Fancied a change of scenery the other night, so I took a drive to the coast with a friend, top of my 'to do' list was Hilsea Lines. Arriving just after dark, it was quite a crap idea as we couldnt see a thing, we just ended up walking for 2 hours in the woods! An attempt to negotiate the steep, muddy slope left me sliding back down with all my gear strapped to me, I got slightly coated in mud! The only real point of interest was this gun emplacement we found towards the end of our walk.
I know there's a lot more to the lines but Ill have to see it another time.
I had plenty of other areas of interest however so we werent stuck for places to go, how could we be, down there?!!
Priddy's Hard was an ammunition depot, i understand, building was completed in 1777. It currently houses 'Explosion!' The museum of naval ordinance and now a housing estate. Plenty of original buildings still stand, although a fire has threatened their future and there is already much demolition evident. Plenty of buildings are missing after a comparison to my printout form google earth.
It was a bit of a drive but worth a look I thought. We parked up nearby and took a wander around. Aerial photos show two separate enclosures to the North West, I didnt gain access to either of these, cant seem to find any info on them either but Id love to go back and check them out. My presumption is that they are external magazines for the main compound, both appear to have what seems like a moat around them. Heres a view of the area, if anybody knows anything about them, let me know!
Flash Earth
On with the photos anyway. I missed out on quite a lot, as the plan was to check it all out, then move back through it all taking photos on the way out. The weather tried its hardest to stop us but we got as many as we dared....
The raised road that leads through the complex.
These areas contained the shell filling rooms,sadly they have been knocked down but theres still lots around.
I like this one
More of the same area, showing some of the work thats going on
Whoever made this mess in the foreground made my day!
The Ready use magazine
And the same again, taken in 1993 (taken from wikipedia)
A view looking into the complex, one of the ammunition loading bays is just visible on the left
This building appeared to be a hardened shelter and would have had seating running down the edges. The angle iron doesnt half hurt when you walk into it in the dark!
Some of the structures arent showing their age too well.
Whilst others are holding out strongly
I took the gamble as to wether this was a stream or a path, luckily my feet stayed dry and after fighting through the undergrowth we came to a metal box embedded in a concrete wall. It looked like a safe, I have photos but I will have to upload them later. Next we came to a building that, judging by the cross on the wall, would have been a hospital. Again, Ill have to post the exterior pic later but here's one from the inside. I couldnt figure what the piping was for
Original sign on the floor outside
A room in the back housed this burner.
All in all, it was a great explore. Plenty of stuff still to see in there, several variant pillboxes I didnt bother taking photos of, and the main builing in the complex is still to be entered. Hmm, what did I have planned for tonight??
We took a stroll around the area and found a few other items of interest in the mud flats nearby.
This was my favourite subject of the night!
Got home for 7am, having been urbexing for ten hours! Thank god for Sundays!!!!!
I know there's a lot more to the lines but Ill have to see it another time.
I had plenty of other areas of interest however so we werent stuck for places to go, how could we be, down there?!!
Priddy's Hard was an ammunition depot, i understand, building was completed in 1777. It currently houses 'Explosion!' The museum of naval ordinance and now a housing estate. Plenty of original buildings still stand, although a fire has threatened their future and there is already much demolition evident. Plenty of buildings are missing after a comparison to my printout form google earth.
It was a bit of a drive but worth a look I thought. We parked up nearby and took a wander around. Aerial photos show two separate enclosures to the North West, I didnt gain access to either of these, cant seem to find any info on them either but Id love to go back and check them out. My presumption is that they are external magazines for the main compound, both appear to have what seems like a moat around them. Heres a view of the area, if anybody knows anything about them, let me know!
Flash Earth
On with the photos anyway. I missed out on quite a lot, as the plan was to check it all out, then move back through it all taking photos on the way out. The weather tried its hardest to stop us but we got as many as we dared....
The raised road that leads through the complex.
These areas contained the shell filling rooms,sadly they have been knocked down but theres still lots around.
I like this one
More of the same area, showing some of the work thats going on
Whoever made this mess in the foreground made my day!
The Ready use magazine
And the same again, taken in 1993 (taken from wikipedia)
A view looking into the complex, one of the ammunition loading bays is just visible on the left
This building appeared to be a hardened shelter and would have had seating running down the edges. The angle iron doesnt half hurt when you walk into it in the dark!
Some of the structures arent showing their age too well.
Whilst others are holding out strongly
I took the gamble as to wether this was a stream or a path, luckily my feet stayed dry and after fighting through the undergrowth we came to a metal box embedded in a concrete wall. It looked like a safe, I have photos but I will have to upload them later. Next we came to a building that, judging by the cross on the wall, would have been a hospital. Again, Ill have to post the exterior pic later but here's one from the inside. I couldnt figure what the piping was for
Original sign on the floor outside
A room in the back housed this burner.
All in all, it was a great explore. Plenty of stuff still to see in there, several variant pillboxes I didnt bother taking photos of, and the main builing in the complex is still to be entered. Hmm, what did I have planned for tonight??
We took a stroll around the area and found a few other items of interest in the mud flats nearby.
This was my favourite subject of the night!
Got home for 7am, having been urbexing for ten hours! Thank god for Sundays!!!!!
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