RAF Staxton Wold (Driffield site). Nov 2008

[cactusmelba]

Opened in 1936, originally called RAF Driffield, changed hands to the Transport Corps in 1977 and renamed Alamein Barracks, until it eventually became RAF Staxton Wold in 199, then closed in 1996.

Half of the site is still active, with the army practising driving on the western part.

If you start at the Eastern end, there are numerous buildings to explore, some with quite grand fireplaces, MOST with broken windows. The married men's quarters, about 30/40 terraced houses are mostly accessible but broken up, very little sign of life left.

The 'H' block buildings are interesting, I think all four have cellars with esape hatches leading outside the buildings.

The gym at the far end is as far as I got, men working in the next yard were quite visible, but the whole gym has been turned into an impromptu skate park by industrious skaters, complete with half-pipe! well done!

Of particular interest to me was a small fenced off area that proclaimed a 'confined space', with steel ladders going down into the ground past a metal hatch, and a vent pipe was clearly visible a few metres away, I need to go back another time I think!

It is rumoured that the SAS visited the site in the late 1990s, using several buildings to practice the rapid entry of blockaded rooms using explosives. The Prison Service has also used a number of accommodation blocks, to train officers in riot control and prisoner restraint techniques. That may well explain the presence of rubber bullets here and there.

anyways, there's a VERY comprehensive website detailing the history of the place http://www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk/ here, and you can view a PDF of the site brochure when it was for sale too here.. http://www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk/future/brochure.pdf

on with the pics..

unsafe building.


Married mens quarters


the entrance hall with warping floor


Spot the urbexer!


I forgot to keep the light pointing AWAY from the lens!


Urinals. Scary. (only cos you might bump into George Michael..)


Half submerged boiler room. No i didn't go in.


Pin-up from 'dry stone waller' magazine. yummy!


H&S should run field trips to this kitchen.


2nd Salamanders!!?


Kitchen machinery. These levers operate the RAF moustache hair filters on the cookers.


Lovely old instrumentation. tells you when your chips are done.


Bedding store and biohazard. synonymous?


Blinkin diabetics and their nasty habits...


One of the cellars. so quiet you could hear a mouse fart. In fact I think I did.


The 2nd exit from the cellar. Comes out a few metres from the building.


Door on the right leads back up to ground level.


Next time I'm bringing a repair kit and using this to get about the site on!


Abstract composition, 'car door on neat pile of logs' I call it.


Someone's been meeting here... unnerving..


Halfway resting point..


odd booths..


bar. dry. poop.


Whoever wallpapered the ceiling should be shot. oh they probably were.


What are these brick enclosures?


Industrious skateboarders...


It was all I could do not to salute ..


danger confined space... . ? GREAT!


fenced off..


Note vent shaft.. there MUST be something under that grass.....


Thats it, further reports when i get underground!