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

First phase AWRE buildings
Air photographs reveal that the first group of AWRE buildings were begun sometime
after March 1955 and all were complete by July 1958 (Figure 42) (RAF 58/1672 (F21)
0167 3 Mar 55; RAF 58/2519 (F21) 0001 18 Jul 58). Building record drawings in the
possession of the National Trust dated June 1956 probably indicate that construction
work was underway by this date. For access across Stony Ditch a new bridge on the
site of the existing bridging point at the northern end of The Street was used and a new
concrete road constructed in the direction of the Black Beacon G1, which was chosen as
the headquarters area (Figure 48). About 900m to the southwest of the existing bridge
and close to the First World War Barracks C1/18, a new bridge rated at 5 tons, was
constructed across Stony Ditch. On the south side of the ditch the concrete track split
into two, one arm headed for Laboratory 2 F1/125 and the other towards Control Room
F4/124. This track is less well finished, and is prone to subsidence and cracking.
The original airfield magazine area was retained and some of its buildings were
refurbished. In Magazine D1/37 new soft wood windows and doors were added,
internally it is lit by post-war magazine type lighting. To replace the old tramway a new
track of wooden railway sleepers was laid from the eastern Bailey bridge. Access to the
other Magazine D2/36/85 was perhaps still possible across the old bridge across Stony
Ditch and a short spur from the new track from the 5 ton bridge also gave access to this
magazine. Internally, it was lit by post-war style pendant lights and heated by electrical
wall heaters. A sign records ‘Man Limit 4’, which indicates that it remained in use for
storing explosives. Close to Magazine D1/37, the former Fuze Magazine D3/43/88 was
Figure 23: The headquarters area in the 1990s, to the left is the headquarters building G3 and
to its right the Office Annexe G6. (c) NMR AA99/08477
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10 - 2009