RAF Wyton Photographic Factory May 2008

Visited with Shenanigans one sunny afternoon after recce-ing sites in the area. The photographic labs are where the RAF developed their photos before sending them to RAF Brampton to be analysed. Only one of the (originally two) buildings is left and is privately owned as far as I know. After decommissioning it looks like the ATC used it for a bit and someone who is really into motorbikes judging by the stacks of MCNs in there! The place is full of asbestos, even the air ducting is made out of the stuff Bizarrely enough, judging by other forum reports (not this forum) we nearly bumped into some other people quite a few times on this day! Anyway, my pics...

The obligatory air filtration shot...

Great pics, I visited here by night, and didn't really see much!

Did you find the paper...

I couldn't possibly tell you, that is top secret.

i popped to this location today

it's all been bulldozed around the location and it's now just piles of mud and stuff, so looks like it's being ready for demolition!

anyone have any news on this?

Adam

I probably just missed you, as I turned round in the top of the road to have a look at the car dealers just up the road

Wyton is being turned into a major defence intelligence station.

http://www.digital-battlespace.com/2009/04/new-uk-defence-intelligence-hub-to-be-established/

Judging by the Skanska signage and the new road, I'd suspect that the photo factory is going to be demolished and redeveloped as part of this plan.

HypoBoy said:

Judging by the Skanska signage and the new road, I'd suspect that the photo factory is going to be demolished and redeveloped as part of this plan.

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Is this at the top of the road to the Photographic factory? This used to be privately owned, i.e. not by the MOD so it seems odd that suddenly it gets redeveloped. In fact that link states that redevelopment will only take part within the existing Wyton grounds which I think does not include the factory. Have they stripped it inside yet?

bobob said:

Is this at the top of the road to the Photographic factory? This used to be privately owned, i.e. not by the MOD so it seems odd that suddenly it gets redeveloped. In fact that link states that redevelopment will only take part within the existing Wyton grounds which I think does not include the factory. Have they stripped it inside yet?

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I did a land registry search on one unused site and found it was still owned by the MOD. I know the photo factory was in private hands, but may have been bought back again - particularly in light of the intelligence centre plans and also the potential relocation of Marshalls to the airfield which seems to have been brought back to life again. There are Skanska signs at the top of the new road, which normally means civil authority work of one description or another. Could be related to the sewage works behind being enlarged to cope with the site plans maybe?

There used to be a service at the land registry site where you could click on a satellite map of a location to find a title deed and then download it immediately for a few quid but now I can only find a page which takes a known address which isn't very useful for something like this!. Did you do a search for the photographic lab building itself or just of some random derelict building around the site?

bobob said:

Did you do a search for the photographic lab building itself or just of some random derelict building around the site?

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No, the other large derelict bit nearby

i work nearby and am popping there a few time sover the coming weeks, so will let you know and developments and if it is stripped etc

HypoBoy said:

No, the other large derelict bit nearby

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You got a Land Registry link to the old site where you can click on a map and get deeds for the area you click in? I don't mind paying 4 quid to see what is going on at the actual factory site...

bobob said:

You got a Land Registry link to the old site where you can click on a map and get deeds for the area you click in? I don't mind paying 4 quid to see what is going on at the actual factory site...

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It comes and goes - sometimes when you do a search, the map search is available, others it isn't. I think it's probably load dependent and they only make it available when there's a light server load. There was talk at one time of them withdrawing online searches altogether, so it might also be connected with that.