Bikes and Bunkers

[jim haseltine]

Despite there being more WW2 airfields around here than you can shake a spoke at, there's now very little remaining above ground that you can get to without trespassing - the phrase "site visits are not welcome" or similar is used a lot. The airfield that I live next to is now mostly only visible as a few tag ends of runway concrete on Google Earth, the rest of it is a housing estate and retail park.

 

[Dface]

Despite there being more WW2 airfields around here than you can shake a spoke at, there's now very little remaining above ground that you can get to without trespassing - the phrase "site visits are not welcome" or similar is used a lot. The airfield that I live next to is now mostly only visible as a few tag ends of runway concrete on Google Earth, the rest of it is a housing estate and retail park.

I was trying to find one close to my house yesterday and I’ve discovered it’s at the bottom of someone’s garden so I can’t get to it. There’s plenty down the nature reserve though so I’m off out today hunting. Bunkers, not birds..

 

[Dface]

Cool bunker. Not so cool puncture.

 

[jim haseltine]

In 2008 these were all that was left of the local airfield buildings. A year later they were gone. Now it looks like this. In the early 1990s I worked in a factory on the other side of the airfield which used a load of the old buildings - so much so that the main assembly halls were all called hangers. As we supplied parts for military vehicles there was still a MOD phone line installed in the gate house which was regularly tested - as were the air raid sirens.
All long gone.
A few months back the last of the distributed buildings of RAF Shipton was demolished. The railway loading dock is still visible as long as you know where to look. The forested mound of the Cold War ROTOR SOC and RGHQ bunker (now in private hands and well secured) is visible when passing along the A19 north of the village.

 

[Dface]

Sun’s out. Guns out. (In the right thread this time though)

 

[bikeworkshop]

I've been past here 1000 times, but with a couple of minutes pulling nettles and Ivy back...
Guarding Bigsweir Bridge on the English side

 

[Dface]

Enemy 12 o clock.

 

[Southville Hop]

Heyshott Heath near Midhurst.

 

[Dface]

Got a couple on tonight’s ride. Drive and ride past them regularly and never knew either of them were there.

 

[Rotorhead]

PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): e41998. Kidbrook, South East London.​

This turns out to be my local bunker. Not an easy find, being sandwiched between a railway line and the end of a private garden, down a private road, but I’ve done my duty for Retrobike. Actually very close to the Kid brook itself - I believe one of London’s lost rivers. Nice excuse for a test ride with the more raised stem I just put on this today. A last chance for this bike: it’s just so damn long for my evidently shorter torso.