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

oth again later secured by crude steel doors. The main entrance to the central bay was
from the east where a T-shaped road layout provided enough space for a vehicle and
trailer to reverse into the building. The concrete entry porch was originally closed by
wooden doors, but in common with the other earlier laboratories it was later secured
by crude steel doors with an electrical alarm or catch. In common with Laboratory 1
the distance between the wooden doors would have probably been large enough to
accommodate a fully assembled Blue Danube casing and its trolley. The building can also
be entered from the west through another large entrance, also with an entrance passage
secured by double wooden doors, and later crude steel gates. Entry from this aisle into
the main chamber was through two openings in the main side wall, which would have
restricted the size of items that could be taken through. Adjacent to this entrance are
two staff amenity rooms.
Figure 30: Laboratory 1 in June 2000, interior showing the centrifuge pit and above it a section of
air conditining conduit. Below the tops of the walls are projecting ledges that carried rails for a
travelling crane. (c) English Heritage
At the northern end of the chamber was a Napier centrifuge, this was housed in a
ground level, circular brick built feature 30ft (9.14m) in diameter, which could be entered
by doorways to the east and west. The centrifuge was supported on a central base plate
and above by two rolled steel joists to the north and south, which have subsequently
been removed for scrap, leaving only their end sections embedded in the side walls.
© ENGLISH HERITAGE
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10 - 2009