Hursley House, Winchester
Discussion
One of IBM's oldest sites is Hursley near Winchester in Hampshire. It's the only premises they actually own, worldwide (the rest are leased) and they've owned it since after WWII. It's an amazing place and one I've been to many times. It was (and still is based around) a fantastic old manor house, but is now a sprawling campus of various buildings old and new, where many IBM products are made. Prior to IBM's ownership, the house was owned by MOD after being requisitioned as part of the war effort, and the spitfire was part-developed there. There are still scorch marks on one of the ornate rooms from engine testing.
In one of the most ornate rooms there is a metal door in the wall. It's as big as a standard door you might have in your house, and is very elegantly designed. Well despite all the history of the place, a key could never be found and the room has remained locked since the 1950s. They've established that it is a big strong-room, but they can't tell whether it has anything in it. They briefly looked at using imaging technology to establish the contents, but the walls are too thick. The cost of opening it was pretty astronomical, and would have destroyed the beautiful door. So, it's just a piece of amazing history, sat there locked shut in the corner of a room where wars were won, and where many technology ideas were born... and probably tons of boring s
t happened too.
Aside from that, there is an IBM museum in the basement, which has examples of lots of the innovations they've come up with, and iconic products all the way back to the second ever weighing machine they built over a century ago.
As the place is a campus where thousands of people work, many of whom are PH type guys, and they have their own TVR club and classic car meets, was wondering if anyone else had any stories of the place, or pictures to share?
In one of the most ornate rooms there is a metal door in the wall. It's as big as a standard door you might have in your house, and is very elegantly designed. Well despite all the history of the place, a key could never be found and the room has remained locked since the 1950s. They've established that it is a big strong-room, but they can't tell whether it has anything in it. They briefly looked at using imaging technology to establish the contents, but the walls are too thick. The cost of opening it was pretty astronomical, and would have destroyed the beautiful door. So, it's just a piece of amazing history, sat there locked shut in the corner of a room where wars were won, and where many technology ideas were born... and probably tons of boring s
t happened too. Aside from that, there is an IBM museum in the basement, which has examples of lots of the innovations they've come up with, and iconic products all the way back to the second ever weighing machine they built over a century ago.
As the place is a campus where thousands of people work, many of whom are PH type guys, and they have their own TVR club and classic car meets, was wondering if anyone else had any stories of the place, or pictures to share?
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.
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
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!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:
mikeveal said:
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.
excellent sleuthing!! I didn't know there were multiple!! Great pics.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.
However - it's what i got told.
Edited by Blown2CV on Thursday 16th March 10:44
Mojooo said:
I presume the Hursley site includes the site includes the big house shown above plus all the buildings to the sides?
Is it for IBM desk workers? I presume no production or anything happens there.
Software production yes, hardware production no. The latter just gets done in cheaper parts of the world. Is it for IBM desk workers? I presume no production or anything happens there.
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