Chattenden and Lodge Hill Barracks
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2024
- A look at the now closed down Chattenden and Lodge Hill Barracks In Medway, Kent, UK
Originally built for ammunition storage the barracks eventually became a army training facility for Bomb disposal, and many other types of training.
It also has the very deep diver training pool
All video footage and pictures were taken by and owned by me.
Was there back in 73 with Jim Prescott as my section NCO. Named me Zon Zipper. So long ago. RIP Jim you will never be forgotten.
hopefully many happy memories from there though?
I lived in Islington Cottages Wainscott from 1951 until 1961. At that time the Cottages were owned by the WDLA (War Department Land Agency). As a kid, living 100yds from the biggest sand pit in Kent (RSME), myself and a couple of friends used to play on the earth moving equipment avoiding the civilian Military Police. Did we learn how to "hot wire" the plant?.....maybe!! For 9 months I lived in Chattenden Barracks whilst the cottages were renovated.....until 1954 we had no electricity at the cottages and the toilet was a "bucket and chuck it". My dad was the Maintenance worker at the barracks. Happy days......I ended up training as a plant fitter in the RE's following training at the Army Apprentices College, Chepstow (67B)
It's great to hear from people with memories of this place, sounds like you had a lot of fun 👍😊
We moved to RNAD Lodge hill in 1954, we came from RNAD Trecwn in Pembrokeshire, the Depot was the feeder depot for Chatham dockyard where the ships were re-armed, we left in 1960 when Lodge hill was returned to the Army. RNAD Depots were reduced in numbers over the next 20years, with only a couple remaining.
That surviving 1870’s magazines, and the V2 rocket blew my mind, awesome video man. In my neck of the woods, in Massachusetts, there is an old brick bunker I found while on a trail. Looks very similar to the ones in the video. I’m very glad that England declared the site a special site of scientific interest.
Thank you, I believe the development company that bought the site is still hoping to find a way to build on it though, I did revisit the site a few weeks back and see the grass has been freshly cut so the site is still being maintained.
The V2 rocket blew my mind when I saw it, the size of it must have been a scary site to see them flying over, hundreds of them were launched at England during ww2!
Great footage as always. Thanks for sharing...
Thank you 😊
I was there from 1976 to 1977. Fond memories of Lodge Hill camp. Not nearly as many buildings during my time. Ginge Kinghorn
It's good to hear from people who worked there, hopefully my video brings back many fond memories 😊
Only just seen this film as I had an unsuccessful trip at the weekend to find the Phantom plane. I've since found some old aerial shots of it on the hardstanding in the same area as the explosive museum or whatever it was called (where the V2 was). I saw the plane many many years ago but seem to remember going down a track on our bikes to see it? I've actually been inside the museum back when I was in the Air Training Corps. It was an absolutely fascinating place with exhibits we were actually handling. You don't get the chance to do that in many museums these days. Happy days. Thanks for filming this, hope you get a chance to film the rest of it before it's gone forever.
the V2 rocket and a plane which i'm guessing is the one your talking about are at the royal engineers museum next to Brompton barracks
@@Medwaydroneexploration thankyou. That’s a good reason to visit there sometime soon.
It's definitely worth a visit, it's very cheap entry and so much to see, wars through the years to modern day Afghanistan war, there's also a cafe there too they also have a Brennan torpedo that cliff fort has a launch site for, loads of interesting stuff to look at
@@Medwaydroneexploration I’ve seen that launching site at Cliffe. Fascinating what we used to get up to in days gone by.
Was there in 1996 and 97 for EOD courses. never got wet in the pond thats for the Army and Navy guys (I was RAF) . Fantastic courses that have stood me in good stead both in the RAF and after leaving. Sad its all gone now.
Fantastic video! Always fascinated by this site as used to live nearby in cliffe woods. The V2 rocket was on display outside in front of the main buildings in the 90's, absolutely huge. Always remember being freaked out by the diving pool. There was a phantom jet (XT907) on the concrete pad (7.25 bottom left) which you could see through the gates. You can see it on the Google earth historical imagery, which goes right back to the 1940's aerial photos! You can see the old railway lines that served the camp from upnor. Would love to see footage of the site on the other side of the road before that gets developed on.
Note the random short section of train track @ 3.30
Hi thank you for the support, I'm glad you enjoyed the video 😊 I was told there was "missiles" outside but I never got to see them. I was tempted to fly over the other side of the road but I'm pretty sure the mod are still using it as there was people in there so didn't want to risk getting shot down or something lol, i Definitely want to get the footage tho as I think it's even bigger! Look out for part 2 😉👍
@@haycroftpondyachts5442 ah I actually wondered what that was when I was editing the video, never realised it was a section of track, I knew there was a track there at some point as it's the only ammunition storage depot to be connected to the mainline. Thanks for noticing that 😊👍
Jolly good.
Thank you 😊
Only scratched the surface. What about Chattenden Barracks that was at the other end of Lochat Road. There was also a camp across from Lodge Hill. Had stables, plant and all sorts in it. Place was teeming with life once upon a time.
I really wanted to film over the road but could see someone sat in the office so didn't want to risk it incase it was still an active site.
I'd like to do a revisit of this site in the summer so I'll have a bit more of a look around 😊
Very cool history, that pool is very daunting but I would love to test the depth of it. Pretty cool how much technology has improved on the V2.
Yeah the pool is pretty cool, although apparently it's freezing cold, I'd rather a heated indoor pool haha 🤣
Yeah the V2 is very impressive to see, would be pretty scary to see something that size flying at you!
Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for your support 👍😊
I used to deliver there every week. Phantom FGR2 on display tall boy bomb excellent museum Hut 52 (did a great bacon roll) down the road with a Nimrod mr2 airframe for training hijack rescue and a urban warfare training area. great memories
What’s the big glass/steel framed building? Looks almost like a swimming pool roof?
Nice, wouldn't mind taking my drone down there but presume it's not quite so straight forward. Nice history lesson. It adds nicely to the filming.
Thank you, im glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for the great feedback 😊
I’ve dived in the training pond. It’s about 5 metres deep max 6 from what I remember and bloody freezing.
Oh I was told 30 metres, 100ft but as you've actually dived in there I'll take your word for it, thank you 😊 at least I got the freezing bit right tho haha 👍🤣
Oh I was told 30 metres, 100ft but as you've actually dived in there I'll take your word for it, thank you 😊 at least I got the freezing bit right tho haha 👍🤣
The 30 metre dive tank the navy use is in Portsmouth for submarine escape training, which is where the confusion may have come from.
@sum ting wong I was an instructor at Lodge Hill and DEODS the pool your talking about was for Navy divers, that was only about 5 meters deep. It would be a colossal task to have a 30m training pool.
Chucked a weight and line in it's about 6m's deep defiantly not 100ft but was still cool experience
Yeah I have since heard from others who dived it that it's not that deep
Not yet😊
Can you just go there or do you need some form of permission? Im interested to hear/see the nightingales there?
Hi you can possibly sit outside the gates and see/hear them from there as it is nice and quiet round there, the site is private so you can't go onsite
@@Medwaydroneexploration Ah ok thanks for the information. I thought it was private. Just out of curiosity how did you have permission?
@@j.l8539 if i'm honest I didn't there was a big hole in the main gate at the time so I just went in but it's all been secured since
@@Medwaydroneexploration Wow that was lucky then! No one gave you any odd looks, no guards or anything?
The site was completely empty at the time, noone there at all
Nice lesson, could use some practice on smooth panning though
Yeah I wasn't actually planning to make a video at the time I was just recreational flying to keep my flight hours up for my pfco then watched the footage back after and decided to do it, I was also trying out a FB live while I was there but it was too jumpy something I need to practice more with 🤣
@@Medwaydroneexploration fair one its definitely informative, what drone do you fly?
@@seaton66 thank you I fly the Mavic mini for indoor shots on my upcoming videos, the Mavic pro and the Mavic 2 zoom for outdoor shots