Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Islip, Oxfordshire/Fallowfield, Manchester
    Posts
    157
    Thanks
    140
    Thanked 33 Times in 29 Posts

    Default GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    Visited with Mookie and Landie.

    Initial blunders
    First thing's first. I'm sworn to secrecy about the location, but Landie and I originally planned to take a peek at the derelict part of an enormous but very much live MOD site. All's well and good initially, so we have a gander round the bits that aren't beyond the public boundary. So we get to the fence, and it's all dead and boarded up. We spot a van inside. Security guard? Sure. So walking down a public road, cameras still out, and an MOD police dog unit van drives past. I pay no attention, but Landie sees him slow down and take a peek at us. So we continue walking down, but as soon as we get to the gate the van reappears, stops and the guy questions us. To be fair he knew his rights and our own and he was perfectly fair and friendly about it. We were asked general questions i.e. what we were up to, what we did for a living, and if we had ID on us. Course I didn't have any, but he said I didn't need to give any details so considering I was on the public boundary I refused. The officer said that they get funny about people walking round with cameras (despite the fact that regular businesses and civilians work on the sites), even though there's nothing genuinely sensitive about the site (though he said it's covered by the official secrets act). But on the other hand I'm very glad I didn't get caught INSIDE, considering they were training dogs there and that according to the byelaw it's subject to it's a fine of up to £500 for any offending act including trespass*. I'll be leaving that lead until the ownership passes to the DIO or private hands.

    *For byelaws on specific MOD sites, active or inactive (revoked), check out this link, search byelaw.

    Rewind to 2008-2011
    Well well, where do I start with this place? My first explore with UKMayhem in 2008, and a place that's been on my doorstep all my life. I was always fascinated by the look of the site, just wondering what it would be like inside and what would happen with it. Nothing happened with the site as far as I could see, until 2008 when the railway track inside was removed. Thinking something would be happening with the site, I joined an urbex forum and met UKMayhem. We got inside, only to find every single building locked with heavy duty padlocked, and the underground tunnels flooded. We did find one building unlocked but contractors (who visited twice weekly) found this and boarded it up instantly. What an anti-climax eh? I returned in 2011 with Mookie, and nothing had changed still.

    The visit
    So I'd been tipped off about a pikey attack from a mate who lives next to the place, so I made it a priority. But when I returned from Manchester, a security guard appeared and groundwork appeared to be ongoing now that the place was sold to an unknown company. Thinking this place was under threat, I took a look but just before I got to the best bit security catches me when they step out the cabin (the place is like no mans land everywhere). A foreign guy comes over, barely speaking any English and threatens to call the police because he was alone and (no joke) he thinks I'd attack him. So that was game over there, BUT what I did notice was that most buildings had been broken into and were accessible.

    Fast forward a few months later, and security had gone. A quick invite to Mookie and we made our entry soon after.



    What we saw was astounding! Admittedly it's not epic to your average explorer, but given that I've woken every day to see this place, it was genuinely amazing to see just what treasures lay in waiting!








    The place, since it closed in 1994 (along with Upper Heyford, which it supplied Kerosene to) had been kept on standby by the DIO. They said that critical equipment and grounds maintenance was undertaken as well as security, prior to a planned reinstatement by the MOD. Though decayed since closure, it was maintained to a point where it could be brought back to use within a very short time, which meant that the whole site was a total time warp! Machinery was intact, and virtually all of the stuff left from when it was open remained in situ! According to the logbook left in the office, this continued right up until May 2012 when the site was prepared for sale.

















    Alas, this being opened up has not been without its drawbacks. The blast-proof staff building, which was built to a near identical specification to the bunker in the QRA at RAF Upper Heyford, had been badly pikeyed and set fire to in the process. A real shame too, considering this too would've had some interesting switchboards (eg. Islip-Upper Heyford alarm system) and also been an epic timewarp!



    Had a rather hilarious encounter though, when the farmer came in to add a new haybale! Landie and I went to hide behind a mound, whilst Mookie was still inside one of the buildings! How he didn't see Mookie running across in full view of him to hide let alone do anything, I will never know. I can't explain why, but put simply hiding from him was damn funny!

    Stay tuned for the next update...
    Last edited by True_British_Metal; 07-04-2013 at 05:24 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Islip, Oxfordshire/Fallowfield, Manchester
    Posts
    157
    Thanks
    140
    Thanked 33 Times in 29 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    And now, for the most amazing part of the site. I don't know what to call this building, but it looked magnificent!

    I did get caught in this room, which meant that it got boarded up unfortunately, meaning no access to the largest room! That said, 2 of the boards to the other bits had been ripped off and I'm sure the biggest part won't stay sealed forever.















    Sadly this was all that remained of note in the bunker.


    1 of 4 underground tanks near the front of the site.


    Offices








    Also of note in the office area were 2 small air raid shelters, 1 of which looked like a Nissen hut. Sadly the latter was buried and just peeking out from underneath the turf, and the other was sealed shut with a blast door and flooded. Incredible nonetheless.

    On a final note, it appears that one part of the deep underground parts isn't flooded, so I'll be back without a shadow of doubt to have a look at this and the sealed part of the "pipe shed". Sorry for being so wordy, but it's an amazing site nonetheless.

    Love TBM x
    Last edited by True_British_Metal; 07-04-2013 at 10:43 PM.

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to True_British_Metal For This Useful Post:

    Tankman (10-04-2013)

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    62
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 22 Times in 14 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    Admittedly, that is cooler than I thought it would be. Didn't expect generators and pumping equipment to still be in place.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Boba Low For This Useful Post:

    True_British_Metal (07-04-2013)

  6. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    West Yorkshire
    Posts
    1,264
    Thanks
    5
    Thanked 316 Times in 194 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    The MOD always keep everything well maintained. Interesting site and looks like it has more to offer.

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to Rebel For This Useful Post:

    True_British_Metal (09-04-2013)

  8. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Islip, Oxfordshire/Fallowfield, Manchester
    Posts
    157
    Thanks
    140
    Thanked 33 Times in 29 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    They do if they plan to bring them back into use at least...

  9. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    531
    Thanks
    155
    Thanked 112 Times in 76 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    Looking good TBM, nicely documented, thanks for sharing.
    Your 'Initial blunders' paragraph, sounds identical to a situation I had not so long ago, at possibly the same site (without given any details away) not so far away from UH?
    Nuclear Bunker & Fallout Shelter Cleaning Specialist. One Mushroom Cloud will keep your bunker, radiant and shiney for years! Ring us now for specialist advice

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to Tankman For This Useful Post:

    True_British_Metal (23-04-2013)

  11. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Islip, Oxfordshire/Fallowfield, Manchester
    Posts
    157
    Thanks
    140
    Thanked 33 Times in 29 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    Quote Originally Posted by Tankman View Post
    Looking good TBM, nicely documented, thanks for sharing.
    Your 'Initial blunders' paragraph, sounds identical to a situation I had not so long ago, at possibly the same site (without given any details away) not so far away from UH?
    Tankman, you've told me about this once before so the answer is yes we had exactly the same encounter.

    PS. Having looked at the planning brief for this site, was it the UH Heritage Group who put in a request for a photographic survey?

  12. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    531
    Thanks
    155
    Thanked 112 Times in 76 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    PS. Having looked at the planning brief for this site, was it the UH Heritage Group who put in a request for a photographic survey?[/QUOTE]

    Yes it was, but we have not heard anything back since the planning application got turned down.
    Nuclear Bunker & Fallout Shelter Cleaning Specialist. One Mushroom Cloud will keep your bunker, radiant and shiney for years! Ring us now for specialist advice

  13. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Islip, Oxfordshire/Fallowfield, Manchester
    Posts
    157
    Thanks
    140
    Thanked 33 Times in 29 Posts

    Default Re: GPSS Fuel Depot, Islip, Oxfordshire, April 2013

    OK. I'll go back in a couple of months time to see if the main attraction opens up more, but I don't think it will.

    If you know anything about the site, what's down the flooded underground bits that're plated over? And is the staff building at the end a carbon copy of UH's QRA bunker?

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 7
    Last Post: 15-01-2013, 05:28 PM
  2. Twemlow fuel depot Macclesfield 01/2011
    By oldskool in forum Industrial sites
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 04-03-2011, 08:53 AM
  3. Archived: Boars Hill ROC Post - (Oxfordshire Group) - April 2009
    By Bunkerkid in forum Oxfordshire
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 18-04-2009, 10:14 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •