Geograph Blog ::

A return to Brookwood

By Bill Nicholls

A return to Brookwood was on the cards, I needed to revisit the Commonwealth War cemetery there for a photo of J A Wilding SU9456 : Flying Officer J.A. Wilding DFC by Bill Nicholls so I could finish off my blog.
The place has always had an impact on me from the sheer size of it SU9556 : The Commonwealth Area by Bill Nicholls SU9556 : The French Cemetery by Bill Nicholls. I doubt even if it is as big as other some of the other war cemeteries in this country but none the less it is always worth going round SU9456 : Row 55A by Bill Nicholls. I spent quite a while wandering round though was disappointed I could not see more of the RAF site as it was under maintenance and the area was being reseeded SU9556 : The RAF Graves by Bill Nicholls SU9556 : Royal Air Force Shelter by Bill Nicholls. I took the time to look round the memorial for the missing SU9456 : Memorial to the missing by Bill Nicholls before heading off to look for Wilding's grave in the Canadian cemetery. I had forgotten the row number but I quickly realised the rows of graves were in date order so it was just a case of following the days months and years till I found the date.
I headed off to the top of the cemetery and the cross to get a view down then noticed another cemetery which turned out to be from the Royal Hospital, the Chelsea Pensioners last resting place. I felt they were serving their monarch till the very end and were buried with their fallen comrades SU9456 : Part of the Royal Hospital Cemetery by Bill Nicholls. I might add there were a few annexes for military personnel at the cemetery for those wishing to be buried there. On going away I noticed four RCAF graves close together, all with the same date I assume the crew from one aircraft SU9456 : Four Crew mates by Bill Nicholls. It made me wonder, then on the way back out I came across the German and Italian graves and noticed a few like that but closer together. Three which were side by side had the same date. Another crew who died together SU9456 : They died together by Bill Nicholls.
I left the cemetery after looking at a small section of line that had been laid as a memory of what had been the rail line going to the cemetery SU9556 : A piece of track by Bill Nicholls, then headed off to the canal. I wanted to see the Deepcut flight of locks and what progress had been made since I had last been to the place.
Heading off to Cowshot bridge the first thing I noticed was the canal was full of water SU9356 : Back to Lock 16 by Bill Nicholls again and the lockgates back in place though SU9356 : New gates by Bill Nicholls
on closer inspection I noticed the sluice gates for emptying the lock had been removed and a shutter screwed in place SU9356 : Blocked-off sluice by Bill Nicholls. The sluice gates on the other end were also in various states of repair with the winding and posts missing. Some of the locks had leaks with water pouring in through holes in the brickwork. On route I also came across my first boundary marker left over from the days when the area was under military control SU9256 : Boundary stone at Lock 20 by Bill Nicholls. Going on towards Curzon bridge the water was low in the canal due SU9256 : No gates that end by Bill Nicholls SU9256 : From under Curzon Bridge by Bill Nicholls to the lock gates being removed for repair SU9256 : Looking at the big gates by Bill Nicholls. While getting photos of the railway nearby I noticed a wall further down the track to the road which turned out to be another bridge. On the way along to get a few photos I noticed a dragons tooth SU9256 : A lonely tooth by Bill Nicholls left over from the wartime defence then, by the road, a type 22 pillbox SU9256 : Lurking by the road by Bill Nicholls.
There was more to come in the shape of a roadblock SU9256 : On its side by Bill Nicholls that had been pushed over and a second dragons tooth on its side SU9256 : A better view by Bill Nicholls, then while going round the back of the pillbox I spotted an anti tank cylinder SU9256 : Cylinder and pillbox by Bill Nicholls All the items associated with roadblocks near a pillbox in one place still though sparse. Shame they had been removed like that. After getting some photos of the bridge SU9256 : Towards Curzon Bridge by Bill Nicholls it was back to the canal and a walk along towards Lock 27 where I finished and headed back to Brookwood Village hall and my lift home.
Sorry no Geotrip on this one messed up with the data.


Loading map...
Marker only shows grid square

When
Wed, 14 Nov 2012 at 13:08
Grid Square
geotagged! SU9456
Chosen Photo

blog comments powered by Disqus
You are not logged in login | register