Hawthorn, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Hawthorn is the location of a number of defence related underground facilities in the vicinity of Corsham
, Wiltshire
. Specifically the Hawthorn site was the location of an above-ground bunker used for the planning of satellite communications support to the United Kingdom's armed forces worldwide. These facilities had been built in quarries cleared through the excavation of Bath stone
. The quarries have variously been used for Military Command & Control, storage, and the emergency fallback seat of the national government. Some areas of the quarry complex were hardened and provided with support measures to ensure resilience in the event of an enemy nuclear attack.
, a large area of the quarries around the Corsham area was renovated by the Royal Engineers
as one of three major stockpiles. This ammunition depot was provided access by a spur railway line from the main London-to-Bristol line, branching off just outside the eastern entrance to the Box Tunnel
. This spur line led to double platforms inside the tunnel complex that was to be used to deliver and remove munitions.
The Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) was intended to be complemented by two further depots, one in Wales and one in northern England, neither of which were developed to the same scale as the CAD.
The construction design meant that an explosive accident or detonation inside any one of the stores would not propagate throughout the ammunition storehouse.
The CAD was decommissioned after World War II
.
factory at Filton
be taken out of action by bombing. This engine factory was never used.
of the Royal Air Force. RAF Box was later renamed RAF Rudloe Manor
and expanded to encompass a number of communications functions including No1 Signal Unit, Controller Defence Communications Network, No1001 Signal Unit Detachment and Headquarters RAF Provost & Security Service.
No1SU and CDCN were both housed in bunkers within the quarry complex, which also included an RAF Regional Command Centre for the South West of England.
, a Royal Navy training establishment and the Royal Naval Stores Depot Copenacre which used the quarries as a storage facility. Corsham Computer Centre
was built into Hudswell Quarry during the 1980s.
The Army Welfare Service Cotswold Families Centre is to the south.
period indicated a requirement for a fallback location for central government
outside London
, to assume national control in the event of London being destroyed. The quarry complex at Corsham was chosen for this location and development of the site commenced in the 1950s. In the event of imminent nuclear attack
, it was assumed that the government would be evacuated from London
by rail or helicopter
. The facility would provide a safe haven for the Prime Minister
, Cabinet
, commanders of the Royal Air Force
, Royal Navy
, and British Army
and supporting civil servants and military personnel.
The site had a number of code names during its lifetime: Stockwell, Subterfuge, Burlington, Turnstile, Chanticleer and Peripheral.
Facilities inside the complex included accommodation and catering for nearly 4,000 people, including a hospital
, self-contained electrical generation equipment, and the ability to seal off the complex from the outside environment, which could be contaminated by radiation
, poison gas or other threat.
In practice the use of the facility would have required planning and a controlled migration since the warning times of an unannounced nuclear attack preclude mobilisation out of London, though this would have been more likely to be done late in the crisis phase.
The site was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 1991 following the fragmentation of the Soviet Union
and the end of the Cold War, though it was kept on standby in case of future nuclear threats to the U.K. Finally, in December 2004, with its underground reservoir drained, emptied of fuel and supplies, and with a skeleton staff of just four, this site was decommissioned and abandoned.
for the continued use of the above-ground facilities.
Corsham
Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in north west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south western extreme of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 which was formerly the main turnpike road from London to Bristol, between Bath and Chippenham ....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. Specifically the Hawthorn site was the location of an above-ground bunker used for the planning of satellite communications support to the United Kingdom's armed forces worldwide. These facilities had been built in quarries cleared through the excavation of Bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
. The quarries have variously been used for Military Command & Control, storage, and the emergency fallback seat of the national government. Some areas of the quarry complex were hardened and provided with support measures to ensure resilience in the event of an enemy nuclear attack.
Central Ammunition Depot
During the 1930s, there was a recognition of a need to provide secure storage for munitions in the south of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, a large area of the quarries around the Corsham area was renovated by the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
as one of three major stockpiles. This ammunition depot was provided access by a spur railway line from the main London-to-Bristol line, branching off just outside the eastern entrance to the Box Tunnel
Box Tunnel
Box Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Western England, between Bath and Chippenham, dug through Box Hill, and is one of the most significant structures on the Great Western Main Line...
. This spur line led to double platforms inside the tunnel complex that was to be used to deliver and remove munitions.
The Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) was intended to be complemented by two further depots, one in Wales and one in northern England, neither of which were developed to the same scale as the CAD.
The construction design meant that an explosive accident or detonation inside any one of the stores would not propagate throughout the ammunition storehouse.
The CAD was decommissioned after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Aircraft Engine Factory
A portion of the quarry complex was developed as an aircraft engine factory, to act as a fallback should the Bristol Engine companyBristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
factory at Filton
Filton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
be taken out of action by bombing. This engine factory was never used.
Royal Air Force Rudloe Manor
In another area of the quarry Royal Air Force Box was established as the Headquarters of the 10th Fighter GroupNo. 10 Group RAF
No. 10 Group of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. On 8 May of the next year it was transferred to South-Western Area. In 1919 it was transferred to Coastal Area where it remained until it was disbanded on 18 January 1932....
of the Royal Air Force. RAF Box was later renamed RAF Rudloe Manor
RAF Rudloe Manor
RAF Rudloe Manor, formerly RAF Box, was a Royal Air Force station located north-east of Bath, United Kingdom between the towns of Box and Corsham, in Wiltshire...
and expanded to encompass a number of communications functions including No1 Signal Unit, Controller Defence Communications Network, No1001 Signal Unit Detachment and Headquarters RAF Provost & Security Service.
No1SU and CDCN were both housed in bunkers within the quarry complex, which also included an RAF Regional Command Centre for the South West of England.
Adjacent Defence Establishments
In the vicinity of Hawthorn were Basil Hill Barracks, a Royal Signals establishment, HMS Royal ArthurHMS Royal Arthur (shore establishment)
HMS Royal Arthur was a shore establishment of the Royal Navy, initially at Ingoldmells near Skegness, and later at Corsham, Wiltshire.-Skegness:...
, a Royal Navy training establishment and the Royal Naval Stores Depot Copenacre which used the quarries as a storage facility. Corsham Computer Centre
Corsham Computer Centre
Corsham Computer Centre is an underground British Ministry of Defence installation in Corsham, Wiltshire, built in the 1980s. According to the MoD, the centre "processes data in support of the Royal Navy"...
was built into Hudswell Quarry during the 1980s.
The Army Welfare Service Cotswold Families Centre is to the south.
Seat of national government
British defence doctrine during the early Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
period indicated a requirement for a fallback location for central government
Central Government War Headquarters
The Central Government War Headquarters is a complex built underground as the United Kingdom's Emergency Government War Headquarters - the hub of the country's alternative seat of power outside London during a nuclear war or conflict with the Soviet Union...
outside London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to assume national control in the event of London being destroyed. The quarry complex at Corsham was chosen for this location and development of the site commenced in the 1950s. In the event of imminent nuclear attack
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
, it was assumed that the government would be evacuated from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by rail or helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. The facility would provide a safe haven for the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
, commanders of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and supporting civil servants and military personnel.
The site had a number of code names during its lifetime: Stockwell, Subterfuge, Burlington, Turnstile, Chanticleer and Peripheral.
Facilities inside the complex included accommodation and catering for nearly 4,000 people, including a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, self-contained electrical generation equipment, and the ability to seal off the complex from the outside environment, which could be contaminated by radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
, poison gas or other threat.
In practice the use of the facility would have required planning and a controlled migration since the warning times of an unannounced nuclear attack preclude mobilisation out of London, though this would have been more likely to be done late in the crisis phase.
The site was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 1991 following the fragmentation of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the end of the Cold War, though it was kept on standby in case of future nuclear threats to the U.K. Finally, in December 2004, with its underground reservoir drained, emptied of fuel and supplies, and with a skeleton staff of just four, this site was decommissioned and abandoned.
Disposal
The Hawthorn site has been offered for sale, conditional on a Private Finance InitiativePrivate Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
for the continued use of the above-ground facilities.
Further reading
- McCamley, Nick (2000) Secret underground cities : an account of some of Britain's subterranean defence, factory and storage sites in the Second World War, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, ISBN 0-85052-733-3
External links
- BBC Wiltshire: Burlington Wiltshire's Underground City
- Britains Cold War - Guide to the Cold War in Britain
- Subterranea Britannica
- Nettleden site - Informative site with many pictures
- UK Secret Bases Full features (April 2007) on
- 1999 article by Hugh Collins at former CorshamNet