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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

With the closure of the Ministry of Supply bombing range bomb ballistics work ceased on 1 October 1959 (PRO: TNA AB16/2975, E4 6 Oct 59). The Model Ballistic Firing Range was later converted into an indoor shooting gallery for the establishment’s recreation society. Atomic Weapons Research Establishment 1956-1972 As discussed above Orford Ness’ association with the atomic bomb project began as early as 1951 with the Royal Aircraft Establishment’s bomb ballistics trials work on the casing for Blue Danube. Responsibility for the design of the warhead initially lay with the Ministry of Supply, but in 1954 passed to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), and within it to the Weapons Group. Its main headquarters was at Aldermaston, Berkshire, with a smaller explosives and assembly facility at Burghfield, Berkshire. They also developed a specialised test range at Foulness, Essex, and lastly at Orford Ness. Before a nuclear device is evaluated in trials or a weapon is issued to the services its design and safety in operational use needs to be rigorously tested. In 1954, a requirement was identified for facilities for the environmental testing of warheads, including vibration and temperature trials. Initially, the need was to test the Red Beard tactical atomic bomb, and Mark I atomic bomb, before it was dropped operationally during Buffalo trials planned Figure 10: Laboratory 1, building F3, this building was completed by summer 1956 to evaluate weapons prior to the autumn 1956 Buffalo trials (c) English Heritage DP070016 © ENGLISH HERITAGE 20 10 - 2009
for October 1956 (TNA:PRO AVIA 65/1258). It was at first proposed to locate the new facilities on AWRE’s existing trials site at Foulness. However, on this already crowded site there was not enough room for the required safety radius of 550 yards (503m) around the proposed test structures. It was also uncertain whether or not the ground at Foulness was strong enough to support the structures (TNA: PRO ES1/269). In March 1955, William Penney, director of AWRE, wrote to Ministry of Supply to impress on them the urgency of having a vibration test building ready for spring 1956 (National Trust Penney 23 March 1955). It was in this context that the first test structures were erected at Orford Ness (Figure 10). The first group of facilities were designed by C W Glover and Partners, Consulting Engineers and Architects, London, and their function appears to have been primarily for the environmental testing of devices prior to overseas trials, their cost was £¾ million. A later document characterised the first facilities at Orford Ness as ‘adequate to cope with the needs of the Weapons Group to test devices under special handling conditions of overseas nuclear tests’ (PRO: TNA AB16/2975 E4 6 Oct 59). In 1959, it was proposed to expand the environmental test programme to simulate the conditions weapons would be subject to when they were issued to the services, including transport, storage and operational use. To the planners at AWRE the late 1950s marked a high water mark for potential projects, including warheads for the Blue Steel standoff missile, Blue Streak intermediate range ballistic missile, Blue Water surface to surface missile, the Yellow Sun freefall bomb, and the naval Seaslug missile. There was also the prospect of the next generation of weapons represented by the development of WE177 freefall bomb. Ideally, AWRE wished to identify a location for a new trials site within a 60 mile (96km) radius of Aldermaston. A number of sites were considered, including Wing airfield, Buckinghamshire, but by January 1960 it had been concluded ‘that there was no satisfactory alternative to continuing at the Orford Ness site’ (TNA: PRO AB16/2228 E45 15/1/60). The new facilities and work would be split between Aldermaston and Orford Ness, the former would be responsible for mechanical testing and the latter for assemblies containing high explosives. Work at Orford Ness proceeded under a Special Development Order and represented the westward extension of the establishment including the two Vibration Test Buildings E2/136 and E3/135 (Figure 12), their Control Room E4/139 and the Magazine E5/140, the approved cost of these structures and associated infrastructure was £860, 000. The design work for the new facilities was undertaken by UKAEA’s Southern Works Organisation, under the supervision of their chief architect G W Dixon, while the design drawings were prepared by C W Glover and Partners (Millington 1971). Dixon’s other work for UKAEA also included the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire (www.chilton-computing. org.uk/gallery/foreign/slide47.htm). Construction of the two Vibration Test Buildings at a cost of £120,000 per structure was undertaken by the local builders and contractors Cubbitt and Gotts and was practically complete by June 1960. Work on the Magazine probably didn’t begin until a year later when approval was given for the expenditure of £29,000 (TNA: PRO AB16/2975, E139 12 June 1962). At its height Orford Ness was equipped with five laboratories equipped with eight large vibrators, which could be used in association with thermal and altitude simulators, and a radiant thermal heat shock facility. Shock tests were carried out in two laboratories, one was capable of © ENGLISH HERITAGE 21 10 - 2009
Page 1 and 2: RESEARCH DEPARTMENT REPORT SERIES n
Page 3: Research Department Report Series 1
Page 6 and 7: © ENGLISH HERITAGE 2009 10 -
Page 8 and 9: Sources 64 Primary sources 64 Secon
Page 10 and 11: Introduction The Atomic Weapons Res
Page 12 and 13: Topography and land use Orford Ness
Page 14 and 15: Previous archaeological and histori
Page 16 and 17: The First World War In 1915, the Ar
Page 18 and 19: Figure 4: Photograph taken during t
Page 20 and 21: sorties were flown from RAF Martles
Page 22 and 23: Ballistics Building and was able to
Page 26 and 27: Figure 11: Vibration Test Buildings
Page 28 and 29: Figure 12: WE177A freefall tactical
Page 30 and 31: Orford Ness formally passed from AW
Page 32 and 33: Figure 14: RAF Orford Ness in May 1
Page 34 and 35: Figure 16: The remains of the Model
Page 36 and 37: hostel. Adjacent to this is the sit
Page 38 and 39: Figure 21: First World War Magazine
Page 40 and 41: First phase AWRE buildings Air phot
Page 42 and 43: Figure 24: View of the area to the
Page 44 and 45: Figure 25: Laboratory 1 F3/123 show
Page 46 and 47: on its northeast side that gave acc
Page 48 and 49: To support the functions of this bu
Page 50 and 51: The centrifuge arm was 16ft (4.88m)
Page 52 and 53: Figure 32: The Control Room E4, sho
Page 54 and 55: Figure 34: Vibration Laboratory E2,
Page 56 and 57: was supported on concrete piers. Th
Page 58 and 59: Figure 38: The Impact Facility F5,
Page 60 and 61: uildings, are covered by a shingle
Page 62 and 63: for solitary sheep and cattle graze
Page 64 and 65: Figure 42: AWRE in July 1958, by th
Page 66 and 67: programme, the development of the W
Page 68 and 69: Sources Primary sources The Nationa
Page 70 and 71: Secondary sources Anon 1931 ‘Radi
Page 72 and 73: Building list This list was compile
Page 74 and 75:
62 7 ton crane - quay 63 7 ton cran
Page 76 and 77:
125 F1 1956 Lab II & control room (
Page 78 and 79:
Magazine AREA/LOCATION: STRUCTURE N
Page 80 and 81:
Fuze Magazine AREA/LOCATION: STRUCT
Page 82 and 83:
Fuze Magazine AREA/LOCATION: STRUCT
Page 84 and 85:
a cruciform framework to support th
Page 86 and 87:
Vibration Test Building AREA/LOCATI
Page 88 and 89:
are 3 large concrete machinery moun
Page 90 and 91:
At the south end of the main plant
Page 92 and 93:
At the east end there is a slightly
Page 94 and 95:
a similar sign on the south door re
Page 96 and 97:
Electrical Sub Station 2 AREA/LOCAT
Page 98 and 99:
Laboratory 2 AREA/LOCATION: STRUCTU
Page 100 and 101:
Laboratory 3 AREA/LOCATION: STRUCTU
Page 102 and 103:
ing the shingle traverse and protec
Page 104 and 105:
and running along the north wall. T
Page 106 and 107:
cylinder. Roughly in the centre of
Page 108 and 109:
tion board/fuse box, and a single s
Page 110 and 111:
Impact Facility AREA/LOCATION: STRU
Page 112 and 113:
Plinth E AREA/LOCATION: STRUCTURE N
Page 114 and 115:
Black Beacon AREA/LOCATION: STRUCTU
Page 116 and 117:
Headquarters AREA/LOCATION: STRUCTU
Page 118 and 119:
Small Vibration Laboratory AREA/LOC
Page 120 and 121:
Office Annexe AREA/LOCATION: STRUCT
Page 122 and 123:
Compound AREA/LOCATION: G Area STRU
Page 124 and 125:
Electronics Workshop AREA/LOCATION:
Page 126 and 127:
Plinth G AREA/LOCATION: Lighthouse
Page 128 and 129:
Figure 44: Reference plan (1:10000
Page 130 and 131:
Figure 46: West end of The Street (
Page 132 and 133:
Figure 48: AWRE headquarters area (
Page 134 and 135:
Figure 50: Laboratory F5 (1:1000 at
Page 136 and 137:
Figure 52: Pagodas and Control Room
Page 138:
ENGLISH HERITAGE RESEARCH DEPARTMEN
show all

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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?