RAF Westcott
After visiting Waltham Abbey a few weeks prior I found myself in a slight rabbit hole whilst building up the history section for the report. It appeared a lot of Westcott still remains as a series of listed structures or undeveloped brownfield sites. Having scoured google maps and made a rough plan it made sense to go for a wander, instead of wasting the afternoon on a week whilst I was working nights.
After visiting Waltham Abbey a few weeks prior I found myself in a slight rabbit hole whilst building up the history section for the report. It appeared a lot of Westcott still remains as a series of listed structures or undeveloped brownfield sites. Having scoured google maps and made a rough plan it made sense to go for a wander, instead of wasting the afternoon on a week whilst I was working nights.
Background
RAF Westcott is, yet again, one of many military airfields built during the second world war before eventually opening in 1942. As the war-time period passed, the RAF would vacate and close the site in April 1946.
During the 40's the development of the V1 "Doodlebug" and V2 saw the potential for research into ballistic missiles. As the base was vacated by the RAF in 1946 it would be handed onto the newly formed Rocket Propulsion Establishment under the Ministry of Supply with the secrecy of the site allowing it to be omitted from OS maps.
During the initial years, the MoS bought in numerous German scientists who'd spent their time during the 40's developing the infamous V1 and V2 along with, importing a collection of captured weapons for studies. The airfield acted as a laboratory for small scale tests as well as the development of entire sub-assemblies destined for production. One of the initial projects for the Establishment was to develop various key components of the forthcoming Blue Streak Missile which later became the failed Europa-1.
Westcott would merge with Waltham Abbey in 1977 to create the Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment (PERME) with Westcott continuing to undertake the design and testing of Rocket Motors with Waltham Abbey providing the chemical components. Meanwhile, the RAE carried out development into the aerodynamic characteristics of the weapons at the Bedford and Farnborough sites.
Through the 1980's, the PERME would be transferred to Royal Ordinance who acted as an external brand to the MoD, although still publicly owned, before it was later sold into private hands in 1997 becoming known as Land UK in 2004.
Closure of Westcott came in 1995 under Royal Ordinance's rationalisation plans, formed during 1992, and would later be sold off to form Wescott Venture parks (or in other words: an industrial estate).
However, despite the closure of the site in 1995 as a rocket development facility the Nordic company "Nammo" still operates on the land using technologies which were first tested at Westcott under the Royal Ordinance.
NO.6 Site
The Number 6 test site is formed from a small collection of buildings including:
- Control Room
- Mechanical Store and Workshop
- Miscellaneous Outhouse
- Upper Atmosphere Pressure Chamber
This area is assumed to have been part of the blue streak programme. The programme was part of Britain's response to the current nuclear arms race of the 1950's, designed to replace the current deterrent of conventionally dropped explosives by the V-Bomber, for ballistic missiles.
It is difficult to say when this area was last used or when it was finally decommissioned although the best guess would be sometime before the full closure of Westcott.
The Visits
Being situated in the middle of nowhere, and surrounded by farms, getting anywhere close by car was a pain and lead to me having to walk quite a distance around the site to find a way in. Eventually, I hurled myself over the fence and began to walk up to the former NO.6 site. With the No.6 site being away from virtually everything else on site, I had the collection of buildings to myself for the time I spent here with no horror stories to report.
The most noticeable part of the compound is the atmospheric test chamber.
Moving on to the store and workshop.
And then the controls rooms. These were a pleasant surprise to find.
A lot of the racking here was stripped apart, although presumably not by thieves judging by the remaining cable.
The second room was far more together and had a bunker-like feel.
Mess room.
Apart form this, the NO.6 site is fairly empty.
Anyway, that'll be all.
KP_
KP_
