More information : SD 055 990. An Explosives Factory for the manufacture of Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was constructed at Drigg during the second world war by the Royal Ordnance Factory organisation. The factory cost £2.5 million and production was underway by April 1941. It sat on the coastal plain between the sea and the railway line immediately to the north of the mouth of the river Irt. The factory was relatively small and reflecting its hazardous activity most of the production buildings were heavily traversed. For the sake oF efficiency all ancillary buildings were centralised. Detatched hostels to accommodate the workers were situated at Millom, Silecroft, Stanley Ghyll YHA and Holmbrook. The factory was closed in August 1945 at VJ+1. It is believed that the site has been developed as a low level nuclear waste dump for the Sellafield nuclear complex. (1-1c)
A Second World War explosives factory at Drigg visible as structures and earthworks on air photographs, centred at SD 0542 9916. The site, covering an area of approximately 140 hectares, appears to include trenches centred at SD 0527 9970, 4 pillboxes located at SD 0463 9991, 0476 9967, 0493 9936 and 0510 9907, and a number of associated buildings the majority of which are concentrated to the south east of the site. The site is linked by trackways to the civilian railway which runs to the east. These integral features were mapped but were not recorded as separate features. Some features remain visible on the latest 1995 Ordnance Survey vertical photography.
(2-4)
|