Don't you just love school holidays ? It's a time to relax with your family and perhaps time for a well earned break in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park.But Daddy's just got to pop out for a while first..........!
Now what can i tell you about this place that you dont already know ?...........NOTHING !! But anyway, it was built in 1939 in a disused quarry to the West of the town and was intended to store up to 18,000 tons of ordnance on two levels.However owing to cost cutting measures in the design of the structure nearly half of it collapsed in spectacular fashion on Jan 25th 1942,burying a train consisting of 27 wagons in the process.The workforce all escaped through the emergency tunnel at the rear but by the end of the day nearly 15 percent of the RAF's bomb reserve had been lost in the wreckage. !! Once the debris was cleared from the collapsed area the depot reopened BUT only as an open store,no bombs were stored in the remaining section of the building for fear of another collapse.By 1955 it's days were numbered and with all its explosive ordnance removed the gates were finally closed in 1956.!! However that isn't quite the end of the story for its legacy lived on for quite a while after.......Get yourself a copy of Nick McCamleys Underground Disasters to find out why !!!
At the rear of the depot is the emergency access tunnel,this links the depot to the old pits of the former quarry.It was also used as the main cable route for the electrical supply and acts as a drain for the huge volume of water from the surrounding hills which is channelled along one side of it and then under the main building.The noise of this cascading water echoes all around the cavernous empty structure and can be quite disconcerting.!!
The entrance to the emergency tunnel is located at the rear of bay D on the lower floor and is raised up by about 12 inches.According to McCamleys book all the trapped bombs were removed from the complex via this tunnel-one at a time-and had to be manhandled to the opening before being put on a narrow gauge cart and pushed to the exit.Yet on the furthest support pillar in this picture is a stencilled sign reading 'Beware of the loco' !!!!
After the collapse various parts of the structure received strengthening,most,but not all of the entrance ways to the various bays were lined with brick.
Very little remains in the building and large open spaces are the order of the day But two lifts still remain awaiting the next Bombload.This is the innermost lift on the upper floor.
The lower lift landing contains the balance weights and some of the machinary.
Only one open staircase connected the two levels and this can be found at the rear of bay C.
This is the standard gauge railway unloading platform, now full of debris and partly flooded.
To the right of this are two further shorter bays with raised levels.This is bay B
and above it is the shorter Bay J
Well there it is !! Well worth a visit if you are in the area.At the rear of the emergency tunnel are the deep pits where all the bombs etc were dumped.Although these were subsequently cleared they remain fenced off to this day-never knew about this 'till i arrived home !! Oh well there's always the summer hols next year
Now what can i tell you about this place that you dont already know ?...........NOTHING !! But anyway, it was built in 1939 in a disused quarry to the West of the town and was intended to store up to 18,000 tons of ordnance on two levels.However owing to cost cutting measures in the design of the structure nearly half of it collapsed in spectacular fashion on Jan 25th 1942,burying a train consisting of 27 wagons in the process.The workforce all escaped through the emergency tunnel at the rear but by the end of the day nearly 15 percent of the RAF's bomb reserve had been lost in the wreckage. !! Once the debris was cleared from the collapsed area the depot reopened BUT only as an open store,no bombs were stored in the remaining section of the building for fear of another collapse.By 1955 it's days were numbered and with all its explosive ordnance removed the gates were finally closed in 1956.!! However that isn't quite the end of the story for its legacy lived on for quite a while after.......Get yourself a copy of Nick McCamleys Underground Disasters to find out why !!!
At the rear of the depot is the emergency access tunnel,this links the depot to the old pits of the former quarry.It was also used as the main cable route for the electrical supply and acts as a drain for the huge volume of water from the surrounding hills which is channelled along one side of it and then under the main building.The noise of this cascading water echoes all around the cavernous empty structure and can be quite disconcerting.!!
The entrance to the emergency tunnel is located at the rear of bay D on the lower floor and is raised up by about 12 inches.According to McCamleys book all the trapped bombs were removed from the complex via this tunnel-one at a time-and had to be manhandled to the opening before being put on a narrow gauge cart and pushed to the exit.Yet on the furthest support pillar in this picture is a stencilled sign reading 'Beware of the loco' !!!!
After the collapse various parts of the structure received strengthening,most,but not all of the entrance ways to the various bays were lined with brick.
Very little remains in the building and large open spaces are the order of the day But two lifts still remain awaiting the next Bombload.This is the innermost lift on the upper floor.
The lower lift landing contains the balance weights and some of the machinary.
Only one open staircase connected the two levels and this can be found at the rear of bay C.
This is the standard gauge railway unloading platform, now full of debris and partly flooded.
To the right of this are two further shorter bays with raised levels.This is bay B
and above it is the shorter Bay J
Well there it is !! Well worth a visit if you are in the area.At the rear of the emergency tunnel are the deep pits where all the bombs etc were dumped.Although these were subsequently cleared they remain fenced off to this day-never knew about this 'till i arrived home !! Oh well there's always the summer hols next year
