# Rocket Testing Site @ The Needles - Isle of Wight - PIC HEAVY



## Urban Mole (Aug 17, 2008)

Well her we go.
As most of you are aware, the Island hold a hell of alot of history, as you can see from my explores, but this probably holds the most in terms of achievement and credit to the UK & the Island.
During the cold war, the race to be in space was running, mostly between Russia and the USA, but there was the UK too, and alot of it was being developed here on the little old Isle of Wight.


> The High Down Test Site is a rare example of a 1950s British rocket test facility, built at a time when the country was amongst a handful of nations at the forefront of rocket and missile technology. Internationally, large rocket testing facilities of this date are uncommon, and were restricted to the two Superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union. It is also a visible reminder of the Isle of Wight’s aviation heritage, in such specialized fields as flying boats, rocket powered interceptor fighter and hovercraft, and in particular its contribution to space technology.
> Most of the site’s ancillary buildings have been demolished and the metal work of the test stands removed, nevertheless, its plan form and remaining features may be used to understand the operation of a post-war rocket test facility. The site and surrounding down land is owned by the National Trust and is publicly accessible.



Unfortunately like most stuff over here, it was demolished shortly after decommissioning 

If you want a breakdown with explanations for most of the stuff thats still there, then I recommend this survey, done by English Heritage, its a PDF file, and very informative, covering the batteries & rocket site;
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/High_Down_Report_90-2007.pdf

More info here ---> http://www.theneedlesbattery.org.uk/rocket.shtml
And here ---> http://www.spaceuk.org/bk/bk.htm
Again ---> http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/...naveral+(...+on+the+Isle+of+Wight)/article.do

Anyway on with the pics;






Heres an Ariel view of the site.





And another from when it was in use.





And heres a plan of the site, when in use.








Heres a magazine article about it.








And another.









And an article from the Mail.





Here is another plan, this was the final drawing of it before the building work started.





And again.





More.





Some 'not so' classified documents.





Work starting on the complex in the 50s (library picture).





This is the view of Gantry #2 through the viewing windows in the control room.
This would normally be 4" (2x 2") thick glass, but its been destroyed over the years of dereliction.





This is the view of Gantry #1 through the viewing windows in the control room.
Again this would normally be 4" (2x 2") thick glass, but its been destroyed over the years of dereliction.





Inside the control room, looking at the entrance & blast door.





The blast door, separating the control room and pump room.





Inside the pump room.





Looking into the base of gantry #2 showing the fixings and exhaust chute.





And again.





Same again, but gantry #1.





Zoomed in.





A truck arriving with a rocket to be tested (library picture).





My attempted replica picture.





Looking towards gantry #2 (library picture).





And my attempt again.





Drawn picture of above 2 pictures (library picture).





Looking towards gantry #1 (library picture).





Nearly the same.





Looking at the control room and gantry #1 (library picture).





And my attempt again.





Looking at the whole site (library picture).





Not a bad attempt.





Rocket being loaded into gantry #2 (library picture).





And my final attempt at replicating the old pics.





This is inside the museum, its the rocket that carried Prospero into space. 





And here is the satellite Prospero, thats still orbiting the earth, 30yrs on.





And the details about it.





And to finish, a nice shot of the needles.

Thanks for viewing.
Comment and suggestions welcome


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## Locksley (Aug 17, 2008)

wow, fantastic report, great pics, very interesting. Thanks. (heh that sounded like some ebay feedback)


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## CHEWY (Aug 18, 2008)

Great work on the before and after shots.

any righter, and they'd be wrong


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## KingElvis (Aug 18, 2008)

I love that report, well done for all the hard work you put into it 

Great stuff.

KE


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## krela (Aug 18, 2008)

Excellent report mate. Thanks.


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## smiffy (Aug 18, 2008)

Thats a brilliant report mate ....I really love "then and now" stuff........thanks for that!


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## sqwasher (Aug 18, 2008)

Fantastic report & history!  Specially like the then & now shots-that must of taken some research & setting up! Great pics too! Thanks for posting them.


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## Neosea (Aug 18, 2008)

Excellent stuff, thank you.


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## Urban Mole (Aug 18, 2008)

Cheers guys, it took some doing, trying to get the same pics, especially when it was blowing a hooley down there, and trying to keep the camera straight, as I didnt take a tripod 

It really is a shame alot of it has gone now, and there isnt much in the museum either, although I do have pics of all the info signs inside, you can see them in the pic of the rocket on display.

Sometimes the 'Rocket Men' are there for people to chat to, but not always, and wernt there when I went


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## The Pirate (Aug 18, 2008)

Cool report..
I`m in isle of white on Friday and Saturday i might just take a look.


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## Foxylady (Aug 18, 2008)

Thoroughly enjoyed your report. A lot of good research has gone into that. Great before and after pics. Excellent stuff.


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## Urban Mole (Aug 18, 2008)

Pirate;


> You`re spelling is atrocious young man !!!


 Wight 

Where and when you visiting?


Foxy, I remember you saying you wanted to see it, so thought Id best get it up.

Could have reported ages ago, but I wanted to collect as much info as poss....


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## Foxylady (Aug 18, 2008)

Urban Mole said:


> Foxy, I remember you saying you wanted to see it, so thought Id best get it up.
> 
> Could have reported ages ago, but I wanted to collect as much info as poss....



Yes, I remember you mentioning it in a report back along. Well worth the wait!


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## The Pirate (Aug 21, 2008)

i`m there this weekend 22n`d and 23rd August to pick my kids up from camp baumont there...

Know any good and cheapish B+B`s in Ryde or somewhere around there ? I fancy looking at that old paddle streamer while i`m there.


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## crickleymal (Aug 21, 2008)

Nice, I like the attempted reconstruction pictures. I used to work with some of the people who worked on those rockets. Back in the late 80s I worked on the Isle of Wight at Westland Aerospace. IIRC I think Ray Wheeler was still there then.


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## Urban Mole (Nov 1, 2008)

crickleymal said:


> I used to work with some of the people who worked on those rockets. Back in the late 80s I worked on the Isle of Wight at Westland Aerospace. IIRC I think Ray Wheeler was still there then.



You didnt get any inside info then?

I believe there is alot more to this place that whats been let on.
There is still info that they havnt released yet, and thats proberbly going to be the interesting stuff.


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## MD (Nov 1, 2008)

i remember reading something about a bunker on the IOW.
ill find the link later and pm you.


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## T-bar (Nov 3, 2008)

if your talking about the R1 we have been there done that


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## coopsleeds (Nov 7, 2008)

Great pics and research mate remeber seeing this place on Coast on BBC 2


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## smileysal (Nov 7, 2008)

Excellent work mate, both on the history of the site, the old picture, and your pictures almost at the same places the old ones were taken from. I've only ever seen this place when searching google earth and the like for places to go and have a look at. Seeing your report has made me want to get down to the Isle of Wight now. Will have to get working on Mendo and get us all down there for a holiday  

Cheers mate, excellent work.

 Sal


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## Urban Mole (Mar 20, 2009)

Heres a recent article in the local paper, that may interst a few of you;



Isle of Wight County Press said:


> *Return of rocket men for launch*
> _By David Newble - Thursday, March 19, 2009_
> 
> 
> ...


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## Black Shuck (Mar 20, 2009)

Thanks for that one. It is exactly the place I was on about. Apparently they were testing out German Rocket technology when they were open down there. There was not a lot left by the look of it Mole but good shots anyway.


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## fluffy5518 (Apr 2, 2009)

Top marks for that one mate !! A really well thought out and brilliantly constructed thread !!
Youre THE MAN !!


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## jonney (Apr 2, 2009)

Great report mate. I remember watching something on the tv about it years ago. The before and after photo's give a great insight into the place. Nice one...


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## Urban-Warrior (Apr 11, 2009)

Fantastic site fella.. of all the times i've visited the needles and IOW..i've missed this place.. thanks for sharing


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## daddybear (Apr 11, 2009)

enjoyed the before and after shots.keep up the good work


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## Urban Mole (Apr 11, 2009)

Again, thanks for the comments guys, like I said, this Island has alot of history, its just a pity most of it has been demolished 

But still, this is a great site to visit


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## DigitalNoise (Apr 11, 2009)

I know where I'll be moving when I get a chance! IOW has some great sites.


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## Pip (Apr 11, 2009)

I couldn't help but notice the date on the newspaper............ 1st April 2007!!! Made me chuckle somewhat 



Nice report though


Pip


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## randomnut (Apr 11, 2009)

Excellent report mate, loving those before and now shots.

According to wikipedia, that satellite went out of action in 1996, when the Satellite Tracking Centre in Lasham was decommissioned. Anyone know if that place still exists and is, ahem, derelict?


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## beccy (Apr 14, 2009)

Ahh how did I miss this???

I was like right by the needles not long ago!!


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## Pip (Apr 15, 2009)

You can still track Prospero and other satellites here




Pip


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## moltke (May 19, 2009)

News to me. Thanks for posting!


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## Urban Mole (Mar 6, 2010)

Heres a few merges I did with the old and new photos;


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## djrich (Mar 6, 2010)

Those photoshopped ones you've done are excellent!


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## T-bar (Mar 13, 2010)

nice one steve


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## hydealfred (Apr 5, 2010)

Brilliant report - always like to see the then and now perspective. Well done.


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