Britain the perfect secret facility?

Originally posted by throwoff
There is a lot going on around the UK but you just need to be lucky/educated to find it.

A number of years ago, shortly after passing my driving test I was doing what any self respecting 17 year old Brit does, driving around aimlessly late at night!

I live in Kent and was driving around the myriad of country lanes that litter our county, to be honest I was totally lost and probably going round in circles, all I can say for sure is that I was near Maidstone as that was the town I eventually stumbled out of the lanes into.

It was around 2/3AM on a Sunday and I had not seen another car for quite some time!

While driving down on of the lanes, near Bluebell hill (again, educated guess, I was lost) I saw lights coming towards me, I pulled into a pull over space and waited to be passed, the lights were advancing very slowly but as they came closer I noticed men walking in front and alongside the vehicles, I also saw that there was not one vehicle but many. First to pass was an unmarked car, possibly police, it has the antenna on the roof and lights in rear window which usually give away it being unmarked police. Next where two soldiers, wearing fatigues, both with rifles slung, the one closest to me looked at me intently and then stood alongside my car window, basically blocking the side window. Next up we had two army jeeps, both with full beams on pretty much blinding me from clearly seeing the drivers. Next up was the 'main event' a large articulated truck, millitary isssue I would guess by the lack of number plates or markings, it was pulling a trailer which was again unmarked and fully enclosed and I would guess 4-6 more soldiers walking alongside it. Once it passed there were 2 more jeeps and 2 walking soldiers at the back, the guy next to my car turned, looked through my window, I mean literally bent down to glare through and then he walked off.

Suffice to say I put my foot down and got out of there as fast as possible afterwards.

God knows what it was, where it had come from or where it was going, I know we have a few facilities in the local area but nothing along those lanes that I have ever seen, mind you there are plenty of dead ends and private roads so maybe there it.

I have thought about it a lot over the years, I would hazard a guess at munitions or tech being moved, but the bit that bugs me is where the hell was it going, and why move it along those roads in the middle of the night.

I live in the area what direction from bluebell hill were they going?

reply to post by BMorris


I cant see how it nukes as there are no submarine or missle sites in thearea.

BUT

In maidstone there is engineer barracks as well as a bigger one the otherside of the hill in chatham.

On top of that on the top of bluebell hill you havea large BAE systems site with hangers.

Just of the M55 the other day I found myself at the front of a Police roadblock. Just a minute or two later dozen of police cars and fire engines escorted three Army articulated 40 ton trucks with fully enclosed trailers. This is the second time I've seen them- the last time at night. The only military base we have near by is an Army infantry regiment of no particular note. There is of course BAE nearby, but this convoy was coming from the wrong direction.

It's amazing how easily things are kept quiet though. About a decade ago at BAE a Tornado dumped it's entire wing loads by accident during takeoff. The button is just in front of the throttles and the pilot apparently went to full throttle with his index finger sticking out- they've modified the button with a guard since this incident!

The outcome of this was that all the ordinance slid into the residential caravan park at the end of the runway, including two flaming drop tanks! Luckily no-one was hurt and it was hushed up by BAE. It was never reported in the press and was told to me by an technician who had worked there for many, many years.