Hursley House, Winchester
Discussion
Getting into the house isn't likely to be viable. Too many security concerns. They do very occasionally have open days but they're organised months in advance and take a lot of organisation.
Other car clubs have used the clubhouse for meets in the past; the local branch of the MG owners club used to hold their spring "cobweb run" there every year, although I haven't seen them for a few years now.
Other car clubs have used the clubhouse for meets in the past; the local branch of the MG owners club used to hold their spring "cobweb run" there every year, although I haven't seen them for a few years now.
Edited by kambites on Monday 6th March 08:29
Blown2CV said:
the place is in beautiful countryside and basically the site envelops Hursley village which has some amazing heritage buildings. There is a cricket pitch on site with pavilion buildings. I am not sure whether IBM own the working farmland on the site but i remember having visited at various times of year they seemed to have planted flowers in the colours of their major software brands. The best one I could see was a big field of lavender which was approximately the same colour as the purple/lilac of their WebSphere brand! Quite striking. Possibly a complete coincidence.
https://goo.gl/maps/iKN7N6bNCSU2IBM own everything inside the rather obvious ring road and some small patches outside. They do not own the farmland. The crop was borage, it did indeed look stunning, but it's just a coincidence it is a commercial crop.
Hello Carl. How are things in sleepy hollow? Say "hi" to Yana & everyone in C ground for me.
kambites said:
Getting into the house isn't likely to be viable. Too many security concerns. They do very occasionally have open days but they're organised months in advance and take a lot of organisation.
Other car clubs have used the clubhouse for meets in the past; the local branch of the MG owners club used to hold their spring "cobweb run" there every year, although I haven't seen them for a few years now.
Nothing sensitive happens in the house these days. It's a load of posh meeting rooms! Other car clubs have used the clubhouse for meets in the past; the local branch of the MG owners club used to hold their spring "cobweb run" there every year, although I haven't seen them for a few years now.
Edited by kambites on Monday 6th March 08:29
Blown2CV said:
kambites said:
Getting into the house isn't likely to be viable. Too many security concerns. They do very occasionally have open days but they're organised months in advance and take a lot of organisation.
Other car clubs have used the clubhouse for meets in the past; the local branch of the MG owners club used to hold their spring "cobweb run" there every year, although I haven't seen them for a few years now.
Nothing sensitive happens in the house these days. It's a load of posh meeting rooms! Other car clubs have used the clubhouse for meets in the past; the local branch of the MG owners club used to hold their spring "cobweb run" there every year, although I haven't seen them for a few years now.
Edited by kambites on Monday 6th March 08:29
Wow, never expected to see an IBM Hursley thread here 
I was born down the road, loads of IBM families around so was lucky enough to use the social club as a kid, spent many many hours in the indoor sports hall and Saturdays playing footy on the football pitch (the ONLY pitch I've ever played on where you can play barefoot without risk of stones, twigs or dog poo!)
Through my career I ended up being tupe'd into IBM and left a really good contract at NTL not that far away (another great site) to work there, pretty much a dream come true for me. Spent a few years there, I believe the priest hole from the house to the church exists, although I never used it to go to the Dolphin at lunch. Been up in the attic and most of the meeting rooms, plus the basement (I remember there being a half height area but my minds misty) The outbuildings are cool too, the stables where accounting (I think) are or used to be have a bit of character as well as the sunken garden!
IBM stripped out a lot of the innards of Hursley House in the 80's or 90's and the what are now meeting rooms used to be a lot grander. Damn I miss that site! don't think I've worked anywhere as nice since! I've since been to North Harbour and the ex IBM Langstone Tech park and they just don't cut the mustard to the Lab's
I was born down the road, loads of IBM families around so was lucky enough to use the social club as a kid, spent many many hours in the indoor sports hall and Saturdays playing footy on the football pitch (the ONLY pitch I've ever played on where you can play barefoot without risk of stones, twigs or dog poo!)
Through my career I ended up being tupe'd into IBM and left a really good contract at NTL not that far away (another great site) to work there, pretty much a dream come true for me. Spent a few years there, I believe the priest hole from the house to the church exists, although I never used it to go to the Dolphin at lunch. Been up in the attic and most of the meeting rooms, plus the basement (I remember there being a half height area but my minds misty) The outbuildings are cool too, the stables where accounting (I think) are or used to be have a bit of character as well as the sunken garden!
IBM stripped out a lot of the innards of Hursley House in the 80's or 90's and the what are now meeting rooms used to be a lot grander. Damn I miss that site! don't think I've worked anywhere as nice since! I've since been to North Harbour and the ex IBM Langstone Tech park and they just don't cut the mustard to the Lab's
kambites said:
As far as I can see, the main meeting rooms haven't been stripped out but rather boarded over. I think all the old plasterwork is there behind the modern panels.
i believe this is true. I am informed by an IBMer on the tour that certain ones are there to hide scorched walls from the spitfire days!I spent just one of my 20+ IBM years there. My good mate and colleague Terry Muldoon ran the Hursley House museum after he retired and would have been a mine of useful information, but sadly he's no longer with us. RIP Beerhunter.
There's an orienteering event (open to anyone) there most years - here's the map:
There's an orienteering event (open to anyone) there most years - here's the map:
Well I promised pictures of the safes in Hursley house. One of my friends who still works there has come up with the goods.
On the ground floor of Hursley House, the Merdon Room is a wood panelled room overlooking the lawn. Just inside the door are these two panels:
Both upper and lower panels open to reveal safes. To give an idea of scale, the door to the Merdon room is waaaay bigger than a standard 6'6" door. A tall man would struggle to reach the upper keyhole.
The upper wooden panel is locked. But the lower panel can be opened.
I'm assured that there is an identical safe behind the upper panel.
More photos of the lower safe:
These are two of the three safes / strongrooms in Hursley House. The third is in the office of the Museum curator, in the basement.
I'm told that this is a walk in strongroom, the strongroom door is permanently open. Obviously as it's in someone's office and their office door is locked, I can't post photos of this.
Now let's talk about keys... The strongroom in the basement is open, so that's clearly not the one Blown2CV is talking about and if you saw the basement you'd agree that none of the rooms.fit the description of "fancy".
The two safes in the Merdon room could be the ones Blown2CV is talking about. One is behind a locked wooden panel, the other is pictured above. I have it on very good authority that security do have the keys for both of these safes.
So I'm afraid that the story of a locked safe/strong room in Hursley House for which there is no known key appears to be busted.
On the ground floor of Hursley House, the Merdon Room is a wood panelled room overlooking the lawn. Just inside the door are these two panels:
Both upper and lower panels open to reveal safes. To give an idea of scale, the door to the Merdon room is waaaay bigger than a standard 6'6" door. A tall man would struggle to reach the upper keyhole.
The upper wooden panel is locked. But the lower panel can be opened.
I'm assured that there is an identical safe behind the upper panel.
More photos of the lower safe:
These are two of the three safes / strongrooms in Hursley House. The third is in the office of the Museum curator, in the basement.
I'm told that this is a walk in strongroom, the strongroom door is permanently open. Obviously as it's in someone's office and their office door is locked, I can't post photos of this.
Now let's talk about keys... The strongroom in the basement is open, so that's clearly not the one Blown2CV is talking about and if you saw the basement you'd agree that none of the rooms.fit the description of "fancy".
The two safes in the Merdon room could be the ones Blown2CV is talking about. One is behind a locked wooden panel, the other is pictured above. I have it on very good authority that security do have the keys for both of these safes.
So I'm afraid that the story of a locked safe/strong room in Hursley House for which there is no known key appears to be busted.
Nimby said:
I spent just one of my 20+ IBM years there. My good mate and colleague Terry Muldoon ran the Hursley House museum after he retired and would have been a mine of useful information, but sadly he's no longer with us. RIP Beerhunter.
There's an orienteering event (open to anyone) there most years - here's the map:
sorry to hear about your friend Terry, I feel sure he could have kept us all very entertained!There's an orienteering event (open to anyone) there most years - here's the map:
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