Ruddington Depot
Encyclopedia
Historically Ruddington Ordnance & Supply Depot was built with a bomb factory & ammunition bunker commissioned in 1940 by the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
. It was located to the south of Ruddington
.
The site consisted of over 200 buildings & took only 18 months to build. A total of 4,000 workers were involved in the building work of a site that would remain for 41 years.
depots & the area south of Ruddington
was amongst them.
The Royal Ordnance Factory was to be used as a filling factory for ammunition
& up to 6,000 employees were expected to take up residence.
The nearby village of Ruddington
had no idea of the plans as they were kept secret.
A year into the Second World War in December 1940 the plans were not secret anymore as the area south of the village green
was levelled off & destroyed forever.
Initially between 60,000 & 100,000 people were employed in the building process. In the preceding 18 months over 200 buildings were erected along with roads, paths & a branch line to Ruddington railway station
.
The local people could only speculate exactly what the site was going to be used for but consequences of war could not be ignored & acceptance set in for what was going to be a permanent fixture for nearly 41 years.
The site was divided into two parts, one used as the filling factory, and the other used to store supplies. Both areas were separated by fencing which also ran around the perimeter of the site, as the depot was almost completely self-sufficient, as it boasted:
The whole site was under tight security, with security staff working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
, an area which covers 210 acre (0.8498406 km²).
Ruddington connection
Midland fox 99
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. It was located to the south of Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
.
The site consisted of over 200 buildings & took only 18 months to build. A total of 4,000 workers were involved in the building work of a site that would remain for 41 years.
Pre War
Prior to 1940 the site was used as valuable agricultural land but this changed as conflict was due to erupt in Europe. As the United Kingdom was unprepared for war steps were taken to ensure that this changed. Areas were designated for militaryMilitary
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
depots & the area south of Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
was amongst them.
The Royal Ordnance Factory was to be used as a filling factory for ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
& up to 6,000 employees were expected to take up residence.
The nearby village of Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
had no idea of the plans as they were kept secret.
A year into the Second World War in December 1940 the plans were not secret anymore as the area south of the village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
was levelled off & destroyed forever.
Initially between 60,000 & 100,000 people were employed in the building process. In the preceding 18 months over 200 buildings were erected along with roads, paths & a branch line to Ruddington railway station
Ruddington railway station
Ruddington is a disused railway station on the Great Central Main Line south of Nottingham.The line had branches that ran to the now decommissioned Ruddington Depot....
.
The local people could only speculate exactly what the site was going to be used for but consequences of war could not be ignored & acceptance set in for what was going to be a permanent fixture for nearly 41 years.
The site was divided into two parts, one used as the filling factory, and the other used to store supplies. Both areas were separated by fencing which also ran around the perimeter of the site, as the depot was almost completely self-sufficient, as it boasted:
- Two underground reservoirReservoirA reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s - A heating plant
- A sewageSewageSewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
plant - Several generators
- A telephone exchangeTelephone exchangeIn the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
- Two canteens
- A surgerySurgerySurgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
- A laundryLaundryLaundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
- A bakeryBakeryA bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
- A mortuary
The whole site was under tight security, with security staff working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Closure
After being decommissioned in 1945 the site was used for auctioning redundant ex-military vehicles & equipment with the depot finally closing in 1983. The auctions were known nationally & were held every eight weeks. Each auction lasted about a week & were so popular that they were advertised in the national press & dealers came from all over the country.Use today
Today most of the area covered by the site is used as a recreational area known as Rushcliffe Country ParkRushcliffe Country Park
Rushcliffe Country Park is an open park space covering approximately , located on Mere Way just south of Ruddington on the A60 in the borough of Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire....
, an area which covers 210 acre (0.8498406 km²).
Transport links to Rushcliffe Country Park
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- Wolds Estate - RuddingtonRuddingtonRuddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
Ruddington connection
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) - Trent BridgeTrent BridgeTrent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
- WilfordWilfordWilford is a village close to the centre the city of Nottingham, UK, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been described as a semi-rural village in a city. The village is bounded to the north and west by the River Trent and to the east by the embankment of the now closed Great Central Railway...
- RuddingtonRuddingtonRuddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
Midland fox 99
- NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
- RuddingtonRuddingtonRuddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
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