Military Sonar Factory

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5t3tcv743

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Today me and one of my crew members Liam went to Fenstanton to explore some abandoned sites. We were only able to access 2 of them. The factory has no history but I was told that it was a Sonar Factory during WW2. I do believe we were the first ever to set foot in the building ever since it was abandoned! Here are the pics i gathered! ;)

32293318272_896cd0c034_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 060 by explorer x, on Flickr

32404610416_8a4cb08787_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 050 by explorer x, on Flickr

31601324634_d72b09b0c9_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 049 by explorer x, on Flickr

32066831920_603da01661_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 038 by explorer x, on Flickr

32293304942_d78f23e75e_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 045 by explorer x, on Flickr

32293301132_aceecb61f4_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 042 by explorer x, on Flickr

32066562610_9899edfe79_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 033 by explorer x, on Flickr

32293296022_2803b1d563_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 035 by explorer x, on Flickr

31601312884_d06f322106_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 037 by explorer x, on Flickr

32293297462_1d87e42416_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 036 by explorer x, on Flickr

31632858823_dba73f0c8a_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 043 by explorer x, on Flickr

32404588086_ca840cc694_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 040 by explorer x, on Flickr

32404589616_81b3155192_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 044 by explorer x, on Flickr

31601317274_f123021e8f_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 047 by explorer x, on Flickr

Unexplored Basement!

32066569980_ae80614df0_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 048 by explorer x, on Flickr

32444598695_759901eaf7_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 057 by explorer x, on Flickr

32444592015_83565acc82_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 058 by explorer x, on Flickr

32404600156_eb2f7b326f_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 066 by explorer x, on Flickr

31601334194_759cecab79_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 064 by explorer x, on Flickr

32293320692_86aa3c482c_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 055 by explorer x, on Flickr

Unpulled Fire Extinguisher!

32323492371_ebe37bfbbd_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 052 by explorer x, on Flickr

32066582770_cfceaae694_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 051 by explorer x, on Flickr

Subway

32323454011_a8bc06cdae_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 003 by explorer x, on Flickr

31632875153_8cbbc06679_c.jpgmilitaryFactory 061 by explorer x, on Flickr

Hope you all enjoyed!
 
Some nice shots there … looks a little reminiscent of a 1950's telephone exchange.
 
This is definitely not military, it looks more municipal, something related to drinking water pumping & treatment is my guess.
 
This is definitely not military, it looks more municipal, something related to drinking water pumping & treatment is my guess.

Whatever was in there required a lot of air cooling or good air flow to keep airborne contaminate low. So big pumps and a diesel standby generator or pump? Suspect the basement might contain clues if it was to do with pumping. The big double doors do point to maintenance of large cylindrical steel sand filters associated with the last processing of drinking water before it was pumped into the mains. The design and construction of this building is similar to dozens of inter war MOS etc. structures that were dotted all over the country. My home town had two on the outskirts of Bessecarr that I remember from my childhood; very similar in layout and construction, but certainly nothing to do with pumping. When they were eventually demolished; to be covered by the ever expanding urban sprawl of Bessecarr, the rubble heap revealed racking full of standard GPO relays. Subsequent delving revealed that they were automatic telephone exchanges built to cover any excess traffic to and from the RAF Finingley and Lindholme areas. Have always assumed that this was just general traffic increases from the very large living quarters associated with these two airfields and nothing associated with if the 'shit should hit the fan!'.

As for the 'Sonar' quote - some what iffy. I suppose in the heat of war, it is possible that some small part of the sonar assembly could have been moved out of a bombed factory - manufacturing was moved all over the countryside to allow production to continue unhindered. However this place was not built as an electronics factory originally, and as for being the first into the place, don't you believe it! When we were teenagers; people of my generation were sticking their noses into all sorts of ex Ministry and other properties that were lying abandoned all over the place, unlocked/unsecured. The thought that everything needed to be locked up, did not arise in those days and one certainly didn't photograph your misdemeanours, even if you had a camera. Film and D and P was far too expensive for us urchins! This past time is much larger now and due to the internet, recorded and disseminated to a far greater audience. However it certainly is not new. It's nigh on 60 years since three 14 year olds ventured into the underground shelters dotted around Doncaster Aerodrome for a nosey, and very fortunately we are still able and doing it today (when it's warm and dry!).
 

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