Swinderby in the process of demolition

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Gets on my nerves, the bases were built (with good reason) and paid for by the taxpayer. Yet nothing of the sale goes into the local community, least the thousands in revenue that local areas must lose when the bases shut.

Yet sombody paid by the taxpayer can strut around and be down right rude if you so much as ask to take a picture, where as the RAF Police were fine years ago when I photographed the JP at Cranwell.

I suggest we get wartime uniforms, and creep onto the base at night and scare the living daylights out of them!

Check out urbanex sites such as ’28 days later’ to see how these “far cheaper CCTV , signs and fencing” do not really stand up to the job.

Regards

Oops busted!!!

😉

Rubbish. I can see the logic in patrolling the technical site but posting an small army of guards to patrol the runway and dispersals is ridiculous. However CCTV , signs and fencing would be far cheaper than an expensive secuirty firm.

Yep, cheers for your input SADSACK, I was merely quoting from my experience of working with the MoD, ‘rubbish’ may be your opinion, but what I posted was fact, even if it does not solve the problem of “posting an small army of guards to patrol the runway and dispersals” as you say.

Check out urbanex sites such as ’28 days later’ to see how these “far cheaper CCTV , signs and fencing” do not really stand up to the job.

Regards

It is true though that a lot of MOD property does take a long time to sell whilst the powers that be decide if there is any further use. Quite apart from the damage caused by vandals and arsonists, the MOD has a duty of care to ensure that these idiots do not hurt themselves and try to sue them.

Sticking in a rather cheap (by comparison) security firm ensures that they are taking reasonable steps to secure the property, whilst not using the already overstretched service men.[/QUOTE]

Rubbish. I can see the logic in patrolling the technical site but posting an small army of guards to patrol the runway and dispersals is ridiculous. However CCTV , signs and fencing would be far cheaper than an expensive secuirty firm.

Newark & Notts Gliding Club, they were based at Winthorpe until last summer. They ceased gliding from that site when their operating lease was not renewed by the Agricultural Society who own the major parts of the former RAF Winthorpe airfield site that are still in existence.

I wonder if they have contacted RAF Syerston – home to ACO Gliding. Probably too busy. Then again, that site might close – you never know (Defence Airfield Review – the one they dare not publish).

As for Newton I’m certain the main tech site and airfield have been sold off (not sure about the old domestic houses to the East). When I visited last year (2006), the old grass airfield had been ploughed up by the farmer and the buildings were being repainted from MOD green, to a grey colour.

The houses that are on the edge of the A46 at Newton are such a waste, I lived there in the early 1980’s (Newton Gardens???) and it was a superb place to live, climbing over the old Varsity, Canberra and dumped Lightning, as well as the Lightning in one of the hangars (now flying in S.Africa I believe), and a airfield to explore, anyway, I am going off at a tangent…

Newton married quarters must not have been included in the wholesale of accomodation to Annington Homes in the 90’s, otherwise the Officers quarters would be sold off individually by now, as the Airmens Quarters have been for many years, unless they are waiting on selling off a bit of land to widen the A46!, just a thought! Whatever the situation, it is a waste of what was a brilliant place to live.

Just for interest which local gliding club

Newark & Notts Gliding Club, they were based at Winthorpe until last summer. They ceased gliding from that site when their operating lease was not renewed by the Agricultural Society who own the major parts of the former RAF Winthorpe airfield site that are still in existence.

Just a slight clarification.

…

Not so sure whether Newton has been fully handed over as I know a local Gliding Club has trying to negotiate to use the site but are having all sorts of difficulties. Mainly with Crown Estates in relation to clean up of possibly contaminated land. …

Just for interest which local gliding club

I guess at Swinderby orders are orders! At least I have some photos.

As for Newton, many of the building are being leased to a range of different companies and there was the issue of an asylum centre hanging over the site for several years.

The Gliding Club issue has been doing the rounds for at least two years. As I understand things [by coincidence updated this last weekend whilst en-route to Swinderby] it is a two way call between the MoD and Crown Estates over the possible clean-up of the potentially contaminated land – three ways if you include the Gliding Club that is looking for a new site, but cannot get sorted because of the other dispute.

Just a slight clarification.

Swinderby is now in private hands – I believe the company name quoted to me by the private security company operative was Evans Estates. I guess that he was well within his rights to stop me taking pictures on private property, but he didn’t object when I did it from the highway.

Not so sure whether Newton has been fully handed over as I know a local Gliding Club has trying to negotiate to use the site but are having all sorts of difficulties. Mainly with Crown Estates in relation to clean up of possibly contaminated land. When I took those pictures, the Robot Wars filming was in one of the old hangars and the car parking was around the old taxiways.

I do find it odd the guard has such a problem with people entering site at weekends. When I went round during the week, there were driving instructors taking students round the site, there was even a police van parked up near the old tower setting up an obstacle course for the officers to try driving round. In fact in part of the original post, which I didn’t reproduce, the author says the forklift driver he was talking to says they get a lot of old RAF boys looking round the site.

Whats the old saying, give a guy a uniform and he thinks hes Adolf Hitler?

As for Newton I’m certain the main tech site and airfield have been sold off (not sure about the old domestic houses to the East). When I visited last year (2006), the old grass airfield had been ploughed up by the farmer and the buildings were being repainted from MOD green, to a grey colour.

Have you got any pictures on-line?

Sorry Vicky Ten – a bit boring really; but the pictures are for lectures and articles; not enough time for photo accounts, websites etc.

Just a slight clarification.

When I took those pictures, the Robot Wars filming was in one of the old hangars and the car parking was around the old taxiways.

Have you got any pictures on-line?

Just a slight clarification.

Swinderby is now in private hands – I believe the company name quoted to me by the private security company operative was Evans Estates. I guess that he was well within his rights to stop me taking pictures on private property, but he didn’t object when I did it from the highway.

Not so sure whether Newton has been fully handed over as I know a local Gliding Club has trying to negotiate to use the site but are having all sorts of difficulties. Mainly with Crown Estates in relation to clean up of possibly contaminated land. When I took those pictures, the Robot Wars filming was in one of the old hangars and the car parking was around the old taxiways.

I wonder how many bases are disused, toally derelict but still MOD wonded and hence guarded? Woodhall Sap and Bardney are. How much is being spent guarding these?

Woodhall Spa is certainly not disused and totally derelict. True the Tornado engine work is no longer done there (to my knowledge) but it is not secured by a security company, it is the responsibility of RAF Coningsby.

Bardney has been out of RAF hands since the end of the Thor era in the mid 60’s as far as I am aware.

It is true though that a lot of MOD property does take a long time to sell whilst the powers that be decide if there is any further use. Quite apart from the damage caused by vandals and arsonists, the MOD has a duty of care to ensure that these idiots do not hurt themselves and try to sue them.

Sticking in a rather cheap (by comparison) security firm ensures that they are taking reasonable steps to secure the property, whilst not using the already overstretched service men.

Am I alone in questioning the sanity of a ministry which finds it a sensible idea to pay private security to guard empty dispersals, yet sends troops into battle with no kit?

Correct me if I’m wrong but Swinderby is now a privately owned industrial estate, having been purchased from the MOD in the mid-90’s. There would be no reason whatsoever for the RAF police to be there.

Same with Newton!

re

I wonder how many bases are disused, toally derelict but still MOD wonded and hence guarded? Woodhall Sap and Bardney are. How much is being spent guarding these?

Am I alone in questioning the sanity of a ministry which finds it a sensible idea to pay private security to guard empty dispersals, yet sends troops into battle with no kit?

No your not the only one who finds it rather strange to say the least.

re

Managed a few pictures of the old guardroom / entrance area today along with the main hangars on the Newark side of the former base, but struggled to get past the security man.

I was advised that currently any site access for photographs etc has to be cleared with Head Office in Retford, but they couldn’t stop me from taking anything from the road.

Perhaps for anyone seriously interested in picture some of the antique fairs would be a useful access route!

The main building work seems to be for a warehouse or similar structure on the right hand side about 200 yards from the A46, although there is also some work ongoing on the British Seedhouse site on the Lincoln side.

Which company should we check with? I’m more tactful than when I was younger. Back in 1995 I asked the security guard if he was RAF (he clearly wasnt) and when he said no, I replied “I can tell, look at the state of you. The RAF wouldnt have rubbish like you” little wonder he threatened me with his dog. So I nicked his sign and he did nothing. Had that sign for years…

Am I alone in questioning the sanity of a ministry which finds it a sensible idea to pay private security to guard empty dispersals, yet sends troops into battle with no kit?

Thank you for the suggestions Simon I was passing yesterday so I just decided to use the time to get a few images – at least you have extensive records already on your site so I am personally not too worried about returning.

I did a similar truncated exercise a few years with the control tower at RAF Newton when I took my two sons to see Robot Wars being filmed.

Managed a few pictures of the old guardroom / entrance area today along with the main hangars on the Newark side of the former base, but struggled to get past the security man.

I was advised that currently any site access for photographs etc has to be cleared with Head Office in Retford, but they couldn’t stop me from taking anything from the road.

Right, I had EXACTLY the same problem when I first tried to photograph Swinderby. Parked up at the Guardroom, took 2 pics then got told to clear off by the security guard who lurks in part of the old Guardroom monitoring the entrance on his CCTV.

There is always security on at weekends, best thing to do is go during the week during normal opening hours. Myself and others have managed to get on unchallenged during that time.

If you must go at weekends, DON’T park up at the guardroom. Drive straight on (assuming the barrier is open and hes not standing guard on it).

If however these 2 options don’t work, the OTHER thing to do is park up at the old airfield entrance to the South (the antique fair entrance) and walk accross the field (provided you can get on unchallenged and theres no antique fair on). You can get good shots of the old control tower that way, though I wouldn’t advise wandering round the tech site too much if you sneak on that way in case you’re on CCTV.

I would advise walking to the left first and then turning right along the N-S runway and keep walking along it til you get to the newer tower on the airfield, then cut accross towards the tech site. If you try to walk to the right you soon find the peri-track has been dug up before getting to the tech site, and DONT try cutting accross the grass, with it being long and the terrain rough it makes for a very long hard slog. Quicker to walk round on the tarmac runway.

Hope that helps!