Be meaning to stick these up for a while but general life crap has not permitted it up until this point. Back in May when we were down in Portland, we found ourselves at a loose end at the end of a Saturday which had not been all we had expected. As a result, someone (might have been Newage) suggested we take a stroll down to Holton Heath. Fortunately, we were joined by Tocsin Bang and WinchItIn - two finer exploring blokes you will not meet - and after a ramble through some hedgerows, we found ourselves at the underground reservoir.
Holton Heath was a cordite factory, and as such is in an interesting predicament. The authorities can't clear the site because it has become a haven for wildlife - they couldn't build anything anyway, because of ground contamination. As a consequence, there is an awful lot of original structures that are still intact - genuine WW1 architecture and other stuff - the most impressive of which is undoubtedly the reservoir itself.
There are lots of other interesting buildings on this huge site, most interestingly the blast shelters which are dotted around the place - a few shots of which are below.
And a good day was had by all - but still plenty more to see for future visits.
Godzy
Holton Heath was a cordite factory, and as such is in an interesting predicament. The authorities can't clear the site because it has become a haven for wildlife - they couldn't build anything anyway, because of ground contamination. As a consequence, there is an awful lot of original structures that are still intact - genuine WW1 architecture and other stuff - the most impressive of which is undoubtedly the reservoir itself.
There are lots of other interesting buildings on this huge site, most interestingly the blast shelters which are dotted around the place - a few shots of which are below.
And a good day was had by all - but still plenty more to see for future visits.
Godzy
