Edingham ROF 2012-2017

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Pricus

Active member
Joined
Feb 20, 2018
Messages
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Location
Scotland
My first introduction to exploring, I grew up here so this was a playground for me as a kid, many memories of being chased by the farmer!

Anyway, the history,

Edingham was built in 1939. McAlpine Construction was given the contract on a time and materials basis which meant there was no restriction to the final cost which amounted to £3.5 million.

Most of the factory was built by hand. Drag lines and basic diggers which had no cabs or hydraulic rams, were also used. Over 3000 men, the majority of them Irish, were used in the building and labouring. The Irish navvies stayed in wooden huts, which were later used to house prisoners of war from 1943 to 1947.

The area for the site was taken from six farmers who were paid a minimal fee. The total site was 300 acres, 180 of which came from Edingham Farm. One of the main reasons for choosing this site was the fact that the Dumfries to Stranraer railway line passed through it, making it an ideal location with easy transportation of cordite and nitro-glycerine for onward processing.

It took 8 miles of high security fencing to surround the site, which was made up of two identical halves, so as to prevent production being interrupted if a key building was hit and put out of action.

The buildings themselves were dug into the earth and then surrounded by steep sides, like a large pudding basin. This ensured that, should an explosion occur, the force of the blast went upwards causing less damage, and not outwards to damage other parts of the site.

Cordite and nitro-glycerine were the main products manufactured. These highly dangerous products were hauled around by unshod horses and carts, supplied by farmers, to prevent any sparks which might have sent the place sky-high.

Post-War Uses of the Site

The railway line continued in use for the public until the early 1960s.

After the War the Admiralty took over the whole site and used it as a store for such items as floating mines. In 1960 the land was sold back to the farmers with Mr Taylor of Edingham ending up with most of it.

As the pictures have been taken over a few years and different cameras the quality/editing will differ

39226806661_88d516cd2d_b.jpgUN-SAFE by Scott Hills, on Flickr

6241282655_2b7a98a8c2_b.jpgderelict 16 by Scott Hills, on Flickr

6241298571_e6f6d90e7d_b.jpgFire point by Scott Hills, on Flickr

6241305515_a8b5df0546_b.jpgsmoke grenade by Scott Hills, on Flickr

6241306437_2bff92f15e_b.jpgderelict 15 by Scott Hills, on Flickr

6241316349_63e04885a0_b.jpgderelict 13 by Scott Hills, on Flickr

6241885666_28b636c550_b.jpgHigh 5 by Scott Hills, on Flickr

7939357624_a740308ff4_b.jpgTelly by Scott Hills, on Flickr

30473371545_5b61b399d0_b.jpgEdingham by Scott Hills, on Flickr

25655992936_b963d797cf_b.jpgEdingham (revisited) by Scott Hills, on Flickr

25520862651_78de83ae34_b.jpgEdingham (revisited) by Scott Hills, on Flickr

25520856691_cfce5e39b8_b.jpgEdingham (revisited) by Scott Hills, on Flickr

24983024034_dc77d3863a_b.jpgEdingham (revisited) by Scott Hills, on Flickr

25587395756_8b54c84359_b.jpgEdingham (revisited) by Scott Hills, on Flickr

25505762721_2c8d4343d3_b.jpgTake a seat by Scott Hills, on Flickr

16893535949_49135706b3_b.jpgEdingham by Scott Hills, on Flickr

16872353487_ec15dd21c3_b.jpgEdingham by Scott Hills, on Flickr​
 
Thanks mate, I forgot to mention on a number of occasions I've visited here only to be met with an army regiment on a training exercise, so if you plan on going be prepared for that :eek:
 
Nice that.i go Scotland a lot and this sort of place really interests me.lovely shots.the place looks quite expansive on maps
 
Great report, gotta love a sign not telling you to stay out, but rather that u enter at own risk lol
 
Great selection of photos, looks bare in places but quite photogenic.
 
the place looks quite expansive on maps

That is because there were many small production areas; each producing small, individual batches of nitro glycerin. With nitro glycerin the main concern is not fire starting a chain reaction but shock or a large shockwave being the initiator - place a drop of nitro on a steel anvil and hit same with hammer - result is a very large bang, as the nitro explodes.

'Cordite and nitro-glycerine were the main products manufactured. These highly dangerous products were hauled around by unshod horses and carts, supplied by farmers, to prevent any sparks which might have sent the place sky-high'

Cordite is quite stable even though it is in fact just nitro glycerin absorbed into an inert filler basically, Anybody of my age who found a few 303 cartridges amongst their Dad's old wartime kit, stored away forgotten in the attic, and took them apart - putting a match to the 'spaghetti' like material found inside - will know what I mean. The nitrated glycerin, whilst very simple to make, was a different story all together - hence small batch production and plenty of space between each nitrating plant.
 

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