Today, I went deep inside the Camberwell Submarine!

[lang rabbie]

any good conspiracy theories about the memorial?

It's in the name stupid. It's actually a giant Faraday Cage.

For contingency planning against a high-altitude nuclear blast that would have acted as an E-bomb - generating a poweful electomagnetic pulse that would cripple all electronic systems - a "B" team of "top people" would have been inside the Memorial, along with a back-up generator and communications kit that wasn't attached to any external cabling.

 

[London_Calling]

Looking at the scale of the kit down below, I presume now the surface vents must be on hinges or otherwise open out so replacement boilers, etc. can be lowered on cranes?

 

[editor]

I didn't see any hinge like openings there, but I guess there must be something.

 

[guinnessdrinker]

It's in the name stupid. It's actually a giant Faraday Cage.

For contingency planning against a high-altitude nuclear blast that would have acted as an E-bomb - generating a poweful electomagnetic pulse that would cripple all electronic systems - a "B" team of "top people" would have been inside the Memorial, along with a back-up generator and communications kit that wasn't attached to any external cabling.

so there must be a secret tunnel between the submarine and the cage, then...

 

[The Pious Pawn]

interesting thread , its good when you find out what something really is when you've been dreaming up allsorts of things about it . I remember when i was a kid i use to go on bike rides with my dad over the hills , We would come across this concrete box with a metal tube coming out . I use to think it was a pillbox from the war ( I swear me dad told me it was ) i was up the same place a few years ago and my dream were shattered when i discovered it was a old farming thing for storing water .

 

[The Pious Pawn]

Looking at the scale of the kit down below, I presume now the surface vents must be on hinges or otherwise open out so replacement boilers, etc. can be lowered on cranes?

You would replace the whole boiler , Imho youd only replace the bits which fail on a insurance mdt test . They last a good few years as well.

 

[Structaural]

Well I never - that's what it is! That's been a mystery to me for 20 odd years.

 

[TopCat]

Excellent! I wonderd for years what that thing was...

 

[gaijingirl]

Wonderful - I cycle past that all the time and always wondered.

And now I have a pictorial clue as to what "gubbins" are too - although still don't know what they actually do - will have to google!

Nice report.

 

[zoltan]

It's in the name stupid. It's actually a giant Faraday Cage.

For contingency planning against a high-altitude nuclear blast that would have acted as an E-bomb - generating a poweful electomagnetic pulse that would cripple all electronic systems - a "B" team of "top people" would have been inside the Memorial, along with a back-up generator and communications kit that wasn't attached to any external cabling.

Wot ? so the E&C box is part of a civil defence network thats designed to look like a memorial ?

wots in the middle of the box ?

 

[ringo]

Brilliant, always wondered what was down there, ta.

 

[Gixxer1000]

"A recent Lambeth Planning statement proposed removing one side of the dual carriageway and removing the "submarine vent shaft.""

 

[lights.out.london]

Top thread.

 

[Loupylou]

Though I'm not a fan of concrete structures I've always had a soft spot for the 'Camberwell submarine' (didn't know it was called that). Worth preserving IMO.

It's not - it's called the 'Concrete Submarine' (i live right near it) & the area is Brixton.
Other than that small gripe, I;ve always wanted to know what it looks like so thanks for being so intrepid........

in BRIXTON !

 

[editor]

It's not - it's called the 'Concrete Submarine' (i live right near it) & the area is Brixton.

That's what the bloke who was working there told me it was called. It's also called that in The Smoke magazine.

 

[loud 1]

it looks like a futuristic battle truck from an 80's sci-fi film!

cool tho init!

 

[Brixton Hatter]

nice one Ed, by using your wits and getting inside to take photos you have provided a valuable service to so many people! I live about a minute away from the submarine and always assumed it was some sort of air vent for the tube - thought the Kennington tube sidings were underneath or something. I emailed the link to your page to a few mates and it's totally made their day.

I am really jealous.

 

[J77]

What are the boilers for?

 

[guinnessdrinker]

What are the boilers for?

the editor's link at post 9 says it is to heat the local estates.

 

[lang rabbie]

The Camberwell Submarine is now a musical instrument

In spring 2008 I made some recordings of the machinery in the boiler room. These have been organised into a composition. I have filtered some of the sounds but no digital processing has been used.

http://www.touchradio.org.uk/touch_radio_36.html

 

[HackneyE9]

Fascinating.

Although I think for completeness' sake you should have included a snap or two of the luck estates that get their cockles warmed by said submarine!

 

[Orang Utan]

i spotted it earlier today in that weird zone that's neither brixton nor camberwell.
looks like part of the set from fritz lang's metropolis:

what is it?

 

[Crispy]

Heating plant for the council estates
http://www.urban75.org/london/camberwell-submarine.html

 

[Orang Utan]

aaah! ta, so it's basically the roof of a subterranean municipal boiler room. i'm disappointed for some reason.

 

[Crispy]

It looks amazing doesn't it?

 

[Orang Utan]

it does, i was wanting it to be aphex twin's gaff or summat though

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

It's like a hard edged submarine

 

[Orang Utan]

it's dead odd round there, weird bit of south london

 

[ringo]

No it isn't! Freak.

 

[Me76]

I used to go to school (well bunk off) round there and we used to call it the Submarine.