Tag: Military

By Liam Heatherson

Tilbury Fort

Tilbury Fort has been defending London from the threat of invasion for over 500 years. Since the fort was built in 1539, under the rein of King Henry VIII, it has survived many wars and battles including the Spanish Armada. At its peak in the 1700’s there was an estimated 100 guns at the site. In…

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By Joe Mander

Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker

Above the surface it looks like a normal country cottage, but beneath the building lies something completely different – a nuclear bunker. The only clue from above the surface is a pylon, although beneath the surface various rooms were build to accommodate a team to keep the country running in the event of a nuclear…

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By Liam Heatherson

Chipping Ongar ROC Post

This Royal Observer Corps observation post bunker was constructed in 1959 and closed at the end of the Cold War in 1991. Its relatively good condition is likely owing to its late shutdown date compared to ROC posts which shut much earlier. Inside can be found various furniture as well as non-original agricultural manuals.

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By Joe Mander

RAF Detling Battle HQ

RAF Detling was a military airfield just outside of Maidstone, first opened prior to World War One as RNAS Detling (Royal Naval Air Service). Whilst the site doesn’t exist today, traces of it are still dotted around the village of Detling. Battle HQ’s were semi-underground bunkers built close to airfields where a Commander could organise…

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By Joe Mander

Coulsdon Deep Shelter

As World War Two intensified, Surrey Council Council ordered four deep shelters to be built. These big underground complexes could accommodate hundreds of civilians in the event of an air raid. This shelter was built within the grounds of the now demolished Cane Hill Asylum, so presumably would have been available for both local residents…

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By Joe Mander

Norfolk’s Nazi Barns

As war intensified in 1940, the Royal Air Force were looking to rapidly expand their airfields across the country. In Norfolk, officials from the Air Force were tasked with finding sites where it would suitable to quickly and cheaply build new airfields – usually by converting farmland. As the search across the county continued, suspicions…

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By Liam Heatherson

Woodham Ferrers ROC Post

The post in 2013 pre-demolition of the access structure Woodham Ferrers is a small village in south Essex, north of the largely later and more well-known development South Woodham Ferrers. On the hill at the south of the village lies the remains of a Cold War observation post, designed to locate and report nuclear blasts,…

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By Joe Mander

Tendring ROC & Orlit Posts

Situated close to Tendring Primary School are the remains are two observations posts which would have been used during the Cold War, should it have actually happened. Shown around by Thomas and Austin, the ROC Post is in a fairly good condition although has been stripped of most of the original furniture. Hundreds of these…

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