Portsdown Main Defence Research Agency - Portsmouth - April 09

[KingElvis]

From the road this is one imposing building. Made in 1930s Art Deco style when you first see it you think it may still be in use. The buildings are next to a very live Navy site crammed full of interesting looking devices and radars, it's also part of a sinister sounding "Technology Park". Entry was much harder than I had been expecting and to be honest, the place is stripped and not all that interesting. It was finally closed in 1997 and there is not a sign of graff or vandalism. Builders have done a very through job of stripping the place though right down to the wooden floors.

I did find the lecture theatre / cinema and the building itself was good if you like concrete angles but in the end, the effort to get in was far more than the result was worth. There is some very interesting information on the place and its varied uses over the years HERE (http://www.portsdown-tunnels.org.uk/surface_sites/portsdown_main_p1.html)


Portsdown Main from the road

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture068640x480.jpg

And the "back entrance" not too scary by yourself or anything :thumb

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture067640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture066640x480.jpg

Main entrance lobby and lovely stairs. The security man lives right outside this.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture034640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture031640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture032640x480.jpg

Lecture theatre / cinema

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture063640x480.jpg

Grenade :ohmy

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture056640x480.jpg

Endless empty rooms and corridors with little or no detail to be seen.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture022640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture026640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture041640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture036640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture061640x480.jpg

Some small details remain if you look hard enough.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture059640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture019640x480.jpg

These rooms must've been posh because of the green entry portico things

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture048640x480.jpg

But mostly it's just a massive empty building with many empty rooms and corridors

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture039640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture055640x480.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture028640x480.jpg

Finally, some 1990s comms just left behind :thumb

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/tmole99/military/Portsdown%20Main/Picture042640x480.jpg

At this point someone was plainly in the building so I left, it was NOT fellow explorers :thumb

[Muse]

Lovely staircase shots Elvis :thumb

[lilli]

Shame its so stripped now :( Still good you got to see it .... There are not many Art Deco buildings got built in the 50's!! :D

[Mexico75]

Nice work KE, still looks worth a trip round :thumb

[scally]

cool pics :) is it me or does it look like the school from the simpsons??

[boxfrenzy]

It's an imposing building from the front. I like the staircases. Good work.

[ERNIE99_UK]

looks like youve been busy KE. great stuff

[Kingrat]

I've always fancied this place but it never reached the top of my list.
I think once upon a time you could call the demo/builders and they'd let you have a key !

[Trousercowboy]

Looks good to me mate :thumb

[converse1]

Busy fella! Very interesting building mate, like it a lot. :thumb

[wolfism]

Looks suitably imposing - shame that it's just really a facade with lots of cellular offices and corridors inside. Liking the balustrades, though.

There are not many Art Deco buildings got built in the 50's!! :D
You're right, although there are a few - I explored an Art Deco jute mill in Dundee that was completed about 1949 (years before I was posting on forums). I became obsessed by it and took far too many photos ... but then practically all of it was flattened, despite being listed. :(

[flat-4]

wow thats been raped!!

when i went with andy and reef it was as if they had just shut the door!! there was stacks and stacks of stuff in there!!

bummer dude

[skin]

Love the stairwells and the imposing exterior entrance shots....and a grenade :w00t

[BB]

:( only a smokey gren...dam! :lol:

Cool stuff mate, want to go there :D

[simonix]

Thats awsome! great photos. :thumb