This one was kind of a permission visit, and kind of not...
The DD Team and friends were at the RGPM's Fayre Times Festival, which has been held for around three years and for the last two at this venue.
History:
The site has been in operation, in one form or another, since the 1700s. The site has previously seen life as; a fulling mill for cloth production, a gunpowder mill, a nitro-based explosives and propellants site, a defence research establishment (for propellants, explosives and rockets), and finally a research establishment. The RGPM is one of three Gunpowder Mills in the UK and is the best preserved example. The site finally closed as a research centre in 1991 after 300 years in production!
The South side of the site has been totally cleared of buildings but the North side has been decontaminated and designated a heritage site, whereupon a visitor centre has been built for members of the public to learn about gunpowder and the history of the site. I recommend a trip round as a visitor, it is good fun!
Explore:
I've been here before, last year as a member of one of the re-enactment groups as well as a few years ago as a general member of the public, so knew there were some interesting bits to explore around. After having a bit of a poke around and a look at the aerial footage, we decided to have a little look around the bits that said no entry... and we found some cracking stuff!
Full set of photos here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/75530339@N02/yf9339
The DD Team and friends were at the RGPM's Fayre Times Festival, which has been held for around three years and for the last two at this venue.
The site has been in operation, in one form or another, since the 1700s. The site has previously seen life as; a fulling mill for cloth production, a gunpowder mill, a nitro-based explosives and propellants site, a defence research establishment (for propellants, explosives and rockets), and finally a research establishment. The RGPM is one of three Gunpowder Mills in the UK and is the best preserved example. The site finally closed as a research centre in 1991 after 300 years in production!
The South side of the site has been totally cleared of buildings but the North side has been decontaminated and designated a heritage site, whereupon a visitor centre has been built for members of the public to learn about gunpowder and the history of the site. I recommend a trip round as a visitor, it is good fun!
Explore:
I've been here before, last year as a member of one of the re-enactment groups as well as a few years ago as a general member of the public, so knew there were some interesting bits to explore around. After having a bit of a poke around and a look at the aerial footage, we decided to have a little look around the bits that said no entry... and we found some cracking stuff!
Full set of photos here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/75530339@N02/yf9339
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| Who needs that many fuse boxes?! |
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| Chains.... |
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| This was a stunning building, aerial video coming soon! |
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| Grinding stone, possibly for gunpowder??! |
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| Love a good bit of rust me... |
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| Gunpowder press |
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| Press House waterwheel |
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| One of the few remaining pressing houses |
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| Didn't go in here... looked like a jungle!! |
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| Bit rubbish pics, was being talked at by Secca at the time... |
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| really cool press house |
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| Just can't help but think of that song... "Danger, danger high voltage!" |
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| I LOVE THIS PICTURE!! |
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| Had to find out where this lead to |
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| .... and it was to a rocket testing place!! |
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| One of the many corriddoors |
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| Old bits of machinery left lying around |
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| This went down to the bunker! |
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| Cool bridge, hid from secca here too... |
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| VR! 1878 was Queen Victoria! :) |
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