Checkendon Polish hostel - Nissen huts - My first pic thread :D pic heavy

[J_a_t_33]

Hi guys,

My mothers side of the family is Polish, and my mother spent her childhood living in the Nissen huts at the Checkendon Polish hostel in the early 50's.


Some history pics:

Much more info here:
http://www.northwickparkpolishdpcamp.co.uk/checkendon.htm


The area is now used for a Pine works company, but some of the history still remains:

This building, I beive, was the old school:

3 more smaller Nissen huts in the woods:

An the last one on the other side to the first 2:

Hope you like

 

[Urban Mole]

Nice find there matey, good to see the now and then pics
Get up there with a metal detector, prob find a few relics, with the owners permission, of course

 

[J_a_t_33]

I have thought it about, especially after finding this there a few years ago when my mum took me there.

was buried by the school, obviously it's been cleaned up since

 

[Misstee]

That's a lovely post - nice to see the past vs present and to have a family connection as well adds an extra dimension.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[J_a_t_33]

Thanks Mistee!!

Years ago they had loads of old cars rotting away like mk1 cortina's and Rover 2000s which I was hoping to photograph, but it appears they have been cleared away

 

[DigitalNoise]

Nice one Jat, I was looking for some of my own images of this place, but theyre backed up somewhere random. It's quite surprising how much is left, have you seen the chapel and morgue?

I don't know if you had permission, but some of the nissen huts have been broken into in the last year and the owners are very cautious of anyone lingering around. They couldn't believe that I could take photographs at night, and couldnt understand why. Nice enough guys though.

Edit- have you been to RAF Woodcote? Checkendon used to be part of that base until it became an Italian POW camp and then the displacement camp. The remaining HQ site is worth a wander.

 

[J_a_t_33]

There is a chapel and a morgue there still??

No didn't have permission, but only went in to take the first pics, the rest are in the woods.

RAF woodcote, please inform me! I went to school in Woodcote and have no idea about this place.

Are there many other good local spots?

 

[DigitalNoise]

hmmm, not loads, but a few bits and bobs worth checking out. The Morgue and chapel are just north of the yard there, in the woods, but just visible from the road. RAF woodcote used to be a maintenance unit and stores site. There's plenty of blast shelters alongside the Woodcote Rd and Long Toll, but the main HQ site is here

Ill get thinking and if there's anything else, Ill pop it up here for ya

 

[J_a_t_33]

Thanks dude, I will check that out just by long toll.

Drop me a pm if you think of or find any places worth checking out and I will do the same.

 

[night crawler]

Think you will have to do what every one else does and research your own places to visit