| Summary : The site of RAF Wartling, a radar station built in the early 1950s as part of the Rotor programme to modernise the United Kingdom's radar defences. This was a replacement for the Second World War Ground Controlled Interception (GCI) station at Wartling (se HOB UID 1478752). It was fitted with Type 7 Mark 3 radar head for local search and control, two Type 14 (Mark 8 and Mark 9) plan positioning radar heads, and two Type 13 Mark 6 and three Type 13 Mark 7 height finder radar heads, all mounted on plinths and 25 feet gantries. The Type 7 radar was built over a three-room R7 underground equipment well. The site was equipped with a guardhouse designed to resemble a bungalow, which gave access to a two-storey, underground R3 operations block. A transmitter and receiver block were built on a remote site to aid communicatins between the R3 bunker and the intercepting aircraft. In 1956-1957 a Type 80 radar and modulator block was installed at the station. This replaced the Type 7 radar, although it was kept on in reserve. In 1958 RAF Wartling was upgraded to a Master Radar Station (MRS). It closed in 1964 and its duties were taken over by Bawdsey MRS. The guardhouse has since been turned into a private house and no longer connects with the R3 bunker. The bunker remains, though it is disused, prone to flooding and the only survivng entrance (the emergency exit) has been sealed. The transmitter block and the Type 80 modulator building have also been converted into private dwellings. The receiver block has been externally altered and is used as a club house. |
More information : RADAR STATION. SRF, with 1 photograph. Rotor Site. Recorder- J. Howe. (1)
The Rotor programme was developed to advance the wartime radar technology in detecting and locating fast-flying jets. It was approved by the Air Council in June 1950. The first stage of the programme, Rotor 1, was to technically restore existing Chain Home, centrimetric early warning, Chain Home Extra Low and Ground Controlled Interception stations and put them under the control of RAF Fighter Command. There were three main components to the Rotor stations: the technical site, including the radars, operation blocks and other installations; the domestic site, where personnel were accommodated; and the stand-by set house, a reserve power supply. The technial site for Wartling Rotor station was located at TQ 662 088. The domestic site and stand-by set house were co-located at TQ 697 080.
The two main constructions at Rotor stations were the operations block and guardhouse. Operations blocks were the largest structures built at Rotor stations. They were constructed of reinforced concrete and designed to withstand 2,000lb bombs. The outer walls and roof of the Rotor operations blocks were 3 metres thick and the internal walls between 0.15 to 0.6 metres wide. The exterior was coated with an asphalt damp course and surrounded by a 0.15 metre brick wall. The roof was usually flush with the ground surface and up to 4.34 metres of earth was mounded on top. The operations blocks, identified by a 'R' prefix, contained technical equipment, domestic facilities, workshops and a plant for air conditioning and gas filtration, all within a single complex. Four of the blocks (R1-R4) were underground constructions designed for the more vulnerable sites on the east and south-east coasts. Others were semi-submerged (R6) or above ground (R5, R7-R11) heavily protected structures built to withstand 1000lb bombs. The guardhouses were designed to resemble bungalows. They were single-storey buildings capped with a flat, concrete roof, above which a pitched roof contained water tanks. They were generally constructed of brick, but were built to blend in with the local architectural style. The guard rooms also contained an armoury, store, rest room and lavatories. Those associated with underground operations blocks featured a projecting rear annex that housed a stairwell leading down to an access tunnel. (2-4)
Aerial photography from 1982 shows that the buried R3 operations block remains, as does the Type 80 modulator building and the guardhouse. Two radar plinths also survive at the site. The sewage works remains at the south-west corner of the field. (5)
The Rotor station at Wartling was a replacement of the wartime GCI station. The original GCI site was deemed too close to sea-level, so the Rotor site was resited on higher ground. Construction on the new station began in 1951-1952 and was not completed until February 1955. A remote Type 7 radar was installed with a three-room R7 Mk. III underground bunker or 'well' at the old GCI site. This was replaced by Type 80 in 1956-1957, although the Type 7 radar was retained as back up. The Type 80 radar had a range of 320 miles, compared to the Type 7's 90 miles. A modulator building was constructed to accompany the Type 80 radar. An R3 underground bunker was built at the site, and to provide communication between the bunker and the intercepting aircraft, two VHF/UHF multi-channel radio transmitter and receiver blocks were built at remote sites. In 1958 the RAF Wartling was upgraded to a Master Radar Station (MRS). This operated until 1964 when it closed and its duties were taken over by Bawdsey MRS. The site was sold by the Ministry of Defence in 1976. The guardhouse has since been converted into a private house. There is no longer a connection between the guardhouse and the bunker. The transmitter block at TQ 6900 1040 was converted into a private dwelling, as was the Type 80 modulator building in 1995-1996. The receiver block at TQ 6806 0972 has had some external alterations and is used as a club house. The R3 bunker remains, although in disuse and prone to flooding. After a field visit by Subterranea Britannica in 2004 the emergency exit access was sealed shut. (6) |