A while back a lead was posted up on this place which showed a couple of derpy huts in some woods and I probably wouldn't have paid much attention had it not been for the fact that one of the pictures showed a sign saying "Rocket Motors Research Establishment, Westcott" or something along those lines. I was intrigued as I had never heard of this place before plus Westcott is also fairly local which is pretty handy if a promising explore happens to turn up near your doorstep.
After a bit of a google I came across a set of pictures that showed a bit more of what the rest of the site might look like, lots of concrete bunkers and strange looking 1950's control panels. The pictures were not dated so it was pretty impossible to tell if any of it was still there or not but they did look fairly modern judging by the cloths some of the tourist in them were wearing.
Funnily enough PCWOX had found out much the same, as we discovered on the chat box, but had stolen a march on me by getting in contact with the site office and asking for a visit, which they were happy to arrange.
There is hardly any info about on this site so I've cut n pasted what I could find from Wiki. The rest I'm going to have a guess at.
The Rocket Propulsion Establishment at Westcott, Buckinghamshire on the site of the former RAF Westcott has made a number of notable contributions in the field of rocket propulsion, including input on the rocket design for the Blue Streak missile and the propulsion systems on Chevaline. It was also known as the Guided Projectiles Establishment and PERME Westcott (Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment, Westcott).
For many years this establishment was regarded as so secret it was not marked on Ordnance Survey maps, although it was marked, from necessity, on maps for the use of pilots.
The establishment was set up in April 1946 under the Ministry of Supply. In the initial years a team of German scientists worked at the site, and examples of German weapons were onsite for study. These included the V-1 flying bomb; V-2; Feuerlilie F-55 subsonic missile; Messerschmitt Me-163B rocket-propelled interceptor; Rheintochter-1 anti-aircraft missile; Ruhrstahl X-4 air-to-air wire-controlled missile; Enzian E-1 3,150-lb missile; Henschel Hs 298 anti-aircraft missile; Hs 293 anti-shipping weapon; and Schmetterling and Wasserfall anti-aircraft missiles.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s Westcott undertook the design and development of rocket motors, and was responsible for most of the rocket motors used in British guided missiles and research vehicles. The design of these whole missile systems was undertaken by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at its facilities in Farnborough and Bedford. In 1984 the Rocket Propulsion Establishment came under the control of the Royal Ordnance Factories, and in 1987 control passed to the private sector when British Aerospace took over Royal Ordnance.
The site is massive and is split into differently named zones, though what relevance the names have I don't know. Also I took along my film camera loaded with iso400 b/w film, so you know what's what.
C SITE.
This is typically what a lot of the test bunkers looked like.
Access was generally through a reinforced door
Then on the inside there is typically the test chamber
and with small slots to enable the observers to see what's happening...
A fair amount of plant was still in place...
The remains of the CCTV system used to monitor the rockets...
These tie bar type distribution frames were a common occurrence throughout the site.
Each site had it's own designator.
Part of the cine film equipment.
Then this rather splendid control panel.
Round the back.
And the remains of another.
What to do if there is a fire.
In one of the chambers there are still some of the remains of the actual rockets.
There were also a few huts which mostly looked like this...
After a bit of a google I came across a set of pictures that showed a bit more of what the rest of the site might look like, lots of concrete bunkers and strange looking 1950's control panels. The pictures were not dated so it was pretty impossible to tell if any of it was still there or not but they did look fairly modern judging by the cloths some of the tourist in them were wearing.
Funnily enough PCWOX had found out much the same, as we discovered on the chat box, but had stolen a march on me by getting in contact with the site office and asking for a visit, which they were happy to arrange.
There is hardly any info about on this site so I've cut n pasted what I could find from Wiki. The rest I'm going to have a guess at.
The Rocket Propulsion Establishment at Westcott, Buckinghamshire on the site of the former RAF Westcott has made a number of notable contributions in the field of rocket propulsion, including input on the rocket design for the Blue Streak missile and the propulsion systems on Chevaline. It was also known as the Guided Projectiles Establishment and PERME Westcott (Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment, Westcott).
For many years this establishment was regarded as so secret it was not marked on Ordnance Survey maps, although it was marked, from necessity, on maps for the use of pilots.
The establishment was set up in April 1946 under the Ministry of Supply. In the initial years a team of German scientists worked at the site, and examples of German weapons were onsite for study. These included the V-1 flying bomb; V-2; Feuerlilie F-55 subsonic missile; Messerschmitt Me-163B rocket-propelled interceptor; Rheintochter-1 anti-aircraft missile; Ruhrstahl X-4 air-to-air wire-controlled missile; Enzian E-1 3,150-lb missile; Henschel Hs 298 anti-aircraft missile; Hs 293 anti-shipping weapon; and Schmetterling and Wasserfall anti-aircraft missiles.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s Westcott undertook the design and development of rocket motors, and was responsible for most of the rocket motors used in British guided missiles and research vehicles. The design of these whole missile systems was undertaken by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at its facilities in Farnborough and Bedford. In 1984 the Rocket Propulsion Establishment came under the control of the Royal Ordnance Factories, and in 1987 control passed to the private sector when British Aerospace took over Royal Ordnance.
The site is massive and is split into differently named zones, though what relevance the names have I don't know. Also I took along my film camera loaded with iso400 b/w film, so you know what's what.
C SITE.
This is typically what a lot of the test bunkers looked like.
Access was generally through a reinforced door
Then on the inside there is typically the test chamber
and with small slots to enable the observers to see what's happening...
A fair amount of plant was still in place...
The remains of the CCTV system used to monitor the rockets...
These tie bar type distribution frames were a common occurrence throughout the site.
Each site had it's own designator.
Part of the cine film equipment.
Then this rather splendid control panel.
Round the back.
And the remains of another.
What to do if there is a fire.
In one of the chambers there are still some of the remains of the actual rockets.
There were also a few huts which mostly looked like this...
