Eric sucked cock here. An arrow showed me the exact spot. It was a privilege to had stood on the exact spot that this great event in British history occurred and I felt honoured. I have been unable to determine who Eric is or when this historical event may had happened. However, if Eric is reading or if anyone here was witness to this event then please let us all know.
Probably about 15m long and 5m wide.
Next we look at the three type 22 pillboxes which are equally spaced around the reservoir. The type 22 pillbox is the regular shaped pillbox. If it was an irregular hexagon shape, then it's the type 24. It is estimated that some 28000 pillboxes and other hardened field fortifications were constructed in the United Kingdom during World War Two, of which about 6500 still survive. The type 22 is the second most common type of pillbox with about 1347 remaining.
First pillbox:
Second pillbox:
Third pillbox:
Inside I was greeted by the hospitality of the previous residents and made to feel very welcome.
Finally, not too far away, was the remains of a small underground room with a heavy door support and the remains of electrical wiring. There are no remains of stairs and I guess access would have been by ladder.
Thanks for reading
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