Report - RAF Goldsborough ROTOR guardhouse, May 2015

[Mutagen]

Background

I don't usually do this sort of stuff - I'm more of an underground kind of guy but after failing in my primary intention of finding the Loop Wyke/Tellgreen jet workings in the cliffs near Sandsend, I was driving home when I finally decided to check this place out. I'd known about this 'abandoned house' for years and years, just thinking it was some old house that had been burned down and never renovated. I parked up, whipped round the place in five minutes then headed home - after a bit of research, I discovered it was part of RAF Goldsborough's ROTOR station and then rued the day I wrote it off as some crappy old derelict building.

History

Built in the 1950s as part of the ROTOR set up across the country, RAF Goldsborough consisted of a 25ft plinth-mounted radar installation, an underground operations block and the guardhouse. The operations block and guardhouse suffered badly from fire in 2004 and the operations block subsequently flooded in 2005. Linky thing: http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/g/goldsborough/

The photos

As I said, this was a quick prowl around with my camera after being denied any underground goodness earlier in the day - didn't take my tripod with me so all shot handheld and not the absolute pinnacle of technical excellence, I'm afraid. Hope they're of some interest.

External shot:

Internals:

Thanks for reading!

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Well you got me all excited then mate, i thought they"d finally managed to pump all the contaminated water out of the underground sections for a moment
I know there"s lots of interest online in this for obvious reasons, and lots of discussions regarding how long it"ll take a X sized pump to actually pump it out given that nobody seems to actually know the volume of the underground sections below the concrete capping. And given the contaminated Azzy/fuel & waste water from it"s last usage would have to be disposed of correctly, ie not down Kettleness road

Anyway"s nice pics of the old trashed Bungalow, it never seems to alter over the years mind you there"s little left to destroy TBH but it"s a lot safer than Mulgrave Tunnel

 

[Mutagen]

I went for a swim in the underground bit but obviously couldn't take the camera. I love the taste of fuel oil and asbestos in the water ....

o_O

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

I went for a swim in the underground bit but obviously couldn't take the camera. I love the taste of fuel oil and asbestos in the water ....

o_O

You mean "I love the taste of fuel oil & Azzy in the water ....in the morning " get with the film quotes lol

 

[The Wombat]

nice decay in there
thanks for sharing

 

[Bertiebassett]

Just looking at the first picture brought back memories of my time in the RAF going into and out of these guard blocks. They were made to look like bungalows but the ruddy great Radar heads and masts on site gave them away a bit.
Never heard of RAF Goldsborough but most of these places were closed before I joined up in 69. Will look into it more, thanks for the report.

 

[Richard]

Yes, i stared at this every time i went to the kettleness station with the cubs. I checked it a couple of years ago on a whim during a weekly photography excursion and thought it was a communal business or something but would never have throuht its an old military thing as it's so far from the amplifier on the cliff edge at boulby.
I was told of a military camp here but I thought it was among the houses or rail tunnel-i want a propper re-visit

 

[Mike F]

Somewhere around 1964/5/6 I went with my school to a field centre at Goldsborough. Stayed in huts that looked like barracks.. Bleak, cold and very uninviting. I'm guessing its the same place.

 

[Mutagen]

Somewhere around 1964/5/6 I went with my school to a field centre at Goldsborough. Stayed in huts that looked like barracks.. Bleak, cold and very uninviting. I'm guessing its the same place.

That sounds like East Barnby, just up the road. It was indeed a barracks at one time.

 

[Ordnance]

Bewerley Park Centre at East Barnby which is still run by NYCC is indeed the site of RAF Goldsborough's accommodation as well as home to a detachment of 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron RAF who covered the Holderness coast & North York Moors. It has of course been greatly updated over the years.

 

[wellingtonian]

I too, got all excited when I seen ROTOR in your thread title
Nice bit of history nevertheless. Cheers

 

[geoffrey powell]

Hello,
I am Geoffrey Powell, I changed my name after leaving the RAF, I was known then as Geoffrey Pallett a Senior aircraftsman on 5131 Bomb Disposal Sqn, based at East Barnby camp.Before this the camp was used to billett the operators of the Radar station at Goldsborough going towards Kettleness.. I have 1960 photo of the Radar ... I used to with other airmen go to the Fox pub at Kettleness and passed the site weekly..We were based at the camp and travelled daily to what is now known as RAF Fylingdales on North york moors , We travelled each day carrying mine detectors and crew to clear for a safe build the radar station that is there today although had an upgrade since those times, We cleared left over ordinance from the last war as it was an artiliary range and we cleared ammunition 2 and 3 inch mortar bombs plus other things and suffered the hard winter of 1962 and were stranded needing an air drop for food etc.. I am on internet [email protected] , if anyone would like photos of the camp and radar station aerial system, I would be glad to supply, I had a wonderful Black Labrador last time I was there and some idiot left a manhole cover off and a stroke of luck made me look down to a sort of underground water supply and I nearly lost my life by possibly falling in! and my beautiful dog Alfie too..So my advice is since druggies have laid waste to this once wonderful building in the 1960 TAKE CARE when looking around .. Best to all Geoffrey ..Ex 5131 Bomb disposal sqn RAF1960 /63..

 

[Wevsky]

Hello,
I am Geoffrey Powell, I changed my name after leaving the RAF, I was known then as Geoffrey Pallett a Senior aircraftsman on 5131 Bomb Disposal Sqn, based at East Barnby camp.Before this the camp was used to billett the operators of the Radar station at Goldsborough going towards Kettleness.. I have 1960 photo of the Radar ... I used to with other airmen go to the Fox pub at Kettleness and passed the site weekly..We were based at the camp and travelled daily to what is now known as RAF Fylingdales on North york moors , We travelled each day carrying mine detectors and crew to clear for a safe build the radar station that is there today although had an upgrade since those times, We cleared left over ordinance from the last war as it was an artiliary range and we cleared ammunition 2 and 3 inch mortar bombs plus other things and suffered the hard winter of 1962 and were stranded needing an air drop for food etc.. I am on internet [email protected] , if anyone would like photos of the camp and radar station aerial system, I would be glad to supply, I had a wonderful Black Labrador last time I was there and some idiot left a manhole cover off and a stroke of luck made me look down to a sort of underground water supply and I nearly lost my life by possibly falling in! and my beautiful dog Alfie too..So my advice is since druggies have laid waste to this once wonderful building in the 1960 TAKE CARE when looking around .. Best to all Geoffrey ..Ex 5131 Bomb disposal sqn RAF1960 /63..

If you could attach the photos t this thread im sure the OP wouldnt object and a fair few of us would like to see them