I visited here this Sunday just gone. Its well worth a proper look around. The bunker is sealed up tight but it is in a really interesting spot with drains sewers and other tunnels in the vicinity. There are several circular stone areas that seem to have been filled up in the past. Could be bases for old fountains or access to drains. The area is landscaped and was probaly ground for Worsley Old Hall- Lots to explore in general so please read on.....

(Also posted on Broken Britain.)

Worsley 4 Group, Anti Aircraft ops room, REPORT 27/04/08


Hi all,

Have been doing a bit of reading about potential Manchester explores and after a weekend of decorating decided I needed a little fix. A few junctions round the M60 I entered the woods in search of Worsley - 4 Group, 70 Brigade AAOR. This is a post war Anti Aircraft Ops room and one hell of a bunker from what I'd read on Subbrit.

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/...ley/index.html


The Worsley post war anti aircraft operations room was opened in 1952 on the site of Worsley New Hall which had been pulled down after the first world war. The AAOR served the Manchester Gun Defended Area (GDA) and was of the standard two level design built into the edge of the hillside in Middle Wood.

A quick hop across a small wall and I began bushwhacking through a forest of Rhodo dodos. There was more wood and foliage than I was expecting and it wasn't proving an easy find. Fifteen minutes of Romancing the Stone-esq buchwhacking and I discoved a very old wall. This is either remains of Worsley Hall gardens or something else entirely of a possible redoubt nature. Something of interest to follow untill I hit the jackpot.


It was looming out of the forest - boy this is a big bunker. The eastern wall is easily thirty feet high- Obviously had to be big to fit two levels inside. I had a walk around looking for access. Lots of graphitti but no way in- Doors are welded shut at the south entrance and padlocked and welded to the north- Humpf.


Got on to the roof in an undignified manner and had a look at the ventilation pipe on top and took some more pics.

This place needs proper look around as there are various manholes in the ground most of which are open and appear to be drainage or sewerage- But there are others...purpose unknown.


Its a great hunk of concrete in the middle of nowhere but worth the drive. There were lots of other intriging features in these woods that I need to research more. What was the wall for (Timeteam please)? What were the manholes and other concrete filled holes I found in the Rhodos?

I will be back to look again soon but for now my roast dinner was calling me home.

Offkilter
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Always naughty – never nasty