More information : The former rocket test facilities centred at NY 6274 lie within the bounds of RAF Spadeadam, a military range. The facilities lie between 190m and 320m above OD surrounded by open fell land and coniferous plantations, the total area of the range covering approximately 3240 hectares. The rocket test facilities, although scattered through Spadeadam Forest, will be treated as a single monument as they share a common infrastructure and purpose.
The test facilities were constructed in the late 1950s in support the wholly British programme to construct an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) named Blue Streak. Development work was split between
two principal contractors de Havilland, (from 1960 Hawker Siddeley Dynamics), who were responsible for the airframe, and Rolls Royce who were responsible for the construction of the RZ.2 rocket engines. A development programme as complex as Blue Streak involved many other component suppliers along with smaller test sites around the country. The more important test sites belonged to the principal contractors. Those at the de Havilland factory at Hatfield, Hertfordshire (NAR No.TL 20 NW 27) were used to develop the vehicle systems and the ground support equipment required at Spadeadam. Test firings of the RZ.2 engines were also carried at the Rocket Propulsion Establishment, Westcott, Buckinghamshire (NAR No.SP 71 NW 33), where a number of structures were specially constructed for the purpose. The facilities at Spadeadam were designed for the static firing of engines and launch vehicles. For flight trials, almost identical facilities to those at Greymare Hill (NY 621 743), were constructed at Woomera, Australia.
Work began on the Blue Streak programme in 1955 (1a), the development of the RZ.2 engines by Rolls Royce reliant on a agreement reached in 1953 with the United States of America over research into ballistic missiles (1b), principally through the rocket motor manufacturers Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation Inc. Added impetus was given to the programme by the 1957 Defence White paper (1b) that saw Britain's defence tied to the concept of nuclear deterrence, with a high priority given to research into the development of ballistic missiles. Development work was centred on de Havilland's Hatfield factory (NAR No.TL 20 NW 27) where the vehicles were manufactured for assembly at their Stevenage factory. Spadeadam was selected as the site for the construction of the static firing facilities in 1955, the site was surveyed in 1956 and construction work began in 1957 at a cost of two million pounds, the first rocket engine tests took place in August 1959 (1c). Budgetary constraints and a recognition of the inherent weakness in the concept of a large vulnerable ballistic missile in a fixed launch pad was acknowledged and in April 1960 the British government cancelled the programme (1d). The need for a wholly British manufactured missile was also called into question after the deployment by the RAF of American Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles at four sites in eastern England in 1958 (1e).
The Blue Streak launch vehicle was however adopted by the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), formed in 1962 as the first stage of the Europa 1 satellite launcher. Development work continued on the engine and airframe with the first successful launch of Blue Streak at Woomera; Australia on 5th June 1964, four other successful test flights took place using the launcher only, however the remainder of the test flights with the second and third stages were unsuccessful. In 1967 the British government announced its decision to pull out of the programme by 1971, the last launch from Woomera of launcher F10 took place on 12 January 1970. Despite Britain's withdrawal a launch took place from Kourou, Guinea on 5 November 1971. A further flight was planned, but on 27 April 1973 the Europa project was cancelled. The remaining five launch vehicles F12-16 remain in existence, F12 abandoned in the Guinea jungle and the remainder in museums in Europe.
This split in responsibilities between different contractors is reflected in the facilities at Spadeadam. Though principally operated by Rolls Royce for the Ministry of Aviation, de Havilland were responsible for the airframe assembly and component testings. A third company within the facility was the British Oxygen Corporation (BOC) who operated an Air Separation Plant for the manufacture of liquid oxygen (lox), used as the oxidant in the RZ.2
engine, and liquid and gaseous nitrogen. The layout of the site may be divided into five self contained areas; 1) administrative 2) liquid oxygen factory, 3) component test area, 4) engine test area, 5) rocket test area. The areas are connected by a well built road network on raised embankments over brushwood racines to support it over the boggy ground.
A number of facilities were held in common, these will be dealt with first before describing the separate groups of facilities around the range. The range is approached from the south from the village of Gilsland along a private purpose built lane. To the south west of the main gate is the establishment's sewage farm (NY 6177 7002) and
to its southeast the site of a temporary camp built during the construction of the ranges to house the construction workers. Electricity to the range was supplied along a national grid powerline entering from the west to a substation from which overhead power lines radiate around the site. The range has its own domestic water
supply provided by boreholes and stored in four 1, 000, 000 gallon circular tanks, sites Q.23, Q.25 and a pair of tanks Q.24. These are associated with pump houses and at site Q.24 with a small Substation Q24.3. This supply both provided for the domestic needs of the establishment but more importantly water was needed in large
quantities at the test beds during firing. Water was used to cool the beds and supply water to sparges and fog sprays in areas where combustible materials might accumulate. Remotely operated fire fighting systems on the firing stands were capable of delivering upto 26, 000 gallons of water per minute. To supplement the output of
the boreholes during test firings water was also pumped from the river Irthing, a distance of three miles.
Grouped around the entrance to the range are a number of administrative buildings, a surgery, fire and ambulance stations, assembly and maintenance workshops including a large assembly shop formerly used to prepare the Blue Streak launch vehicle. Most of these buildings remain in use and are in good condition.
Immediately to the north of the administrative and engineering workshops are the remains of the BOC compound (NY 614 704), formerly housing the Air Separation Plant. This was a separate area within the establishment demarcated by its own fence, the initials BOC appearing on the metal fence either side of the entrance into the
compound. When the plant was in operation it was capable of producing 100 tons of lox per day along with liquid and gaseous nitrogen. The lox was supplied for storage at the firing stands by road tanker while the gaseous nitrogen was piped around the site under pressure to storage bottles. All the buildings in this area except a single storey brick Substation D.10 have been demolished. Substantial concrete bases however remain marking the position of the large rectangular Lox Building D.1. to its south are the bases of two Cooling Towers D.7.1 and D7.2. To its north is the remains of the Lox Tank, a large circular platform raised on concrete legs. Adjacent to it are the bases of two small rectangular buildings D.11and D.13 and the circular base of the Liquid Nitrogen Tank D.4.
Circular scars in the concrete on the eastern side mark the position two Nitrogen Gas Holders D6.1 and D.6.2.
To its north, at the foot of Rushy Knowe is Site B (NY 6125 7072), the Component Test Area (C.T. B Area). This area is largely derelict although a few buildings remain in use. The area was entered from the east along a minor road off the main north-south spine road, entry into the area supervised by a Police Control Post B.5. Opposite to the Control Post was the Kerosine Storage Area. At the centre of this area is a large single storey concrete Control Centre (NY 6117 7073) from which nine test cells were observed, instrumented and remotely controlled. Adjacent to the southeast corner of the control centre is the circular base of a Lox Storage Tank. At its western end of the control centre are a number of small buildings including a Substation B.7 and next to it B.4 the Boiler, Compressor
House and fuel oil storage. Also within in this group is a former Hydrogen Peroxide and Gaseous Nitrogen Store B.10 and a number of ancillary buildings. To the east of this group is a large building B.3, formerly the Water Flow Laboratory used for component pressurisation testing. A large water pool in this building has recently been filled.
The Control Centre was served by the rooms on its east side B.1.3 that included the air filtration plant rooms, locker room and workshops. The Control Room B.1 is a large room, its flat concrete roof supported by concrete pillars. On all the walls except the eastern that backs onto the service rooms are armoured glass observation ports. Six of the nine test cells were attached to the Control Centre for direct observation from the interior. On the
southern side are two test cells B.1.1 the Pump Test House, set between the Control Room and the Gas Turbine House to their south.On the southwest corner of the control room is a large open sided cell B.1.7, the gaseous Nitrogen Test Cell, with fixing or guide rails in the floor screened by a blast wall on its south side. In the northern wall observation ports were arranged to view the three Gas Generator Cells B.1.4-6 at ground level, these cells also had rails set into the floor. Above these cells on the roof of the building are six concrete compartments arranged back to back, three to either side. These were probably designed to separately house chemical, fuel and oxidant tanks to supply the cells beneath. All the cells around the centre were served by concrete drains, consistent with the use of liquid fuels. The observation ports along the west wall were designed to view experiments taking place in a detached building to the west.
The remaining three test cells Turbo Pump Test Cells B.2, B.2.1 and B.2.2. are 28m to the west of the Control Centre. These cells are housed in a single storey, concrete structure divided into three cells. The cells are closed by folding metal doors at the west side and are open to the east. In the roof of each cell is an open square hole, with bolt holes around the top. In the floor of the bays are rails similar to those found in the other cells. At either end of the building were two opposed and isolated compartments probably for fuel and oxidant storage tanks and above these another compartment for a further tank. The cells were drained eastwards by a series of deep concrete drains covered by metal grills, these drains and those ranged around the control centre tipped into a main open drain on the north side of the complex flowing eastwards to Lagoon B.6 with a Pumphouse B.6.1 at the eastern end of the complex (NY 6131 7073).
To the north of the complex at Site B the ground rises gently along the line of an east to west ridge dissected by numerous small streams. Towards the western end of this ridge and below the crest line on its southern side is the Priorlancy Rigg Engine Test Area (NY596 719). The Test Area comprises a line of three large concrete test stands set into the hill side, stands A1, A2, A3 reading east to west. Excavated spoil from the construction of these stands was tipped at the western end of the test stands and remains as a flat topped dump. The western test stand has been partially demolished while the other two remain intact although lacking most of their associated metal work and smaller service buildings. On the causeway above the stands rails remain in place that once carried the rocket engine service towers. Beneath the platform are compartments that were not investigated. Between the eastern and central tower is a small mounded buildings A.4 a Terminal Room, some electrical relay gear remained in place. At the western base of the line of bays was a concrete base that formerly supported a Lox Dump Tank. A row of concrete bases leads down to this tank from the top of the stands. On the slopes between the stands are further concrete bases that formerly carried Lox and Kerosine Dump Tanks. At the eastern end of the stands was another concrete base, A33, a Kerosine Dump Tank. The site of a fourth Engine Test Stand A.42 at the western end of the stands was not available for investigation. The first test firing on these stands was in August 1959.
The stands were supplied with large quantities of water during engine testing from the four large storage tanks on the site. Between the bays at the top are valve pits for large bore water pipes, on the western side of the eastern most stand truncated pipes survive at the top of the stand. Water used during firing was spilled southwards along concrete spillways into a main drain flowing eastwards into Effluent Lagoon A.14 closed by sluice gates at its western end.
The firing of the engines was overseen from Control Centre A.11, 170m to the east of the nearest firing bay adjacent to the entrance to the Engine Test Area. The Control Centre is a freestanding, flat roofed, single storey reinforced concrete structure set within an earthwork mound, its inner face revetted in concrete. The Control Centre was served by an electrical plant room and plenum heater room, cloak room and 1 DIOT recording room housed in separate compartments along its eastern side entered from a wide passage way between the Control Centre and the traverse wall. The entrance to the control room was protected by a steel door approached from a passage through the mound and turned away from the firing bays. On entering the building there is a toilet adjacent to the entrance; the remainder of the Control Centre is a single room, the roof supported by concrete pillars. The engine tests were controlled remotely by cabling passing through the northern wall of the centre into an Instrument cable duct tunnel leading beneath the firing bays. The duct was 7 foot (2.1m) square and 1100 feet (330m) in length and originally carried 8000 instrument and electrical control cables. Tests were observed from four observation ports on the west side of the building; observation was indirect through four steel periscopes bolted to the side of the observation centre. Small blocked circular holes on top of the centre may suggest further periscopes were fitted through the roof.
The Control Centre was supplied with its own electricity from the principal substation at the southern end of the range along overhead power lines. This led to a small substation A.10.1 adjacent to the Control Centre that originally contained two small transformers. Another rectangular brick building of unknown function survives next to the substation.
The principal static firing stands, Missile Testing Area (M.T.A.), on the range lay around 3km northeast of the Priorlancy firing facility at Greymare Hill (NY 621 743). The complex was sited to exploit the contours of the hill, and was set into a natural bowl-shaped arena along the 310m contour line. The test firing facilities at Greymare Hill were the largest on the range designed for the full test firing of a complete Blue Streak launch vehicle. The site comprises two separate test stands, C2 at Greymare Hill west and C3 at Greymare Hill east. The stands are similar in layout and share a common Control Centre and supply facilities. Work on the two test stands lagged behind the development of the Priorlancy engine test area. The first C3 was brought into commission in January 1962 while stand C2 remained incomplete in April 1965. The operation of this facility is described by Hume C R in Samson D R 1963 The Blue Streak Satellite Launcher (1f).
The Greymare Hill complex is approached from the south through a gate controlled by a Police Box C.17. To the north of the Police Box were the Kerosine Storage Tanks and Pumphouse C13; these have been demolished although their concrete foundations are visible. The original Substation C.5.4 to its north remains in use.
The Test Stands C2 and C3 were controlled remotely from a single Control Centre C.4 (NY 6209 7403) situated 300m away from C2 and 250m away from C3. The Control Centre is a single storey concrete structure with a flat roof enclosed in an earthwork traverse. The building was served by an air filtration plant in an enclosed compartment on its southern side. Entry into the control centre was along passage ways on the east and west sides of the building. The Control Room is a single large room, its roof supported on concrete pillars. The Test Stands were observed through armoured observation ports similar in design to those at Priorlancy, consisting of a steel box housing the periscope mirrors, bolted to the outside of the building. This stand differed from the Priorlancy Control Centre in that there were two sets of four periscopes pointing at each stand.
The Test Stands were controlled remotely by electrical cabling. The cabling emerged from either side of the Control Centre through concrete openings and ran along the western side of the approach road splitting at its northern end to serve the two stands. Though the supports have been removed the concrete pier bases survive as do the bases for the bridges that carried the ducts over the roads. At each of the Test Stands the wires entered a concrete tunnel, the tunnel to the C3 tunnel still retaining wooden louvred doors. Bundles of wires were supported on metal shelves on either side of the tunnel that led beneath the rooms below the causeway.
Test Stand C2 (NY 6192 7430) Greymare Hill west remains intact although devoid of most of its associated metal work and ancillary buildings. The stand consists of four angled legs supporting a concrete causeway, below the causeway are a series of equipment rooms entered along a wide passage way at the rear of the stand. At the rear of the stand a number of rooms are set into the hill side below the causeway. From this level access could be gained to a concrete walkway around the stand. On top of the causeway two filled lines mark the position of the rails that carried the Mobile Servicing Tower, fixed concrete blocks to either end forming buffer stocks. During firing, the launcher was held at the end of the causeway locked to the launcher release gear, efflux gases from the engines directed downwards onto the efflux deflector. The three concrete piers with faces set at 45 degrees remain, onto which the deflector plate were formerly bolted. Throughout test firing the stand was doused in water, that drained along a concrete spillway westwards to Effluent Lagoon C31.2 (NY 6191 7420), adjacent to which was the Waste Kerosine Storage Tank C.32.2. To the west of the stand is the roofed shell of the Lox Pumphouse C.2.5 and two circular brick bases on which the Lox Tanks stood. The Lox Tanks were kept close to the stand to obviate the need to cool long lengths of supply pipes, as Lox boils-off at -183 degrees centigrade. To the east of the stand is the Propulsion Bay Heating Plant building and below it the base of the Kerosine Dump Tank C.1.5.2. The lack of fittings in the equipment rooms beneath the causeway, and small brick buildings attached to the stand, (that are found on the other stand C3), may indeed suggest that this stand was never brought into commission.
Test Stand C3 (NY 6227 7425) Greymare Hill east, is similar to C2, the principal difference between the two structures is that C3 lacks the rooms set into the hill side beneath the causeway. This stand, although lacking most of its metal framing, is marginally better preserved, retaining a number of minor brick buildings and internal wooden doors to the equipment rooms beneath the causeway. This may however indicate that this was the only stand brought into commission. The control cabling entered the stand from the west through a concrete tunnel supported on metal racks fixed to either side of the tunnel. The tunnel leads beneath the rooms under the causeway enabling the wires to be carried to the front of the stand. Above this tunnel but beneath the causeway are equipment rooms entered through a wide passageway at the rear of the stand. This level also gave access to a concrete walkway beneath the causeway around the stand and small brick buildings attached to the side of the stand including the Equipment Rooms C.3.3 on the eastern side. On top of the causeway the slots that carried the rails to guide the Mobile Servicing Tower C.3.2 may be seen. On the western side of the stand is the grey brick Lox Pumphouse and up slope the brick bases of two Lox Tanks. A Lox Dump Tank was situated on the opposite side of the lower approach road and may be traced as a concrete base. To the east of the stand the Propulsion Bay Heating Plant building, a single storey grey brick building remains intact. The arrangements for dealing with the efflux gases and waste kerosine were similar to those in C2. Beneath the stand was an efflux deflector supported on three concrete piers set at 45 degrees. Waste water was channelled down the concrete lined spillway to the Effluent Lagoon C.31.3 closed by sluices made by William E Farrer Ltd, Engineers, Birmingham and London. To its north are the bases of the Kerosine Dump tank C.15.3 and the Kerosine Waste Tank C.32.2.
Along the northerly road connecting the two stands were a number of service buildings held in common. Moving from west to east the following buildings survive, (functions described are those of the 1960s); C.29.2 Welfare Building, C.5.2 Substation, C.16 Substation, C.9 Store, C.5-3 Substation and C.30 Welfare Building. A number of structures have been demolished but may be traced as concrete footings they are, a Gaseous Nitrogen Store C.16, a Workshop and a Garage, also demolished was a public address tower, although a small brick hut formerly at its base survives, a domestic water tower and small camera huts.
Scattered between Greymare Hill and the administrative area to the south are other smaller test firing sites that are thought to post date the main test stands by a few years. Site H (NY 639 737) at Green Hill consists of four buildings and four emplacements terraced into the hillslope. H.1 and H.4.2 (NY 6383 7375) is a single storey, concrete structure with a covered open bay at its western end and to its east are two other covered open bayed structures H.3.1 and H.3.2; associated with this building is a Substation H.4.2. To the east of H.3.2 is a square emplacement dug into the hillslope with the remains of blown up concrete firing stand in the northwest corner. Site K to its south (NY 6260 7125) has a L shaped single storey concrete workshop or office at its western end and two covered open bays K2 and K3 to its east associated with a switch room and Substation K4.1. The former firing stands at Berry Hill and in the centre of the range at (NY 622 725) were not investigated.
A single Blue Streak launch vehicle is preserved on site in its handling frame. This example was used as a model to measure electrical components before fitting to an actual rocket assembly; it was formerly held by the RAF Museum Hendon before it was moved to Spadeadam in 1988. It is believed that a large number of deliberately smashed Blue Streak components are buried on site, dumped when development work was halted in the 1970s. Other components, plans and documentation have been given to the Solway Aviation Museum at Carlisle Airport. Original drawings of the buildings formerly held by the Property Services Agency (PSA) on microfiche are now held by W S Atkins, Old Trafford, Manchester. (1)
The site is recorded on RCHME photographs sequences AA94/1924-2042 and AA94/2886-2973.
A field visit confirmed that the site remained intact and virtually unaltered since 1994. In a number of instances buildings have been adapted to new uses, and structures sealed to prevent entry. (2-2a)
Between February 2003 and February 2004 Archaeological Survey and Investigation carried out a field survey and investigation of the former Rocket Establishment at RAF Spadeadam, Cumbria. The area of the former test facility correlates closely with that of the modern range and the survey was undertaken at the request of Defence Estates who, in partnership with RAF Spadeadam, were developing an Integrated Management Plan for the range. The remains of the Blue Streak test facilities had also been identified by the English Heritage thematic study of Cold War monuments, Cold War Monuments: an assessment by the Monuments Protection Programme (Cocroft 2001), as being of national importance. This report provides a record and interpretation of the visible archaeological features, both earthwork and architectural, of the former test facilities and later military features. Documentary material, some of which has, until very recently, remained classified, was also examined as part of the project. The report comprises two volumes. Volume I contains the historical background which sets out a brief history of the Blue Streak project and the subsequent use of the Spadeadam range based on available secondary sources and selected records deposited with the National Archives, Kew. It provides a concise historical context for the archaeological remains of rocket testing and later activities at Spadeadam. An important source on the social history of the rocket and Spadeadam is the archive of the oral history project run by the Tullie House Museum, Carlisle, which recorded the experiences of many of the people who worked on and around the range. The historical background is followed by a description of the visible remains and Appendix 1 which provides an outline chronology for the Blue Streak project and RAF Spadeadam. Volume II contains a detailed Component Sheet for every numbered building or significant feature on site. Appendix 2 comprises a brief separate inventory of range features dating from 1960-62. Appendix 3 is a second inventory dating from 1974. The site archive also includes ground and low level oblique air photography.
The most significant discovery during the 2003-4 survey was the earthwork remains of an abandoned project to construct an experimental underground launching facility or silo (NY 62796 73811). This is located to the east of Greymare Hill in the bottom of the valley of a small stream called the Cheese Burn. To the west of the hole a by-pass channel was begun to divert the Cheese Burn around the excavation, at its western end are the remains of a sluice comprising two concrete walls into which are set two vertical 2 x 4-inch (5 x 10 cm) steel channels into which blocking boards could be inserted into the 2.99m wide gap, beyond the sluice an earthwork channel may be traced along the southern valley scarp and to the south of the hole. To the north of this sluice the original line of the stream was straightened and its sides lined with rocks, some cemented into place, the base of the stream is very hard and may have been surfaced in asphalt. Close to the hole is another sluice constructed in a similar manner to the one described above, although here the gap is 3.06m. The excavated hole is roughly circular in shape and measures about 32m in diameter, the northern side of the hole has a well-formed curved plan and a good profile. Around the lip of the hole, close to where the stream enters, are traces of concrete blocks that were used to line the excavation. Running approximately north to south across the centre of the hole are three rows of boards, the boards measure 1ft 2in x 2in (34cm x 5cm) and are fixed to vertical posts 3 3/4-in (9cm) square. The boards are joined together with well-finished lap joints and bolts and are further strengthened by U-shaped cleats hammered between the joints. They probably represent shuttering put in place to support the sides of the hole during excavation. To the north of the hole are a series of spoil mounds up to 2m in height. (3-3b)
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