Legal Warning sign, the first thing you see at the main gate onto the camp. To the left is a large road gate, barring entrance to the camp. A high fence stretchs around the entire perimeter of what is left of the camp, occasionally topped with razor wire as a bonus to its normal 3 strandards of barbed wire. The bottom of the fence is normally encased in concrete, or tarmac, so as to stop easy tunneling just below the fence, and also to keep the fence highly tensile. This part of the camp features some nicely shaped mature trees, mostly sycamores. Also, there are a few lamp posts, of a design possibly manufactured specifically for the MOD. These are all standard features of MOD sites, and are seen often across the country.
"Houndstone Camp" A reminder of what used to be here. Written, strangely, in red. Reflecting none of the glory of the size and history of the camp, and telling nothing of that story.
This "machine gun nest" was a small measure, probably built to bolster defensive measures against terroist and protest attacks, during the last 30 years or so. Measures similar to these were taken at all MOD sites across the country, to counter the threat, especially that of ram raiding. The strong house is off to the left. There also used to be a very small, lightly constructed timber, green painted, mobile guard post (or picket post)(this is pictured here in the background). To the right before demolition, stood a superb example of military architecture. It was considered a fire hazard, and possibly before closure of the camp was demolished before it could be a casualty of arson.
The building stood on a base of red bricks, perhaps 6 courses high. (the base is pictured in the second photo, with the Houndstone Camp sign attached to the fence in front). It took the form, some what, of a summer house, with a porch stretching the entire length of one side of the building. The wood work fencing enclosing this was painted in blue, the main external walling stained in a dark brown almost black colour. After stepping up onto the porch, you walked on into the building, where after passing through two mostly glass doors, you came into a reception type area. This building was the camp security offices, and guard house, perhaps among other things. This type of building style often can be seen on episodes of "The New Avengers" (Purdy era). The road stretches on up into the heart of the camp from here.
This building, which i`ll call the strong house, stands in good condition not far to the left once you have entered the camp. There is a porch, with a heavy metal door giving access to the building. There is a spy hole in the door. There is also an entrance to the rear. On the left hand side of the building, as you can see in the photo is a lesser strength building, perhaps a later addition, although made in the same brick. The woodwork is painted in a standard MOD blue colour, although in this photo, a little weathered.
In 2000, during refurbishment work to reuse some buildings on the camp for local business, and demolition of a few more of the remaining structures, the doors to the strong house were unlocked. I was lucky to have been able to squeeze in a quick look inside the building. Internally the structure was plain brick walled, with a few standing dexion shelving units. There were remains of an MOD issue respirator filter smashed on the floor. This leads me to suspect that the building was used as a store for NBC equipment prior to closure.
Leaving the building, via the front door, you look towards the main gate, turning left and walking back onto the road, on the right handside as you walk around the building you pass a sand box firing range built onto the wall. Carrying on up the road, you come into an area of some 6 or so buildings. On the left hand side, with the football ground to the rear stand four of these buildings. They are probably of World War Two construction, rumour at the time of the visit was that they possibly may be retained as bat sanctuaries. They consist of one gym building, internally the flooring tiles lifting, climbing ropes still hanging from the ceiling, and climbing frames to one end. The other three were all probably accomodation buildings, the one entered still having large round metal heaters standing off the floor. These buildings also had toilet and boiler rooms.
This building (two pictures below) was on the right hand side of the road. This was only a small part of it. The building was large, rapidly falling apart, and seemed to be made up of lots of different buildings joined together. There were shower and toilet facilites installed, and perhaps a dining and kitchen catering factility (mess hall). Brian Kitching tells me that when he was there, it was the admin and stores building.
Carrying on up the road from this area, you would have go further into the camp, however this no longer exists at all. Largely built on by a trading estate, there were a few buildings left outside the perimeter, of varying designs. One was a red brick store building, used before being abandoned in perhaps 2000 as a scout and boys brigade store for tents and band equipment besides other things. There were several timber constructed buildings, one used laterly to store publishers over stock of books, and another used for storing large metal items, perhaps air conditioning units, stainless steel kitchen furniture, and the like.
Brian Kitching provided me with some pictures of this part of the site, and he was lucky enough even to find the billet that he lived in while based there. Not much survived of the original camp structure, this will be evident when I get maps up that you can see clearly, and hopefully i`ll be able to annotate all the buildings with pictures that i have linked too them.
Passing back up the road, towards the main gate and turning left you follow a road down toward the engineering sheds. This area is largely devoid of trees, perhaps a sports pitch used to be here. On the right hand side on the grassy area is a large fuel tank, with retaining wall for spills. Also, more interestingly there is another red brick strong house, but not the same style as the one already mentioned. It is of a lower in height construction, lacking a porch and additional buildings. It has the same heavy metal door, with spy hole, and once you go inside, it is plain and empty. The rooms are dark and windowless, after leaving the corridoor which had light provided via ceiling windows which had heavy bars across them. Nothing could be seen in any of the rooms, as I did not have a torch, beside a large low chest freezer. This building was more than likely the weapons store.
To the right as you continue to pass down to the sheds was a low fenced compound with its own very small brick building. Perhaps some kind of electrical supply building. Also, there was a small house style building, or red brick construction, single floor, several small rooms. This was were during the later years of the camp i know that the estates agent office was. When picking up the keys to a leased married quarter, and indeed after the homes were sold off, this was the place to visit to get them. This building has since been demolished (2000).
The lawns were kept mown and the fences often replaced in parts, or repaired, even after closure, probably on behalf of the MOD. Vandalism of what rremains was general little, the buildings outside the perimeter suffered break ins, but this wasnt a hard thing, and nothing worth stealing was ever stored iinside them. Mostly the only vadalism were rocks thrown at windows, and the ooccasional hole in the fence. The buildings had been well stripped, perhaps eeven salvaged before closure, so little remained to be vandalised.
