After a week's holiday in Scotland, when I didn't even get the chance to to do the local ROC post in Fort William, the wife and I headed south for week two.
I had no plans for a trip out until I saw this place on the OS map I'd bought. In fact I'd no idea it even existed but after a quick Google search I decided that it would be too good an opportunity to miss.
Put simply this place is huge. Over 1000 acres and 300+ plus buildings to explore. Check out this link for an ariel photo.
Broughton Moor | Visit Cumbria
I was on site for nearly 3 hours and don't think I saw any more than than a quarter of what there is to see.
The depot was opened during WW2 on the site of a former colliery. It was decommissioned in 1992 after which the site was bought by the local council from the MOD for £1.
It was connected to railway network via a branch line from Workington and the various sheds and bunkers were served by a narrow gauge railway system that criss crossed the site.
In 1944 a huge explosion in the traverse laboratories killed 11 people and injured a further 70.
Well worth the effort of a visit if you are in the area but if you wanna see it all it'll probably take up most of a day.
Here are the best of the pics.
There are many sheds of this design on the site. Very flimsy in construction with an earth blast bank surrounding them.
Inside "The Cow Shed". See below.
An emergency shelter?
Very primitive toilet facilities.
Standard and narrow gauge tracks side by side
From blast banks to blast proof walls
Inside the walls
Any guesses as to what this is?
The lab buildings. Surrounded by blast banks.
Emergency exit from the labs
These security bulls turned up during my visit. Damn they were funny. See link below.
Security at RNAD Broughton Moor - YouTube
I had no plans for a trip out until I saw this place on the OS map I'd bought. In fact I'd no idea it even existed but after a quick Google search I decided that it would be too good an opportunity to miss.
Put simply this place is huge. Over 1000 acres and 300+ plus buildings to explore. Check out this link for an ariel photo.
Broughton Moor | Visit Cumbria
I was on site for nearly 3 hours and don't think I saw any more than than a quarter of what there is to see.
The depot was opened during WW2 on the site of a former colliery. It was decommissioned in 1992 after which the site was bought by the local council from the MOD for £1.
It was connected to railway network via a branch line from Workington and the various sheds and bunkers were served by a narrow gauge railway system that criss crossed the site.
In 1944 a huge explosion in the traverse laboratories killed 11 people and injured a further 70.
Well worth the effort of a visit if you are in the area but if you wanna see it all it'll probably take up most of a day.
Here are the best of the pics.
There are many sheds of this design on the site. Very flimsy in construction with an earth blast bank surrounding them.
Inside "The Cow Shed". See below.
An emergency shelter?
Very primitive toilet facilities.
Standard and narrow gauge tracks side by side
From blast banks to blast proof walls
Inside the walls
Any guesses as to what this is?
The lab buildings. Surrounded by blast banks.
Emergency exit from the labs
These security bulls turned up during my visit. Damn they were funny. See link below.
Security at RNAD Broughton Moor - YouTube
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