Explored with Tocsin_Bang
I would like to start by saying, A big Thankyou to " Park Veterinary Centre " for a Pre-arranged visit.
Info from Subbrit, Date protected accommodation opened: 18.11.1961 Date closed: 1973.
ROC 5 GROUP HEADQUARTERS in Cassiobury Drive Watford. 17 Group as it was designated during the war moved into their new purpose built headquarters in 1943 having vacated their former HQ in the GPO buildings in Market Street Watford. The new centre consisted of a central brick built two storey control room with single storey prefabricated blocks around it, similar to WW2 centres at Winchester and Bedford (now demolished). Unlike Winchester and Bedford a brick second storey has also been added to one of these blocks. In 1953 Watford was redesignated 5 Group with protected accommodation being opened at the rear on the 18th November 1961.
For at least the past 25 years the former Group Control has been used by the Park Veterinary Centre who have the WW2 buildings as their surgery, offices and public reception area. The bunker is used for storage, mainly old records, discarded furniture and medical apparatus and empty cardboard boxes. They have also fortified the radio room on the lower floor for use as their store.
Watford is a semi-sunken bunker with the main entrance into a small blockhouse on top of the mounded middle floor, the surface blockhouse giving access to the bunker is light green while the rest of the buildings are white. There are only a few rooms on this top level, a filter room and two small decontamination rooms. Beyond these stairs lead down to the middle level with a dog leg into the main spine corridor. On this dog leg is the sewage pump room with the pumps still in place and in good condition in a small sump. The corridor is clear of clutter and much as it was left in operational days with some small hanging pointers indicating the rooms still in place. One says 'GPO Equipment Room' while another points downwards to the 'Ops Room, Ground Floor and Wireless Room'. Moving along the spine corridor the rooms on the left are male and female toilets which are both intact with all their fixtures and fittings. Beyond these are the officers room and the male and female dormitories. These have been completely stripped and are now used for storage.
Entrance.
Stairs down.
Main corridor.
Compressors.
Ops room from above.
Peeley paint.
Main fuse board.
Old wireless.
More pics can be found here... http://s971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/WinchItIn/ROC HQ G5/
I would like to start by saying, A big Thankyou to " Park Veterinary Centre " for a Pre-arranged visit.
Info from Subbrit, Date protected accommodation opened: 18.11.1961 Date closed: 1973.
ROC 5 GROUP HEADQUARTERS in Cassiobury Drive Watford. 17 Group as it was designated during the war moved into their new purpose built headquarters in 1943 having vacated their former HQ in the GPO buildings in Market Street Watford. The new centre consisted of a central brick built two storey control room with single storey prefabricated blocks around it, similar to WW2 centres at Winchester and Bedford (now demolished). Unlike Winchester and Bedford a brick second storey has also been added to one of these blocks. In 1953 Watford was redesignated 5 Group with protected accommodation being opened at the rear on the 18th November 1961.
For at least the past 25 years the former Group Control has been used by the Park Veterinary Centre who have the WW2 buildings as their surgery, offices and public reception area. The bunker is used for storage, mainly old records, discarded furniture and medical apparatus and empty cardboard boxes. They have also fortified the radio room on the lower floor for use as their store.
Watford is a semi-sunken bunker with the main entrance into a small blockhouse on top of the mounded middle floor, the surface blockhouse giving access to the bunker is light green while the rest of the buildings are white. There are only a few rooms on this top level, a filter room and two small decontamination rooms. Beyond these stairs lead down to the middle level with a dog leg into the main spine corridor. On this dog leg is the sewage pump room with the pumps still in place and in good condition in a small sump. The corridor is clear of clutter and much as it was left in operational days with some small hanging pointers indicating the rooms still in place. One says 'GPO Equipment Room' while another points downwards to the 'Ops Room, Ground Floor and Wireless Room'. Moving along the spine corridor the rooms on the left are male and female toilets which are both intact with all their fixtures and fittings. Beyond these are the officers room and the male and female dormitories. These have been completely stripped and are now used for storage.
Entrance.
Stairs down.
Main corridor.
Compressors.
Ops room from above.
Peeley paint.
Main fuse board.
Old wireless.
More pics can be found here... http://s971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/WinchItIn/ROC HQ G5/
Thanks for looking
Winch
Winch
