Our passion and interest in historic architecture, infrastructure and the great outdoors takes us to some amazing places all over the country..
Some are well know and open to the public, some hidden, long forgotten and often abandoned.. we'll explore anything with a history that interests us...
You'll often find us close to home around East Anglia but when we get the chance we also enjoy travelling further afield all around the country..
We really appreciate your support and taking the time to watch our videos so please like, comment and subscribe, it all really helps and we love to hear from like minded people like you.. 😊👍
Thanks, Emma and Stuart.
If you would like to support our channel here are a few links to ways you can make a small donation to enable us to improve our channel by investing in new equipment and resources. Thank you.
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That looks amazing. Why such a beautiful site of industrial history has not been restored or at least preserved in a better state is beyond me. Definitely on my must-visit list. lovely video.
There's places like this scattered all over Wales, it's quite incredible to think of the amount of mass industry that was going on back then and that they just walked away from it all.. We're back in North Wales next month in the hope of exploring more places like this 😀
I've been monitoring this air base for ten years from the sky using light aircraft from Earl's Colne and Southend. Most of the site has been excavated as a sand and gravel quarry. They are starting to build an incinerator with the worked out quarry floor being modified to form suitable foundations. It's ten years since I started the historic airfields project, 200 disused airfields later. Sussex to Norfolk, Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. John.FAI/BGA 51417. Yesterday was 57 years since I started flying at 15 years of age.
@@user-yd9bj3bs8g I've looked back on many aerial shots of this airbase over the years and its quite shocking how the landscape has changed with of course many of the ww2 structures being lost 😔
That place it next to my house
Lovely little village, with still quite a rural feel, sadly possibly not for too much longer with Colchester growing increasingly closer..
Again I have explored East Mersea by light aircraft, boat and foot many times. Beautiful area!
I've biked Brampton valley way many times but didn't know about the parallel tunnels.
@@markrskinner There's plenty you can still find much of which is accessible to the public, its definitely worth a look! 😀
We all used to party in here it’s now knocked down!!!! We had parties the lot in there ahahah, memories!
It certainly looked like there'd been a few parties in there! 😁
Had one of the best holidays there with my cousins around 1983. I used to play all the sports and liked disco dancing. I won most of the competitions when I was there. 😀
Was certainly very popular back in the day, I worked there for a few weeks many years ago and was always very busy.. thanks for watching and commenting with your memories 😊👍
Walked this route in 1996. Then flew this route and the disused Kelvedon to Tollesbury route in a historic light aircraft this April. Been exploring disused railways all over the UK since 1962..
@@user-yd9bj3bs8g Would like to explore some of the old Kelvedon to Tollesbury Pier line one day ourselves, so many disused railways around that way and still a fair bit you can still walk along.. must be quite an experience seeing it from the sky.. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊👍
Walked the Corringham Light Railway in 1983 after flying it in 1980. It closed in the early 1950's and was a real challenge, even with all the landowners permissions. All gone now, totally! Spent the last ten years exploring 200 disused airfields on foot and by light aircraft and gliders from Sussex all the way to North Norfolk and across Lincolnshire and the East Midlands.
You can get a tarp for this tent.
I don't really know.. I've not seen one but not actually looked to be honest..
It is called a utility porch tarp 1.
@carlgreene538 hi tbh I don't think so if we do use a tarp it's just another branded tarp 🙂
What a really interesring exploration,i love old industrial ruins.
This old quarry and village was amazing! We're back in Wales next month and really hope if we get time to get back to it and find more of the abandoned houses and buildings! 😀
This video provides a fascinating look into the WW2 defences along the Suffolk Coast, from Sizewell to Thorpeness. It's amazing to see these historical remnants and learn about their significance. Thank you friend for sharing this insightful exploration of our local history!Big Like.New sub 👍
Thank you so much for liking our video and subscribing.. This part of the coast has a fascinating military history with lots more to find when we next get the opportunity.. Really glad you enjoyed it 😊👍
This was a really interesting watch. Very much enjoyed watching. Big thumbs up 😊👍
Thanks Matt and Bec's really glad you found it interesting and enjoyable. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊
As someone with the same interests I do enjoy your content and your enthusiasm for hidden military sites. Keep up the good work 👍
Thanks James, we really appreciate you watching and for the support 😊👍
KZread knows now that I really enjoy your videos on coastal defences. Another fascinating video with so much information as always, I never knew about ricochet walls or Tett Turrets before watching this so thanks for telling us so much about the things we're looking at
If you'd have asked me about them 8 years ago I wouldn't have had a clue either! 😆 It becomes abit addictive when you start learning about these places.. 😁
This is fantastic! It's such a fascinating location and it's scary seeing the drone coverage as the structure is obviously going to disappear if it hasn't already. It's great that you've been able to capture it for the future once it's sadly gone. The erosion on the eastern coast here is frightening, my parents had a caravan at Newport near Hemsby when I was young and I don't think I'd recognise the place if I saw it now
@@autumnmatthews3179 I believe it is still there, just.. it makes me really sad everytime I see a photo online of a military structure that has just toppled over a cliff somewhere.. I know its not the same as someone loosing their home like so many have along Hemsby but it's our history being lost.. I'm sure one day we'll wish we'd done more to try and save them.. The only thing we can do is document them in our videos so one day when the sea has taken all the rubble away we'll at least be able to show people what was once there.. 😔
Now its about 1000 houses
Yeah it had been knocked down last time we went past ready for development..
You might want to clarify UK. After all you are on the World Wide Web. Lots of Norfolk's around the world.
I joined 1962 at the tender age of 15, Spent one year training, and for me it wasn't a happy time time. Brutal to the point of bullying. Mast was originally from the Corvette HMS Cordelia and has now been replaced as it was protected. The land is now under development for housing. Shame seeing this video and how the old "Stone Frigate" has been allowed to sink into disrepair. Life goes on and memories of good and bad live on .
Yes unfortunately we've heard alot of people's past experiences of Ganges wasn't always very positive and many of them just young boys really.. We've seen the restored mast and they have at least done a good job preserving it.. like you say its slowly all being turned into houses, hopefully they'll save at least some of the original buildings as they are quite fascinating and a big part of Shotleys history.. Thanks for watching and sharing your memories with us. 👍
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu Another interesting fact is.One boy fell from the mast in1928 , 15 year old seaman Alfred Hickman died. Before the shore base was used the ship HMS Ganges was used as a training ship 53 boys died between 1866-1899.
Another fascinating video and a great example of the defences we had. The health and safety stuff really did make me chuckle, I bought some batteries from Amazon for a couple of AirTags that I use and I had an email recalling them because there was a danger of ingestion. No good though because I'd already eaten them! It's crazy
It was such a shame, like I said we've been to many gun emplacements in our time but never seen one where they felt the need to do this.. Health and safety really has gone mad! 😒
Nicely done, it's always great to explore former coastal defence locations. Not sure about that building, from the outside, it did look like a generator building, but the large windows seemed to contradict that, unless they were cut out post-war if it was perhaps used for something else. Great scenary from a lovely part of the country 🙂
That's was exactly our thinking.. we've been to most of the remaining gun batteries along the Suffolk and Essex coast and never really come across something like this that wasn't more to do with radar or something but there definitely wasn't one of those here as that was just abit further up the coast near Dunwich, so I guess it remains still a mystery.. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, always appreciated 😊👍
Great video as usual, me and my neighbor watched this we both live in Leiston for 18 years or so ,we both walk our dogs at Sizewell , quite embarrassing we never knew this things existed, we need to revisit !
We get told this so often so it's always nice to know we've managed to enlighten people abit about their local area and one of the reasons we do this.. thanks for watching 😊
There is a very unusual underground bunker, between Thorpness & Aldeburgh, who's entrance was wide steps going down and which headed out from the beach, towards the sea. I remember going down into it in the 1970'. A wide, long corridor that spurred off into 2 in 90 degrees. I guess it was filled & buried.
That's interesting.. I'm not aware of any significant military structures that used to be along that part of the coast so I'm guessing it is likely buried now like you say.. I have tried to look into it but have found no information anywhere.. another one of the many bits of military history now lost and forgotten 😞
I live near, and it's one of my favourite local walks, especially along the beach. Shame about Sizewell C now being a construction site for the next 10 years
It's a beautiful part of the coastline to visit but yes the new Sizewell C is having quite an effect on the countryside around there which is a real shame 😞
Brilliant exploration from the dynamic duo of WW2 explorations,you bring history alive.This brings back great memories of my holidays in Suffolk,when i used to visit RSPB Minsmere for bird watching.You must visit Orford Ness one day,where atomic bomb ballistics testing was carried out! Also experiments with radar,it was a top secret MOD facility up to the Cold War years,none of the locals were aware of it,s significence.The island is also a National Trust Nature reserve and is accessed by boat from Orford.😀👍
There was also a ww2 battery at Minsmere that we are hoping to take a look at the remains of hopefully in the near future.. I last visited Orford Ness a good few years ago now and like you say its a fascinating place with an amazing history.. Hopefully one day we'll visit again now I have a better understanding of what went on there but it will probably end up being a 2 hour long video! 😆 Thanks again for watching and all your support 😊👍
my headphones are broken, so I only got em!
Oh no.. could have been worse, it could have just been Stu you heard! 😆
Very interesting, a lovely area with lots of history. I struggled with the sound through headphones though, not sure why.
A great video so much information and I enjoyed the video so much Keep up with the good work 😊
Thank you! Glad you found it interesting and enjoyable, we appreciate you taking the time to watch 😊👍
Wonderful I always learn something new watching your videos.
That's great to hear and one of the reasons why we enjoy doing this so much! Thanks for watching 😊👍
Another great video, I'm really getting into the coastal defences now because of you as I remember seeing concrete blocks on beaches when I was young but never knew what they were for. Really nice to see the shelves on the pill box. Also, a big thanks for all the information you always give us, it really brings these places to life
Thanks Autumn, glad we've been able to enlighten you about the amazing history of these places. Thanks for watching and supporting us 😊👍
I never knew these were here !! I'm definitely gonna have to make a trip down :) And get some film and photos!! Great video
You definitely should! And so much more to find along the Suffolk coast! Thanks for watching 😊
Another great video! Love how I always learn something I didn't know watching your video. Thanks for taking us for a look 😁
Thanks glad we managed to teach you something about these fascinating places 😊
Love the vid guys, reminds me of Lakenham Middle School in Norwich, early 80s there was an air-raid shelter in the back playground, there were steps going down then blocked off. There were rumours it was a tunnel going to County Hall, which isn't that far 😅
Thanks Simon, glad you enjoyed watching.. I love hearing all the rumours about ww2 tunnels connecting places, we have the same about smugglers tunnels in my area, most of which are of course made up stories 😁
Just catching up on your excellent videos after watching the Mundsley Gun Battery episode.Absolutely gob smacked by this underground shelter exploration,thanks Em and Stu for getting down and dirty literally!👍
These shelters are amazing, to think of the hard graft that went into digging them all out and Dover especially has so many! Shame we don't live closer as dispite visiting 3 or 4 of them now there's still so many more that we know of to try and explore!
I'd love these bottles as I make gemstone trees and they would make great bases for my trees. Could you tell me where is best to park. I only live on canvey island so I'm not far. I need sea glass to make my pendents as canvey dosent have much now
Only place nearby you can really park is next to the fort.. just be careful though as the Port Authority who own the foreshore there are not too keen these days of people picking things up along there due to the toxic soil eroding out.. I'm sure plenty of people still go though..
Hi I really want to go to this beach great finds. Do I need a mudlarck licence for this beech. Is best to park near the Fort to get there please
STOP TALKING OVER EACHOTHER FOR CHRISSAKE! Remanent?!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah I know it was annoying wasn't it.. thankfully over 3 years later we've since addressed that bad habit 😆
Great video
Thanks Paul, we appreciate you watching 👍
The firing arcs are not relevant where naval guns of that era were concerned. Most fired at 'high angle' ie not directly at the target. There are two main reasons for this, the first is that range is acquired by firing upwards and letting gravity extend that range (this is standard artillery practice, field guns etc fire up not at, unless they are very close to the target) the shell with fall at the same rate as if drop from the muzzle height, the charge provides distance prior to that happening. The second reason is that naval guns of that era were largely destined to 'drop' fire onto the superstructure and decks of ships as, from the WW1 ships were quite heavily plated to reduce damage. The 'uppers' were not as it would compromise stability. So, in this case, the guns would be firing up and out to sea and the firing arc is not as important as the proximity to the sea. Hope this helps. Keep up making the videos they are very enjoyable.
Thanks for your additional information, we're always happy to learn more especially as alot of the information we have comes from old books and the Internet which isn't always too detailed or accurate in alot of cases.. Glad you found the video enjoyable, thanks for watching and commenting 😊👍
I would like sume photos of the old pontins site I got some of this site e bay
You say it's a boring video 📹 but I think it's very interesting as I use to think this was East Tilbury Docks. I could first see this place just down the shore from DP World years ago and I can now see it across the river from Cliffe. Always intrigued me as to what this place actually is. Now I know it's the old Mucking Wharf site which was used to bring in soils for the old Landfill Restoration works. There is still activity going on over there as during the week on a clear day you can clearly see a digger and dumptruck moving around at times by those cranes. Fascinating video and thanks for posting 📫 👍
Yes I believe they are still working on covering the old landfill site, when we stumbled across it a few years ago now we didn't really know what we had found lol. There's something quite beautiful about the old cranes I think.. Thanks for watching and glad you found it interesting 😊
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu 👍 👍 👌
Cool place love this place and thank you for showing rainham ( however there’s a noise lol ) rainham beautiful and safe
Rainham is a fascinating place to visit and the barges are quite a sight to see.. we really must return back in the near future as we know abit more about them now and really didn't do them justice in this video.. Thanks for watching anyway 👍😊
Such a shame that these pill boxes are now a dumping ground for rubbish and graffiti. I guess it's too difficult and expensive to preserve them. Always good to see your videos from these locations.
Hopefully one day these places will be seen for the importance they deserve, we're getting there slowly but no where near as appreciated like they are in parts of Europe as I'm sure you've seen. Glad you enjoyed watching thanks for commenting 😊👍
Complete CRAP from some Norwich twats!
Just catching up with all your brilliant videos since i discvered the channel.Great to to see that crew room in such good condition and graffiti free! Thanks Em and Stu for braving the elements to shine a light on WW2 history.👍
It was a great place to explore with so much to see but the weather really was against us that weekend! Glad you enjoyed watching 👍😁
This is amazing. I love the abandoned underground stations so thanks for the look inside this one
Not too many people know this but I'm almost obsessed with anything to do with the London underground so to get the chance to visit one if its abandoned stations was a dream come true! 😍
ENJOYED YOUR VIDEO ,YOU ALWAYS GIVE PLENTY OF INFORMATION ON WHAT YOU VISIT,THANKS
Thanks, glad you found it interesting, we like to try and fit in as much information as possible but still keep it entertaining to watch.. thanks for your comment as always 👍
Great video Em Stu really enjoyed it much appreciated ❤
Thanks Alan! Glad you enjoyed it, we appreciate you watching 😊👍
Are you guys from Norwich or around Norfolk?
We're just a few miles from Great Yarmouth Simon.. 🙂
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu ah I thought so by the accent lol, I'm from Norwich, love the vids 😄
@@simonwatts2331 Stu is originally from East London hence the cockney accent but I've lived in Norfolk all my life 😁
Thanks! For more great WW2 adventures.
Thank you so much for our first ever Super Thanks! That's really made our day.. 😊
Wow! So glad i found this channel,ilive in Cromer and have always been fascinated by the war defences along the coastline.I quite often walk to Sheringham via these structures,thanks Em and Stu for this enlightening video.Also i only discovered Mundesley gun battery last year when i did the coastal walk,so i,m glad you have researched it.👍
Really glad you enjoyed the video.. You're so lucky to live in such a beautiful place, we often camp at East Runton and just love the area.. The coastline is amazing and so much history to be found all along there.. glad you also liked our Mundesley video, hopefully we'll get up to North Norfolk again very soon for some more military exploring 😀
Quality video . Enjoy it a lot 😊
Thanks Ben! Glad you liked it 😊