Disused Cambridge Railway, Milton Road, Cambridge - 28th October 2005

Nosher and Dan from Qualcomm Cambridge take a couple of lunch breaks to explore the disused railway track that crosses Milton Road, on the outskirts of Cambridge. The first trip heads west for a fairly short trip, whilst the second goes off in the "uncharted" direction - the way that no-one actually uses - to see what's there. Naturally enough, it's much less trafficked than the other part of the track, and at one point has a three-metre fence cutting across it. However, this has been modified with additional "access" in the form of three missing slats, allowing entry beyond. The remainder of the much-overgrown track-bed leads to a large derelict shunting yard. There are no signs of any remaining structures, but all the tracks are still in place; the sleepers slowly rot away whilst the tracks slowly oxidise to rust and everywhere grass, scrub and trees reclaim the area. However, there is also a large clearing where it looks like local Gary Boys have sneaked cars in, razzed them around a bit and then finally set fire to them: at least six or seven wrecked and scorched cars litter the area. On our return, we pass through an industrial estate - the epitome of bleak, soul-less modern existence - and visit Ridgeon's DIY so Dan can look at plumbing.

next album: Jen's Hallowe'en Party and Sazzle's Leaving Do, Mission Road, Diss - 28th October 2005
previous album: The 28th Norwich Beer Festival, St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich - 26th October 2005

This sign doesn't serve much purpose anymore

Abandoned tracks in the weeds

A discarded 486 blade server motherboard

Dan stands where the tracks cross a path

The end of the line

Dan roams around in organic shop Daily Bread

Dan heads off back to Milton Road

Where the tracks cross Milton Road

Cambridge Business Park (Cowley Road Police State)

The next week, we head off in the other direction

Some broken electrical thing

The back of Matrix House - Qualcomm's office

The railway line is still completely in place

An abandonned bed and a heap of rubbish. Nice.

Dan climbs up after we sneak through the fence

Hi-tech buildings and wrecked cars

Dan roams around amongst the wrecked cars

A couple of burnt-out cars

Someone has torched a Vauxhall Astra

Inside the torched Austin Maestro

A wrecked Mark 2 Astra

The Maestro again

Crossing tracks

Dan in the wasteland

An aggregate storage site

The back of the Business Park

More heaps of rusted metal

Some discarded doors

Another burned-out car

Steel reinforcement wires from a car tyre

Drainage pipes in Ridgeons

Bottles of gas in a cage. Mundane, but colourful

Dan walks through the underpass under the railway

A stack of scaffold poles on a builder's lorry

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