Following on from an earlier solo explore to Coulsdon, I was in good spirits and looking forward to seeing this little gem. As with my earlier venture, all previous photos had been lost so was eager to get some new ones for my collection. Now, unlike Coulsdon, I wasn't 100% sure where best to park which result in a rather dodgy U-turn on a main road, when I sped past a layby which looked perfect. Excited once again, I was eager to make haste and get inside the location. As with anything gucci site like this place, there were bloody dog walkers everywhere!! Although I suspect they wouldn't haven given a witches ti# to some fella going into an old derelict site, I like to take the sensible approach of trying not to be seen or heard. After a minute of acting like I was there for merely a nice stroll, the outside entry point was soon clear and I was in. Comically, there were some small trees and bushes laid in front of the entry point in a vain effort to stop folks from gaining access, but had made no effort to actually seal up the location!!! Admittedly, for a tiny second I thought I may had a wasted trip, but was delighted to find you could still just walk right in. As with all my solo explores, following a quick check of the site to confirm I had the place to myself, I got to work with my Nikon D5500. It had been many years since my previous visit, but there was clear indications that the dickhead brigade had been in! There was fresh graffiti and more damage, sadly now accustomed to such locations. Genuinely annoyed that some turd had travelled to this little gem with a spray can in their pocket, I tried to put this out of my mind as knew it would bother me for the rest of the day! Despite not being a fan of most graffiti, this location has for some time had a quite iconic piece of graffiti in the form of 2 stick men/persons (choose your pronouns girlfriends), which had now fallen victim to boobs and a dick sprayed all over it!!! Similar lunacy can be found at Langdon! Wishing for the same turds who were responsible for this, to suddenly appear so I could give them a good boot up the chutney, went unheard. So, I got to work with my D5500 and mobile phone, and took a few snaps for my collection. Mostly awful but one or two shots came out OK, which I partially put down to still thinking too much about the pointless defacing with the spray can. Still, I had accomplished my planned solo explores for the day, and left feeling fairly smug about the whole day. Ironically, as I came back outside, there wasn't one damn dog walker anywhere! Now for those of you who like to know a bit of history on locations, here we go.....
History
During World War 2, the Southern Railway group took over the Deepdene Hotel, near Dorking, as their War Headquarters. On their take over, it was discovered that the grounds to the rear of the buildings contained a series of caves. It was decided that the natural protection of the caves would be utilised for the Traffic Control bunker of the Southern Region network. The caves were enlarged slightly in order to house 30 staff that were relocated from the Waterloo control centre.
The tunnel network contained a control room, a meeting room, 3-position switchboard, battery room, night officer bedroom, plant rooms and toilets. A 60 foot emergency shaft was excavated at the rear of the tunnels and was used as the fresh air inlet. A 4 foot thick slab covered the complex, yet no near miss protection was provided. The bunker was used throughout the war and was occupied by operators well into the 1960s. British Railways left the control centre in the mid 1960s, and the hotel was demolished in 1969. The bunker lay dormant until it was rediscover by local children in 1997 and set fire too. Since then, it has been sealed due to asbestos.
Now for a few photos...
Till next time, stay safe you crazy kids. And if you feel the need to bring a spray can with you, please don't. Leave the graffiti for your bedroom wall, where no one else has to look at your dogshi#!
Urban Ginger Hog signing off
History
During World War 2, the Southern Railway group took over the Deepdene Hotel, near Dorking, as their War Headquarters. On their take over, it was discovered that the grounds to the rear of the buildings contained a series of caves. It was decided that the natural protection of the caves would be utilised for the Traffic Control bunker of the Southern Region network. The caves were enlarged slightly in order to house 30 staff that were relocated from the Waterloo control centre.
The tunnel network contained a control room, a meeting room, 3-position switchboard, battery room, night officer bedroom, plant rooms and toilets. A 60 foot emergency shaft was excavated at the rear of the tunnels and was used as the fresh air inlet. A 4 foot thick slab covered the complex, yet no near miss protection was provided. The bunker was used throughout the war and was occupied by operators well into the 1960s. British Railways left the control centre in the mid 1960s, and the hotel was demolished in 1969. The bunker lay dormant until it was rediscover by local children in 1997 and set fire too. Since then, it has been sealed due to asbestos.
Now for a few photos...
Till next time, stay safe you crazy kids. And if you feel the need to bring a spray can with you, please don't. Leave the graffiti for your bedroom wall, where no one else has to look at your dogshi#!
Urban Ginger Hog signing off
