Orford Ness and Cobra Mist
History
Originally a quiet landscape used for fishing and grazing, it became a key site for military testing in the early 20th century. During World War I, the Royal Flying Corps tested bombs and parachutes there, and by the 1930s, it was central to early radar experiments. In World War II, it played a crucial role in Britains air defense, and during the Cold War, it was used by the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment to conduct nuclear bomb tests. The site remained highly classified for decades, with its unusual concrete structures called pagodas, designed to contain explosive tests although no bombs actually detonated. By the 1980s, Orford Ness was no longer needed for military use.
The Explore
This was by far the largest scale trip we’ve done in a long, long time and it took months of planning before we decided to go.
We knew that Orford Ness had closed off to the public on October 28th for the winter and wanted to go then due to the limited amount of activity there would be when it came to patrols. I had read up that patrols are done throughout the day and night by rangers and so making our way across the 10 mile shingle stretch at night would give us the most chance of seeing patrol before it was too late. We set off in the pitch black, we were cautious that our torches might be seen, and so instead we turned of our lights and let our eyes adjust to the dark. This mixed with the constant sound of the waves around us made this three hour walk one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had. Over time the twelve 190 foot pylons became visible and we used that as our land mark.
We eventually found a place to stay the night in a bomb ballistics building and waited for early morning to explore.
Waking up to the desolate landscape that we were in, made it easier to grasp the scale of the site.
The three test labs were visible now as the site itself is about a mile between each end.
Here are some pictures:
Cobra Mist -
Bomb Ballistics Building -
Lab 1-
Lab 2-
Lab 3-
The Pagodas-
Other Buildings- Control room/Black Beacon
The state of labs made entry quite sketchy as ladders down were rusted and wet along with this the site was littered with trap cameras.
The pagoda entry was especially hard as it required crawling through a small flooded tunnel to reach the main test room, both are pretty much duplicated so we only attempted one.
History
Originally a quiet landscape used for fishing and grazing, it became a key site for military testing in the early 20th century. During World War I, the Royal Flying Corps tested bombs and parachutes there, and by the 1930s, it was central to early radar experiments. In World War II, it played a crucial role in Britains air defense, and during the Cold War, it was used by the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment to conduct nuclear bomb tests. The site remained highly classified for decades, with its unusual concrete structures called pagodas, designed to contain explosive tests although no bombs actually detonated. By the 1980s, Orford Ness was no longer needed for military use.
The Explore
This was by far the largest scale trip we’ve done in a long, long time and it took months of planning before we decided to go.
We knew that Orford Ness had closed off to the public on October 28th for the winter and wanted to go then due to the limited amount of activity there would be when it came to patrols. I had read up that patrols are done throughout the day and night by rangers and so making our way across the 10 mile shingle stretch at night would give us the most chance of seeing patrol before it was too late. We set off in the pitch black, we were cautious that our torches might be seen, and so instead we turned of our lights and let our eyes adjust to the dark. This mixed with the constant sound of the waves around us made this three hour walk one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had. Over time the twelve 190 foot pylons became visible and we used that as our land mark.
We eventually found a place to stay the night in a bomb ballistics building and waited for early morning to explore.
Waking up to the desolate landscape that we were in, made it easier to grasp the scale of the site.
The three test labs were visible now as the site itself is about a mile between each end.
Here are some pictures:
Cobra Mist -
Bomb Ballistics Building -
Lab 1-
Lab 2-
Lab 3-
The Pagodas-
Other Buildings- Control room/Black Beacon
The state of labs made entry quite sketchy as ladders down were rusted and wet along with this the site was littered with trap cameras.
The pagoda entry was especially hard as it required crawling through a small flooded tunnel to reach the main test room, both are pretty much duplicated so we only attempted one.
