Report - RAF BAWDSEY' R3 ROTOR RADAR STATION BUNKER SUFFOLK (AUGUST 2019)

[FreshFingers]

pulling a allnighter and went strait to work at 7am.

Certainly warrants it

 

[nji1000]

History borrowed from google

RAF Bawdsey has had a long association with RADAR as in 1935, Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk was used as a research station for the development of radio direction finding. Directly from this research a Chain Home Radar station was developed on the site and the installation was subsequently handed over to the RAF in 1937. Some fifteen other Chain Home stations were built around the south and east coast of the UK over the next few years. RAD Bawdsey was active throughout the war years with Chain Home, Chain Home Low and Coastal Defence radars and was one of the only sites in the UK during WW2 that operated all 3 types of radar.
In 1948 Bawdsey is listed as operating CH and CHL radar, and in 1950 was chosen to be part of the ROTOR project and work was begun on building the underground R3 operations room. In 1953 the site was equipped with the AN/FPS-3 search radar. Interestingly the radar station was already active during this time and was based in a wooden hut within the site, the underground control centre was completed in 1954 and operations were relocated there at that point. The unit was equipped with the one type 7 GCI radar (remotely sited), five type 13 height finder radar. two type 14 CHEL/GCI radar and one type 54 radar.
In 1958 Bawdsey was then equipped with the type 80 radar and the AN-FPS-6 height finder. The type 7 GCI radar and AN/FPS-3 were kept as backup radar heads and in 1963 the station became an early Master Radar Station. At the same time, an RAF Bloodhound Missile Squadron was stationed on site. However the station lost its MRS status in 1964 and was downgraded to ‘satellite’ station to RAF Neatishead. However, following the deliberate arson and disastrous fire on the underground R3 at Neatishead that claimed the lives of 3 firemen and put the site out of action, Bawdsey re-gained MRS status in 1966. RAF Bawdsey continued in this role until 1974 when the MRS status was re-assumed by RAF Neatishead following recommissioning of the R3. In March 1975 RAF Bawdsey was placed on care and maintenance and this ended its Radar role. However, the site lived on as the Bloodhound missile site, between 1984 & 1985 the bunker was used as the alternate site for RAF Strike Command until the bunker at High Wycombe came online, at which point the bunker was stripped and abandoned. The RAF Bloodhound Squadron remained on site until March 1991 before withdrawing to RAF West Raynham and the site closed.

The explore
I know this has been covered many times in the past but has been sealed for a few years so here is a fresh report

Missed the boat on this after 2 failed trips a couple years back i gave up on this place. Over the Easter weekend 2019 some fresh pics popped up on a fb page im on so rushed down the next day to find some new bits of metal over the door with shiny silver welds fuming was not the word.
Fast forward to August and a good friend of mine sent me a message saying they have spent the last few hours down there backed up with photo evidence.
Deciding not to risk it and headed down at 11pm that night so glad i did 4th time lucky.
Not going to lie access is a very tight fit through a small hole with a 9 foot drop on the other side. One of those how the hell are we going to get back out moments.
Has been a combined total of 480 miles to finally explore this place but was well worth it such a cool place proper bit of me could not believe the size of it.
Thanks to @Scottieboi for meeting me and showing me around ended up pulling a allnighter and went strait to work at 7am.

Inside the bunker

very curious to see whats up the long flooded tunnel found some moldy manky wellies stuck them on and went for a adventure.
luckily the water was clear so could see where i was treading gets deeper and deeper the further down you go was on tip toe at the end.
At the end goes round the corner and has the capped off stair case for the main entrance

The main entrance was in the square room on the back of the bungalow has been capped off with a suspended block and beam floor with a drain cover in the corner all covered with aprox 10" of concrete.

The emergency exit is the same set up capped off with concrete but the drain cover in the corner has been exposed

After this we headed out into the woods just outside the boundary fence to the two emergency deep bunkers one was flooded the other one was open via the escape hatch.

Great report and photos

 

[Krypton]

Nice, it doesn't seem to have changed much in recent years. Would be great for something to be done with it.

 

[missjay]

I can remember going in this place back in 2010 before it got sealed up.. I must go back and see as i know back then the sea took a big chunk of the cliff edge by the little concreate bunker which is most proberbly on the beach by now..I see the air raid siron has gone from the roof of the bungalow as well.. still looks nice inside.

 

[Exploring with Andy]

Pretty decent report here. Nice to see this covered well.

 

[TheTimeChamber]

Good to see this again / that history looks like an exact copy of the one I wrote for my website...