Abandoned HDB Town Amongst Kranji Farms - Lim Chu Kang Rural Centre

Date & Day of Visit: 15 Aug 2010, Sunday


I decided on last Saturday night to explore both Hay Dairies (a goat farm) and Bollywood Veggies (a vegetable & fruit farm) at Lim Chu Kang (LCK) area the following morning.  My plan is to first witness the goat milking demostration at Hay Dairies that was only scheduled for visitors in the morning, follow by a farm visit and lunch at Bollywood Veggies.  I decided to take the Kranji Express bus service, which ferries between Kranji MRT station and several farms that welcome visitors in LCK, at a price of S$2/adult for one round trip.

Fig. 1: Kranji Express Bus Information

Per the service bus information (Fig. 1) from Kranji Countryside Association's website, it starts at 0900hrs from Kranji MRT station at frequency of 1.5hrs.  Its service route is such that it will be at Bollywood Veggies first before heading down to Hay Dairies, and will not be traveling between these two places in the opposite direction.

With all these limitations, my final itinerary will be to take the express bus at 0900hrs from Kranji MRT station to Hay Dairies, then walk from there to Bollywood Veggies, and finally to take express bus back to Kranji MRT station.  My walking route will be along LCK Rd., follow by along Neo Tiew Rd..


Inside the Kranji Express bus to Hay Dairies, I noticed SMRT bus 975 is servicing the stretch of LCK Rd. that I need to cover in my walk to Bollywood Veggies, hence I changed my mind then to take the SMRT bus later to shorten my total walking distance.


I boarded the SMRT bus at bus stop after LCK Lane 4 and alighted at bus stop just after Neo Tiew Rd..  As I walked back to turn into latter, I noticed an abandoned HDB estate at the junction where LCK Rd. meets Neo Tiew Rd..  It was half fenced, but carries Restricted Area signages in all directions.

Fig. 2: Location of Abandoned HDB Amongst Kranji Farms & My Entry Point

Though I had strong urge to venture into these buildings to snap photographs for my record keeping, but the thought of roaming into a military restricted area, though unguarded and not fully fenced up, really bothers me.  In the end, I decided to just take the photos from the furthermost possible location with help of zoom in function in my digital camera.


According to Wikipedia on Lim Chu Kang, the abandoned HDB estate was previously the Lim Chu Kang Rural Centre.  It was vacated in 2002 under the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), of which the residents had been moved to Blks 268A-268C Boon Lay Drive in Jurong West.  The abandoned flats are currently being used as SAF's training facility similar to Murai Urban Training Facility.


Below are photos taken and named according to Block Number reflected in Fig. 2:

Fig. 3 : Signboards In Front of Lim Chu Kang Road & Neo Tiew Road

Fig. 4: Restricted Area Signage

Fig. 5: Overall View from Entry Point

Fig. 6: Fitness Corner Facing Blk 3

Fig. 7: Blk 3 Front View

Fig. 8: Blk 3 Side View

Fig. 9: Blk 1 Wet Market & Blk 5 on Left

Fig. 10: Blk 1 Wet Market & Blk 3

Fig. 11: Abandoned Playground In Front of Blk 5

Fig. 12: Abandoned Bus Stop Along Neo Tiew Rd. Opp Abandoned HDB & Before Jln Gemala 2

Fig. 13: Abandoned Bus Stop #34081

Fig. 14: Close View of Jln Gemala 2 Signage Behind Abandoned Bus Stop #34081

When searching the internet for more information on this abandoned HDB estate, I discovered a few blogs written about this place and with nice photos taken on various spots inside the town which I do not have the courage to enter, as well as some interesting forums about this place:

1. Vincent's Travel Journal:
http://vincenttraveljournal.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-tiew-hdb-sungei-buloh-2103.html



Some interesting photos from Vincent's blog, and some with my comments in labelling:

Fig. 15: Blk 1 Wet Market-Inside View with Holes in Roof

Fig. 17: Blk 4 Front View

Fig. 18: Blk 4 Void Deck

Fig. 19: Blk 4-Old Warning with 7 Digits Phone Number to SCDF

Fig. 20: Blk 4-Living Room of a Unit

Fig. 21: Blk 4-View of Corridor on 4th Storey

Fig. 22: Bird Eye View of Blk 3, Blk 2 Bin Centre & Blk 1 Wet Market from Blk 4

Fig. 23: Shops Below Blk 5

2. Blog of Berryplum in Live Journal website under Abandonedplaces:
http://community.livejournal.com/abandonedplaces/2176878.html

Some interesting photo(s) from Berryplum's blog, and some with my comments in labelling:

Fig. 24: Blk 2 Bin Centre

3. Comments from claimed ex-residents of LCK Rural Centre:
http://www.mycarforum.com/lofiversion/index.php/t2651275-50.html
 
 
 



References:
1. Kranji Express Bus Information from Kranji Countryside Association's website http://www.kranjicountryside.com
2. Fig. 2 modified on map from Rednano website http://www.rednano.sg/sfe/map.action?querystring=719019&stype=p
3. Wikipedia on Lim Chu Kang: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lim_Chu_Kang
Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1.
4. Vincent's Travel Journal: http://vincenttraveljournal.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-tiew-hdb-sungei-buloh-2103.html
5. Blog of Berryplum in Live Journal website under Abandonedplaces: http://community.livejournal.com/abandonedplaces/2176878.html
6. Comments from claimed ex-residents of LCK Rural Centre: http://www.mycarforum.com/lofiversion/index.php/t2651275-50.html