Ongar radio station, Essex

[ishootpictures]

Hi,

As promised in my New user hello, here are the pictures from my visit to the old Marconi radio station in Ongar, Essex on 28th October 2009.

Actually I'm quite glad I'm a new member and have to report in here, as I wouldn't know how to catagorise this site. It was Marconi originally, it saw military use and then BT use.

Anyway, the report... (Let me know how I do, give pointers etc).

Unfortunately the surface buildings have been torched a few years ago, but are still standing in their roofless state and have been more recently redecorated with graffiti. The underground stores show some signs of people attempting to create a fire, but due to their completely concrete construction, they're not going to burn. Also they tend to flood, so most wood inside is damp, and therefore fireproof.

[boxfrenzy]

That is surprisingly good. Although it is trashed, it looks a great place to wander around. Picture 7 is my favourite, very good

[wolfism]

Despite being wrecked - there's something evocative about ruined buildings sitting in the middle of woodland. Sounds like the radio station had an interesting history, too.

[ishootpictures]

It appears I haven't done the site justice...

The lower part, with all the insulators and cable drums is actually part of North Weald Redoubt, a Victorian fort, and there was more of it if I had clambered further into the woodland.

Oh well... Any excuse for a return visit :-)

[converse1]

Nice to see this, good luck for the return visit!

[BB]

Cool stuff

Whats those little things in pic 3?

[Runner]

[QUOTE][Whats those little things in pic 3? /QUOTE]

I think they might be formers for tuning coils?

[DAB]

The "underground buildings" are part of "North Weald Mobilisation Centre (aka North Weald Redoubt)", and the surface buildings "North Weald - Ongar Radio Transmitting Station"

[ishootpictures]

[QUOTE=Runner;72352]

[Whats those little things in pic 3? /QUOTE]

I think they might be formers for tuning coils?

Close, they're ceramic insulators used to insulate the antenna wires from the supporting cables and structure.

There are quite a few different types laying about, some broken, some intact. The ones in that picture were obviously originally in a box on the shelf, but the repeated flooding has caused the box to decay.

I was tempted to pick one up as a momento, but then remembered leave nothing but foot-prints, take nothing but photographs, and managed to control myself :-)

[ishootpictures]

The "underground buildings" are part of "North Weald Mobilisation Centre (aka North Weald Redoubt)", and the surface buildings "North Weald - Ongar Radio Transmitting Station"

That's the one. Thanks DAB.

The picture I took of the the chimney with the danger sign is the building on the far left of the third picture http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/s...io/index.shtml

The large building on the right in that picture is no longer there, I believe it was demolished after arson in the 1990s. There is also no sign of the carpark in that picture.

I'll try to take a picture from this angle when I go back.