The Institute of Food Research and The National Institute of Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading

[Osbo]

On visiting St. Mary's Church in Shinfield, on 6th June 1997 I could not help noticing an indusrial chimney out at the back. On further investigation and after passing through a hedge we came upon an bandoned complex of what looked like mainly 1950's buildings plus a boarded up manor house and offices. This turned out to have once been the Institute of Food Research which was formerly called the Food and Beverages Division of the National Institute of Research in Dairying, (NIRD) which was formerly at Cambridge and moved into Shinfield Manor House and the grounds in 1923. In 1992 they moved onto Reading University Campus and in 1995 opened a new establishment in Norwich. The Manor House was demolished about 20 years ago having been abandoned by NIRD in 1985. i Took the attached photographs on my visit. In one of the single storey buildings with no door to prevent entry. Very sadly I did not take any photos of it. Standing there in the middle of the room was a large blue plastic barrel full of caustic soda! my wife 'phoned Reading Uni to report and was asked what she was doing there. Her reply was she was retreiving her dog! Good for my morale ?
The site is now a housing estate.

 

[night crawler]

Caustic Soda, used to use it at work to clean out Aluminium Tubing, boy did that make a stink when it activated really cleared you nose. I see the church is still there and in use, must see if I can visit when the shit we are going through at the moment eases off. I presume the lady in the photo is your wife.

 

[Osbo]

Caustic Soda, used to use it at work to clean out Aluminium Tubing, boy did that make a stink when it activated really cleared you nose. I see the church is still there and in use, must see if I can visit when the shit we are going through at the moment eases off. I presume the lady in the photo is your wife.

Yep that's Anne and according to her the church has a round Saxon tower inside the Norman one. She was shown this by her Dad in about 1953 when there was some work being done.

 

[J_a_t_33]

Hmmm, very interesting to see... I explored the NIRD back in 2013, the site I explored is also now housing, and strangely I can't see anything in your pics that tallies up with my pics... Was there more than one site?

https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/th...earch-in-dairying-in-reading-pic-heavy.27859/

 

[Osbo]

Hmmm, very interesting to see... I explored the NIRD back in 2013, the site I explored is also now housing, and strangely I can't see anything in your pics that tallies up with my pics... Was there more than one site?

https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/th...earch-in-dairying-in-reading-pic-heavy.27859/

Yes, the two sites I visited were on oposite sides of Church Lane-see map attached.

 

[J_a_t_33]

Ah interesting... Never saw the other side. Looking at the map, looks like I explored the red side on the right.

 

[Osbo]

Hmmm, very interesting to see... I explored the NIRD back in 2013, the site I explored is also now housing, and strangely I can't see anything in your pics that tallies up with my pics... Was there more than one site?

https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/th...earch-in-dairying-in-reading-pic-heavy.27859/

It has certainly deteriorated since my short visit in 1997. Interesting pictures.