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View Full Version : RAF Croft, Warrington . Feb2010



judderman62
02-03-2010, 08:30 PM
Visited with smurfinator and her fella.

I didn't have very high expectations of this place - other reports I'd seen had a small number of interesting things in there but not a huge amount. On arrival it looked a little smaller than I was expecting - not tiny, but not huge either and nowhere near the size of Nocton in Lincolnshire.

Here is a page which gives an account of life at croft in the 50's http://www.rafburtonwood.org/croft.html

Seems croft was linked with the much larger RAF Burtonwood the other side of Warrington - I think nothing remains of burtonwood.

In later years it seems croft was used by a farmer to house animals - that is clear to see with lots of straw in some of the rooms.

In the end I have to say I did enjoy this explore - some cracking colours in the brickwork and some of the doors and some interesting, and some rather bizarre, little nick nacks and stuff.

So on with the pics:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4398916251_6f979ed009.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4399685788_3ef3482630.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2694/4398921231_2f64ddf79b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4399698596_eee272862d.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4399707980_a0bb9c430a.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2800/4398954687_0bb5db5001.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2707/4398954275_5fbe240e9e.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2778/4399725946_abd419eeb6.jpg

who's there ?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4398966243_8afe7f2653.jpg


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4399733176_3c2a9e52e3.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2790/4398972843_54cfce14c8.jpg

projection room:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4398985849_bdd0754ab9.jpg

stage:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4399751642_7431bab247.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4399757664_47a9012b54.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2769/4399744546_195f1350c8.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4398981327_13f24bf904.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2494/4399725254_1a38266ac0.jpg

I could go on - I could happily have posted 40-50 pics or more - this really is a very photogenic place - it's a very easy and relaxed explore (if a little busier than Oxford Circus).

If you do pay a visit watch out for the open manholes all over the grounds and some are very overgrown - so easy to come a cropper if you're not paying 100% attention.

So in closing have to say this place really surprised and me and comfortably exceeded my expectations.

thanks for the invite Smurf and was good to see you again - it'd been waaaay too long.

thanks for looking. The whole set is in my flickr set here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84462488@N00/sets/72157623411786333/ - all 178 images

TCCI
02-03-2010, 08:44 PM
nice work m8:thumb

judderman62
02-03-2010, 08:47 PM
nice work m8:thumb

cheers Cat

thesmurfinator
02-03-2010, 09:27 PM
very nice pics Judders :) I'll get mine up at some point

SilentHill
02-03-2010, 09:36 PM
I wouldn't mind a mooch round here mate :thumb

Agree about the colours, and that wrecked car is cool :)

Nice one bud :thumb

evilnoodle
02-03-2010, 09:39 PM
Good stuff, Judders..........I wouldn't mind a mooch round here too :thumb

judderman62
02-03-2010, 09:51 PM
looks like a revisit is on the cards then.

Look forward to seeing your pics smurf :thumb

boxfrenzy
02-03-2010, 10:03 PM
This is a place I've had my eye on a bit. Definitely some fun to be had lighting that car up in the dark (but not with fireworks) Good stuff J-man. Some top stuff appearing from the western side of the Penines at the moment :thumb

judderman62
02-03-2010, 10:04 PM
thanks all :)

georgie
02-03-2010, 10:13 PM
nice one judders i had a little mooch in here not so long ago im told its full of asbestos though

judderman62
02-03-2010, 10:17 PM
nice one judders i had a little mooch in here not so long ago im told its full of asbestos though

I believe so yes

Stoka
02-03-2010, 11:04 PM
It is indeed full of asbestos. Went back here last night, seems someones been doing some kind of photoshoots, lots of 'additions' to certain rooms, including fake blood.

judderman62
02-03-2010, 11:48 PM
It is indeed full of asbestos. Went back here last night, seems someones been doing some kind of photoshoots, lots of 'additions' to certain rooms, including fake blood.

yeah we saw that - and various wigs too

thesmurfinator
03-03-2010, 12:27 AM
It is indeed full of asbestos. Went back here last night, seems someones been doing some kind of photoshoots, lots of 'additions' to certain rooms, including fake blood.

Yeah we came across that Texas chainsaw stuff too - made for good photos though :)

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft2wm.jpg

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft3wm.jpg

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft4wm.jpg

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft7wm.jpg

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft8wm.jpg

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft9wm.jpg

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft5wm.jpg

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr314/forsakenplaces/Raf%20Croft%20-%20warrington/croft6wm.jpg

judderman62
03-03-2010, 12:29 AM
nice pics smurf :thumb

thesmurfinator
03-03-2010, 12:33 AM
Fanx hunni :)

SilentHill
03-03-2010, 01:10 AM
Very nice smurf :thumb

The more I see this, the more I wanna go :)

tictac
03-03-2010, 09:09 PM
looks good

did you find the tunnels?????

nugget44444
03-03-2010, 09:16 PM
Nice pictures love seeing old RAF Bases

judderman62
03-03-2010, 09:29 PM
looks good

did you find the tunnels?????

wasn't looking for any .... I don't do underground

evilnoodle
03-03-2010, 09:32 PM
looks good

did you find the tunnels?????

What tunnels? Where?

tictac
04-03-2010, 02:26 PM
under the air base was told years back by someone who worked on the site that you could get round most of warrington from the air base

skin
04-03-2010, 02:52 PM
Impressive lighting and pics. I wonder if that old car wasnt there what other feature could be made the focal point of the reports. Any decent externals to give a feel of the size of the place?

Stoka
04-03-2010, 03:20 PM
The only 'tunnels' I saw were the basement, which is flooded to the top of the stairs.

converse1
04-03-2010, 03:28 PM
Great composition there fella, like the car :thumb

tictac
04-03-2010, 11:13 PM
I was only going on what I was told about 15 years ago if not a lil bit longer I never looked into it back then and at this point in time I don't want to go back to warrington just to find out

judderman62
04-03-2010, 11:20 PM
thanks guys. yeah the car is great - there's a few other bits though so yeah even without the car it'd be worth the visit. The old cash register seems to have gone though.

Skin - yeah there are a few externals in my flickr set :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/84462488@N00/sets/72157623411786333/

yeah I noticed the basement was well flooded.

lots of open manholes to catch out the careless too

magooČ
05-03-2010, 10:52 AM
Tob job there matey. I love that car :thumb

judderman62
05-03-2010, 09:05 PM
cheers Matey - yeah the car is well cool