Grew up in fazakerley there used to be an RAF camp off of field lane. Fully fenced off then pretty much abandoned, had concrete air raid bunkers and brick buildings like the ones in the video. Plus a bunch of houses. A great place for us kids to explore. There was a military engineering factory still operating until the mid 1970's adjacent to the camp. I remember loads of wildlife especially hedgehogs. Used to go bird egging in the high bushes on the camp, loads of mates had impressive collections of different wild bird eggs. Remember rhubarb would grow like crazy in places. And across the river alt was the very busy english electric factory that had the best employees day. With a circus tent fairground rides a guy who high dived into a tank of water, loads of brilliant stuff for staff and their families. We local kids would look for weeks before they set up places to bunk into the factory grounds as getting a ticket was impossible but we got in. Brilliant place to grow up now all housing there now. Wish they had cameras back then like now to of recorded it all.
If you go onto the Simonswood industrial estate, the first building on the left was once used as an ammunition dump, I worked there in the 1980's when it was Amazon Studios, the walls were 4' thick so it was ideal for a studio, many famous bands of the day recorded there (Echo and the Bunnymen, China Crisis, Wet Wet Wet, and more) before the studios were moved to Parr St in Liverpool. As I remember there was a very large explosion at Simonswood during the war that killed quite a few of the workers.
Googled those light fittings they were fitted to ' watch offices " I assume for guards to watch over the site , shame you haven't been into the under ground munitions store that was bring demolished around 18 months ago opposite Kodak , the entrance was a huge ramp that looked high enough to drive a truck into , as mentioned by others there was a railhead going into the site too , btw has anyone got any info on Enfield rifles being built at ROF fazakerley, they're stamped FAZ on the end of the stock where it touches your shoulder , came across them watching a gun collector on UA-cam that unwrapped a still new rifle in the original greased wrapping ? Many thanks in advance for any replies , love your videos George btw keep up the good work 👍
Great video, couple of comments/things I noticed. The light fitting would have been explosion proof as it was an ammo store, hence the really thick glass and access to the bulb from outside the building so when you change the bulb you don't inadvertantley cause a spark. The strange slanted door way, the only other example I can think of with those is a gas curtain in WW1 trenches. They had a thick wool blanket soaked in something that would get rolled down the doorframe and helped against the gas sinking below the bottom of the door in some way. I'm not saying thats what it's for in this instance but if it's an ammo dump, they could have stored something more potent in small quantities in smaller buildings. They only people who woll onow are the ones who served there... 🤷♂️
Very good video, some of the posters have correctly identified explosives stored here brought in on the light railway system from what we used to call the black sheds a half mile south-east of the site across the heavy bridge you show over Simonswood brook, the only physical evidence of the railway I recall was on stopgate lane / pingwood lane junction in early 1960s the rail line was still visible on the road surface and disappeared into the field through a set of gates, all gone now .... and there used to be many more storage buildings than there is now. When were growing up in Kirkby 1955-69 not a great many things to do for excitement so we used to go exploring the countryside came across this very site fenced off and patrolled by MoD police but nobody on site so thought we would see what the interest was, on a couple of larger buildings similar to shown in your vid, one of the side doors was open and when we looked in it was packed with hundreds of boxes of fireworks apparently made by local excelsior factory at Southport and stored in these remote buildings this would have been 1965-66, we clearly should not have been there and so just scarpered. Thanks for posting ....
Cheers thanks for watching only ever been im that place on heritage days amazing place inside id love to vlog the place as ive only ever got a few pictures of it Cheers again
The black sheds as we called them filled with fireworks easter eggs christmas stuff all year round.By the way one of the biggest ROF in the country loads of gear buried all over Kirkby after the war my nan worked filling shells WW2.
Some of the explosives used in the war gave off toxic gas I think but can't be sure it was the plastic explosive. Probably why all the bunkers had lots of vents.
I live on the Barratt estate near there and first explored this site 40 plus years ago. I found an imprint of a 1940s style woman’s shoe in the concrete on one of the roadways. A late friend who was a postman said he sometimes got mail for the first bunker on the way into the site addressed to Interarms. If you walk down Outlet lane on the northern end of the site there are still some rusted Stantions so I imagine the perimeter was fenced off with barbed wire and patrolled.
Grew up in fazakerley there used to be an RAF camp off of field lane. Fully fenced off then pretty much abandoned, had concrete air raid bunkers and brick buildings like the ones in the video. Plus a bunch of houses. A great place for us kids to explore. There was a military engineering factory still operating until the mid 1970's adjacent to the camp. I remember loads of wildlife especially hedgehogs. Used to go bird egging in the high bushes on the camp, loads of mates had impressive collections of different wild bird eggs. Remember rhubarb would grow like crazy in places. And across the river alt was the very busy english electric factory that had the best employees day. With a circus tent fairground rides a guy who high dived into a tank of water, loads of brilliant stuff for staff and their families. We local kids would look for weeks before they set up places to bunk into the factory grounds as getting a ticket was impossible but we got in. Brilliant place to grow up now all housing there now. Wish they had cameras back then like now to of recorded it all.
If you go onto the Simonswood industrial estate, the first building on the left was once used as an ammunition dump, I worked there in the 1980's when it was Amazon Studios, the walls were 4' thick so it was ideal for a studio, many famous bands of the day recorded there (Echo and the Bunnymen, China Crisis, Wet Wet Wet, and more) before the studios were moved to Parr St in Liverpool.
As I remember there was a very large explosion at Simonswood during the war that killed quite a few of the workers.
Great to see this place in detail great video dudes
Cheers billy glad you liked it
Great little explore, thanks 🙏
Cheers glad you liked it
Must've been growin' the green stuff....maybe...😎
I've been there that's the turf fields just through the Barrat estate
Googled those light fittings they were fitted to ' watch offices " I assume for guards to watch over the site , shame you haven't been into the under ground munitions store that was bring demolished around 18 months ago opposite Kodak , the entrance was a huge ramp that looked high enough to drive a truck into , as mentioned by others there was a railhead going into the site too , btw has anyone got any info on Enfield rifles being built at ROF fazakerley, they're stamped FAZ on the end of the stock where it touches your shoulder , came across them watching a gun collector on UA-cam that unwrapped a still new rifle in the original greased wrapping ? Many thanks in advance for any replies , love your videos George btw keep up the good work 👍
The kip of me barnett 😂
Great Vid 👈
ha ha i hate having a bad barnet
cheers for watching joe glad you liked it mate
Great video, couple of comments/things I noticed. The light fitting would have been explosion proof as it was an ammo store, hence the really thick glass and access to the bulb from outside the building so when you change the bulb you don't inadvertantley cause a spark. The strange slanted door way, the only other example I can think of with those is a gas curtain in WW1 trenches. They had a thick wool blanket soaked in something that would get rolled down the doorframe and helped against the gas sinking below the bottom of the door in some way. I'm not saying thats what it's for in this instance but if it's an ammo dump, they could have stored something more potent in small quantities in smaller buildings. They only people who woll onow are the ones who served there... 🤷♂️
cheers matt thanks for watching glad you liked it mad how they would need so many lights at that wattage
Very good video, some of the posters have correctly identified explosives stored here brought in on the light railway system from what we used to call the black sheds a half mile south-east of the site across the heavy bridge you show over Simonswood brook, the only physical evidence of the railway I recall was on stopgate lane / pingwood lane junction in early 1960s the rail line was still visible on the road surface and disappeared into the field through a set of gates, all gone now .... and there used to be many more storage buildings than there is now.
When were growing up in Kirkby 1955-69 not a great many things to do for excitement so we used to go exploring the countryside came across this very site fenced off and patrolled by MoD police but nobody on site so thought we would see what the interest was, on a couple of larger buildings similar to shown in your vid, one of the side doors was open and when we looked in it was packed with hundreds of boxes of fireworks apparently made by local excelsior factory at Southport and stored in these remote buildings this would have been 1965-66, we clearly should not have been there and so just scarpered. Thanks for posting ....
love the videos , See if you can get access into the old water reservoir off park road. right up your street in there. An events company run it.
Cheers thanks for watching only ever been im that place on heritage days amazing place inside id love to vlog the place as ive only ever got a few pictures of it
Cheers again
Also, near there in 1944 fields were full of American tanks, which had come through the docks at Liverpool.
Buttonwood is not far away either
The black sheds as we called them filled with fireworks easter eggs christmas stuff all year round.By the way one of the biggest ROF in the country loads of gear buried all over Kirkby after the war my nan worked filling shells WW2.
Good stuff cheers for the info
Some of the explosives used in the war gave off toxic gas I think but can't be sure it was the plastic explosive. Probably why all the bunkers had lots of vents.
Ahh cool cheers thanks for the info and for watching
I live on the Barratt estate near there and first explored this site 40 plus years ago. I found an imprint of a 1940s style woman’s shoe in the concrete on one of the roadways. A late friend who was a postman said he sometimes got mail for the first bunker on the way into the site addressed to Interarms. If you walk down Outlet lane on the northern end of the site there are still some rusted Stantions so I imagine the perimeter was fenced off with barbed wire and patrolled.