Thread: Marchington Barracks

My first thread so please gimme some responses.....I went round Marchington Barracks on Friday with my bro. Also my first proper excursion so check out the photos; i've set up a temp page on my website>>>>>>>>

www.jongeoffs.co.uk/marchington_barracks

Looks like an interesting place, are there any bunkers etc you can get into?

There's a tunnel from the boiler room but i think that just leads to the barracks:
http://www.jongeoffs.co.uk/marchingt...ington_023.jpg

There's what looks like a way into a tunnel but couldn't get it open becuse we didn't have the tools but this may lead to a bunker:
http://www.jongeoffs.co.uk/marchingt...ington_028.jpg

and this what i think may be a bunker as it's a massive mound next to all the barracks:
http://www.jongeoffs.co.uk/marchingt...ington_027.jpg
U can't really gather the size of it but it's pretty big, we were on a bit of a time limit so didnt have time to explore in depth...

One of my urban exploring friends is absolutely obsessed with Marchington Camp.

He first explored in in the late 1980s when the site was relatively unsmashed and there were still lots of artifacts and bits and pieces lying around. He's still got the pictures so I've suggested a then-and-now comparison tour of sorts. I'll probably do that in the next couple of months.

By the late 1990s, he was increasingly despondant over the state of vandalism, natural decay and asset stripping going on. So, after getting permission from the owners, he's recused, restored and resued all sort of items from the location: his house is now turning into Marchington Camp.

The windows are from the camp; the doors are from the camp; the floors are from the camp. He recently rescued a 1940s bathtub from the old RAF timber buildings and shipped it to Ireland to get it re-enamelled. Lights, heaters, radiators - all repaired, stripped, reassembled and now in his house.

There used to be a bar in the RAF buildings. And yes, he rescued the whole thing. One of the rooms in his house is now the bar from Marchington Camp. Completely restored to its original 1950s look. And as he doesn't live far from Burton, he's got loads of old brewery memorabilia in there as well. It's pretty unbelievable to see.

Moving on to your site, it's a little fiddly to scroll around the thumbnails, but some good shots there. I'm surprised there's still stuff to see as my last memories of the place was stripped out shells of buildings.

Surprised you didn't see the grafitti someone's sprayed up there. In general I hate grafitti, but this had something to say, some nice sentiments. (You can see some of it at http://www.simoncornwell.com/urbex/about.htm).

All the best,
Simon

Originally Posted by jon geoffs

There's a tunnel from the boiler room but i think that just leads to the barracks:
http://www.jongeoffs.co.uk/marchingt...ington_023.jpg

There's what looks like a way into a tunnel but couldn't get it open becuse we didn't have the tools but this may lead to a bunker:
http://www.jongeoffs.co.uk/marchingt...ington_028.jpg

and this what i think may be a bunker as it's a massive mound next to all the barracks:
http://www.jongeoffs.co.uk/marchingt...ington_027.jpg
U can't really gather the size of it but it's pretty big, we were on a bit of a time limit so didnt have time to explore in depth...

The only tunnels at Marchington are in relation to the Boiler house and the heating pipes that run in concrete runs. The cover you found will almost likley to be for this. The Bunker Mound will be the above ground Ammuntion Compound, with access way to the side away from the camp.

hey iv been visiting marchington barracks on and off for around 2 years now just out of interest. I found out today that it was in fact a war prison camp used to house italian prisoners. There wasnt many deaths there, a few people did comit suicide but most were released after the war

Becky
x

hi there guys

im new to this site (just joined) was wondering if anyone has any recent info to do with the barracks ?

i have been around this place quite a few times as its pritty close to me (for anyone who hasnt its definately worth a look !) i was up there recently and in the grounds was workmen with a d9 they were clearing back the overgrown vegitation from around the buildings and also clearing all the pathways !

does anyone have any info as to what they are doing with the place ?

i have been scouring the local papers and council planning website and cant find anything !

also if anyone has any ideas about who owns the site it would be much appreciated

(if anyone would like to meet up for another look drop us a line)

thanks :D


update
visited on the 14.12.06 not good news

the site has undergone major work -
the boiler houses canteen block and associated outbuildings have all been demolished !
all that remains is the 6 barrack blocks , these have all had the ground floor windows and doors boarded up (with a rarther expensive looking metal mesh type of boarding) the main entrances to the buildings have also had heavy looking steel doors fitted.
also why i was visiting workmen were constructing a huge (and rarther expensive looking !) perimiter fence surrounding all 6 of the blocks.

someone has been spending a lot of money on this place with the fences and boarding it seems in an effort to protect the buildings.
perhaps for a possible renovation or change of use ? anybody got any info ?

either way access to the buildings is now limited but you can still walk around the outside of the fence. (its only a couple of meters from the nearest building)

so there it is if anyone has any info ?

cheers rich