Atomic Weapons Research Establishment. Orford ... - English Heritage

There is a painted notice to the east of these doors ‘ROOM 7 RAC...SUP’ above this a switch box
and below is another painted sign : ‘AIR 60 PSI’. Also on its wall is a large entry or alarm bell. A
blocked door gave access from the northwest corner of this room into the main Bay. The eastern
room had a single wooden door, also now mising. A duct runs through both rooms from the main
chamber bay to the exterior. The eastern end of the entry passage is closed by a crude steel gate.
The entrance from the southwest is 14.15m (46ft 6ins)by 3.35m (11ft)wide and 3.19m (10ft
6ins)high. It was originally closed by a pair of wooden swing doors, the internal door again counterweighted,
giving an internal bay 9.20m (30ft) in length. Within the passage way is large entry
or alarm bell there are also numerous cable conduits leading from a fuse box recessed into the
wall close to the entrance. This entrance passage was also lit by three lights set within ceiling recesses.
Subsequently, and during AWRE occupancy the southern end of the passage was sealed by
a crude steel gate and is respected by the latest interior painting. This was later partially removed
and replaced by a concrete block wall infill and modern steel gate. On the southeast side of the
passageway is single door to perhaps a former staff room and beyond two toilet cubicles. In the
southwest wall, the larger room is lit by a 30-light metal framed window, now replaced by steel grill,
and the two toilet cubicles are each lit by 6-light metal framed windows with wired opaque glass.
To the northwest of the large chamber is a selfcontained rectangular reinforced concrete plant room,
dimensions 21m (69ft)x 6.14m (20ft)and 3.89m (12ft 8ins)high, with a flat bitumen covered roof.
On the three sides abutting the main chamber is an external brick skin wall to act as damp course
against the shingle traverse. The plant block is divided into two uneven rooms. At the southwest end
the room was originally from the north through a large opening closed with a roller shutter, which
survives on the interior. Subsequently this large opening was blocked by a brick cavity wall with a 15
light metal framed window and a double wooden outward opening door. The room was also lit by
a 15 light metal framed window in the southeast wall. Outside to the south is a small free-standing
brick locker housing a centrifugal pump by Holden & Brooke. Returning to the main plant room, the
interior is partitioned by a brick wall with a blocked doorway at its west end. The large plant room
is lit by one 9-light and two 15-light metal framed windows in the northwest wall. It was originally
entered by two double doors at each end which were subsequently blocked by breeze blocks. In
the centre is a large breeze block in-filled opening that may have contained a vent. An iron ladder
fixed to the wall gives access to the roof, also attached to the wall is external electrical lighting and
an emergency bell. In the north east wall is a single small louvred vent. It was not possible to gain
access to the main plant room, but it was seen to contain the remains of a filter unit. This was connected
through large square ducts in the ceiling to the ducting system in the main laboratory chamber.
To the north of the main chamber is another self-contained plant room that was probably devoted to
electrical switch gear. This building is 15.88m (52ft) by 6.12m (20ft) and 3.85m (12ft 6ins) high. It is
constructed of reinforced concrete with a brick skin on its southeast, southwest and northwest sides
where it abuts the shingle traverse. It too is divided into two rooms by a single brick thick wall laid to
stretched bond with an inseted central wooden connecting door. The bay to the east is slightly smaller
and is entered through a double door opening formerly sealed with wooden louvred doors. It was
lit by one 6-light window with a louver beneath and to the east a 9-light window with a large louvre
beneath. There is also a ceiling vent with a metal louve. Internally there is the remains of the central
heating system. Rectangular metal cable ducts connecting back to the main laboratory run around
the east and south walls. Air conditioning ducts mounted on the south wall also connect through to
the main laboratory chamber. There is a wall mounted electrical fuse box and electrical lighting. In the
southwest corner is a stand for five CO2 bottles which connect to a fire suppressant system of red
metal pipes. An adjacent sign reads ‘CO2 ISOLATING SWITCH’. A red pipe also runs to an externally
mounted box containing a pull handle attached to a wire. Above this is a small red painted alarm bell.
Another red pipe connects to the air conditioning ducts and there is a conector for another CO2