Shoeburyness Garrison & Ranges - Documentary

Unknown to most people, this former garrison town was once at the centre of weaponry development having been in use since the Iron Age. Today a public park, only the buildings give an indication of its past . Breakthroughs at the site include shrapnel, rockets, quick firing weapons and the replacement of gunpower with cordite, to name a few.
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[@TherymasterWidnes]

Bloody hell, I stayed there with The Kings Troop RHA in 1995 on R&R when it was still the garrison. Amazing to see now with all those houses on it. Thanks for posting and bringing back some great memories.

[@brianperry]

As kids from the nearby village of Great Wakering we regularly used the beach off Blackgate Road ( were the Boom is situated) as our 'swimming hole' In the fifties you could use the beach area only from the Boom up towards the main Barracks . the area beyond the beach was still fenced off. I believe search lights and gun emplacements had be mounted there. Sometimes there was a Duk parked up nearby, next to the Boom. When the tide became higher we would dive or jump off the boom...it was all great fun, we had little understanding of danger.. Thanks for the video...A remembrance of childhood.

[@Jo1066milton]

I grew up in Shoebury when the garrison was busy and the firing range were in daily use. It was a sad day when the RA regiment moved out. The village shops mostly died. I walk through Gunners Park regularly.

[@brianperry]

I lived in Great Wakering at the time you speak of...We swam off Blackgate road. saw soldiers 'route marching from time to time. later in youth we visited the Shoebury Hotel Pub and a 'cafe' on the corner of Campfield Road. During the fifties many of my friends fathers worked at the New Ranges. I vaguely recall open days at the Garrison..

[@Johnketes54]

As i did today and stumbled on this video due to someone telling me he lived in the barracks and went to school in the barracks and i suggested hinguar in hinguar Street and he said no in the barracks

[@Johnketes54]

Firing range is still in daily use

[@Jo1066milton]

Perhaps that was recently? HInguar school had a whole new building constructed inside the old Garrison lands, and the original Hinguar in the village is now housing. People do indeed now go to school "in the garrison".@@Johnketes54

[@ExploringWithEmAndStu]

How the hell you got a thumbs down on this video we will never know... But great video very professional and beautifully put together well done

[@BeyondthePoint]

Thanks very much!

[@TomsterTBurt]

Wow this is actually really good.

[@HarrisonJamess]

I’ve swam in the beach right below the Garrison, excellent tomes

[@vicsams4431]

The remains of the 2ft narrow gauge railway shown at 1:56 extends quite a long way, and it is extensively visible, set in the concrete of the road along Shoeburyness East Beach. The standard gauge freight line from Shoeburyness Yard to Pigs Bay was transversed by a singular passenger train, which I boarded at London PADDINGTON (oddly) prior to it travelling around London and going to Essex.

[@Johnketes54]

The railway on east beach is the remnants of the brickworks that on the east adjacent to the now QINETIQ- MOD

[@djpup5384]

Nice to see my home I’m one of your videos keep up the great video’s

[@IceReef]

Great vids guys. I'm based in Essex and basically conduct these kinds of solo explorations on bike. May bump into you at some point in the future!

[@BeyondthePoint]

Awesome stuff cheers! Do you take any film or photographs?

[@IceReef]

@@BeyondthePoint Bit of both really - not quite the same narrative (focus more on the cycling aspect) but there are loads of photos of that type of thing on my Instagram, and I'm going to try and incorporate more story telling in to my journey vlogs.

[@MrProlecat]

The boom was reinforced in the early 50's to stop a soviet ship with a nuclear bomb in its hold coming to London. This is from the English Heritage guide. It would not be possible for a submarine to pass where the boom is as the water is too shallow. You can see the boom top is above the water even at high tide showing how shallow the water is.

[@paulbutterworthbillericay]

The railway track I noticed runs parallel to the beach walk, the road where the MOD building starts at the Anti Submarine Boom, being an ex railway guy, the narrow gauge line has multiple points still in place just tarmac embedded into the road, it must have been a shutters yard siding of some sort, fascinating

[@vicsams4431]

I am an ex-railway guy too. I travelled by (the only ?) passenger train from London PADDINGTON (oddly !) around London to Shoeburyness and to the bufferstops at Pigs Bay MOD. It was hauled by a Class 47. I have also walked the 2ft narrow gauge along Shoeburyness East Beach.

[@paulbutterworthbillericay]

@@vicsams4431 I was OHL from Bethnal Green London- Kings Lynn, big old patch used to walk the whole route every month for 15 years, then on nights take it all apart what was duty on the Railways

[@vicsams4431]

@@paulbutterworthbillericay I used to cabride all routes on Anglia every week, when I was Regional Workforce Safety Manager. Plus the occasional night check on a possession. I was on Anglia 16 years before transferring to Euston HQ, where I ended as National Operations Standards Manager. So it is quite likely you have met me.

[@paulbutterworthbillericay]

@@vicsams4431 Good chance we met without knowing it, I worked from Cheshunt, so Possessions & Isolations I took every other week, then there were the emergencies, after 15 years of Railtrack NWR I worked 2 years with Crossrail from Shenfield to Bow Junction, but would also cover Kent, & Anglia now I have nothing to do with the Railways, but its still part of me

[@vicsams4431]

@@paulbutterworthbillericay I know Cheshunt OHLE. Back then I was quite lowly, but ended up the level of Kevin Lydford, only in Ops, not electrification. All the best.

[@fightersweep]

Nice video! Very professional! Are the remaining building and defences protected at all from development?

[@BeyondthePoint]

Cheers, they’ve all been secured and incorporated into what is now RSPB Gunners Park so I’d imagine they’re listed

[@fightersweep]

@@BeyondthePoint Thanks for the reply. That's good to hear.

[@Jo1066milton]

Yep, the big old artillery testing platform is still there, and some ammunition and powder stores, along with the remains of a Viking fort. Local streets reflect the Viking influence - Hinguar Street, Rampart Terrace. I lived in Shoebury for 18 years and still live not far away.

[@skylongskylong1982]

Does anybody remember the TRS 2 aircraft fuselage on the firing range in the late seventies ?

[@vicsams4431]

No. But I remember the V2 Rocket that stood on its tail, pointing skywards, as a garrison gate sentry in the 1970s.

[@kf8575]

Shame there are building restrictions due to rspb and such like. Should rip the lot down, flatten it completely. Could build plenty of houses over there to house the thousands on local council waiting lists. Who cares about the history of the place, means absolutely nothing now

[@BeyondthePoint]

I think many will disagree. Besides the garrison did get converted into new homes that kept the old buildings. Isn’t open space important?

[@wrightgoodman8832]

Yh just fuck the park and all the wildlife off and build some more homes would love walking my dogs around a built up housing estate great place for them to run around