# Royal Navy Cordite Factory Holton Heath March 2009



## bonecollector (Mar 28, 2009)

So me and Dazaf decided to return to the old RNCF on Holton Heath this time armed with cameras but again forgot insect repellent.
The sky was cloudy and overcast so excuse the not so good photos, my camera is not so good either.
The site itself is mainly overgrown be prepared to get attacked by thorns and brambles. Also the ground is very uneven with deep trenches all over the place. many are concealing hidden tunnels inside but unfortunately most have now caved in or have been blocked off. 
There is also a lot of old pipework and conduit sticking out of the ground which meant lots of tripping over as the sun went down.
Anyway here are some photos, will go again soon with a better camera.

ceiling detail in first building























































Inside the resevior. this place is really dark and it stinks in there.




The resevior is HUGE inside!

























Thanks for looking.


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## underitall (Mar 28, 2009)

Looks good BC.
Cant wait to get down there!

Nice One!


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## Evilgenius (Mar 28, 2009)

Nice one mate top job! Your pics came out so much better than mine, well done! 

Il have to borrow the girlfriend's camera next time be a little better than my shite Argos jobby!

Oh dont forget to mention the tick's, nasty lttle bastards... nothing that a 1000 degree bath wont sort out though!


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## ricasso (Mar 28, 2009)

Excellent pics, like the glazed tunnel, and that pillbox variant? would look really nice in my back garden, well done.


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## the_historian (Mar 28, 2009)

Nice. Where is it btw?
Think that's actually a firewatcher's post rather than a pillbox, but it's hard to tell sometimes.


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## Evilgenius (Mar 28, 2009)

Holton Heath industrial estate, Dorset.


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## freebird (Mar 28, 2009)

Looks like an interesting place to explore. Love that firewatchers post / pillbox. Nice one.


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## the_historian (Mar 28, 2009)

Aha! Cheers mate- I'm heading down there on holiday this year anyway.


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## nutnut (Mar 28, 2009)

I am very suprised the float remains on that extremely large ball cock, as it sure looks like copper to me?






If any scum are looking, i bet thats got your hearts beating to the sound of the scrappys till :icon_evil


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## Evilgenius (Mar 28, 2009)

Here are a few more pictures of other buildings found at the site of the RNCF taken on an earlyer visit.










































Not to sure what these are but there seems to be alot of them lying around the site, maybe some type of mould?









Old aerial photo's of the site courtesy of BC











Taken from "Wartime Dorset"

Sunday 31 March 1940 - Paper made into shells at Holton Heath, Paper is being consumed in great quantities by the Royal Naval Cordite Factory Holton Heath and made into Nitro-cellulose. This guncotton pulp is mixed with nitro-glycerine; the basis of cordite SC which is the propellant for the Navy's shells.

The factory has used 4,279,141 pounds of paper in the past year, That is 1,910 tons.

Well worth another visit i think as it is a fair size site and you dont notice alot of this until you are right ontop of it, only problem is the Bambles and bugs!

Dazaf


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## fluffy5518 (Mar 28, 2009)

NICE ONE Mr BC !!
Thats another one on the high priority list and its close to a railway stn !!!!
COOL !! (non car driving peasent)


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## underitall (Mar 28, 2009)

Why did I have to go back to work!?
Such a waste!
Cant wait, will be good, nice one again. cheers.


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## Foxylady (Mar 28, 2009)

Oh, excellent site, guys. Some great, quirky structures there...especially the pillbox/watch post with its funky turret roof. 
Good stuff!


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## bonecollector (Mar 31, 2009)

I forgot to post up the pics of the old antiques warehouse which is on the edge of the factory site.
As soon as i can find where my daughter hid my camera i will post them.


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## jonney (Apr 1, 2009)

Awesome explore guys. There is so much to see I wouldn't know where to start. Great work


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## Evilgenius (Apr 1, 2009)

jonney said:


> Awesome explore guys. There is so much to see I wouldn't know where to start. Great work



It is definitely a few trips worth due to the size of the place and it is so overgrown to makes it hard to get about. 

Half the stuff you dont know is there until you are right on top of it!


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## DigitalNoise (Apr 2, 2009)

Been meaning to get here for a year or so, looks even better than I was expecting! Quality. Well done lads. 

Oh, and did you check the building on the main road behind the massive gates? Looked interesting...


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## Evilgenius (Apr 2, 2009)

DigitalNoise said:


> Been meaning to get here for a year or so, looks even better than I was expecting! Quality. Well done lads.
> 
> Oh, and did you check the building on the main road behind the massive gates? Looked interesting...



What this one?? 

Also in the grounds of Royal Navy Cordite Factory, not connected though!









































Sorry about the crap quality of pics', think bonecollector has some better ones so watch this space!


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## bonecollector (Apr 2, 2009)

Sorry daz.
As soon as i find my bloody camera cable i will post the pics.


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## smileysal (Apr 2, 2009)

Ooh this looks great. I love old military sites.  Love that pointy roofed pillbox, or control pillbox, very unusual. Looks like there's lots of buildings to go searching around.

Excellent pics, I do like this.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Engineer (Apr 2, 2009)

*Holton Heath.*

Interesting place, nice pics. I like the reservoir and the air raid shelter in pic three, was there any sign of a steel blast door on it?
The mould like things look a bit like the hinged top halves of machinery coupling guards.


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## Evilgenius (Apr 2, 2009)

Engineer said:


> Interesting place, nice pics. I like the reservoir and the air raid shelter in pic three, was there any sign of a steel blast door on it?
> The mould like things look a bit like the hinged top halves of machinery coupling guards.



Maybe but these things are everywhere and we did find one full of some white shit, not to sure what it was but bearing in mind this place used to produce cordite i thought this could of been something used in the process maybe??


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## DigitalNoise (Apr 3, 2009)

Yeah, that looks like the one mate, just before the roundabout on the right, if you're approaching from the south. Caught a glimpse of it las time I was in the area but havent had a chance to get down there. I'm still impressed how much survives, I expected all of the tunnels to be filled in.


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## Engineer (Apr 3, 2009)

*Holton Heath.*



Dazaf said:


> Maybe but these things are everywhere and we did find one full of some white shit, not to sure what it was but bearing in mind this place used to produce cordite i thought this could of been something used in the process maybe??



I'm just guessing, cannot decide if the pin on the side is a hinge pin or some sort of pin to hold the two bits together.


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## Evilgenius (Apr 3, 2009)

Engineer said:


> I'm just guessing, cannot decide if the pin on the side is a hinge pin or some sort of pin to hold the two bits together.



I have not touched or picked one up but have seen some open and some closed, one side is hinged!

Il try and find out more soon, theres a library in Wareham which is meant to be good on local history so il try and get down there sometime!


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## tommo (Jun 28, 2009)

guys i wouldnt mind checking this out, when i pop down some time, would be cool to get a look round if its still there


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## bonecollector (Jun 28, 2009)

Yes mate no problems.
I dont think this site will be used for anything for ages.
Let us know when your coming down and we will sort it out.


Oh and the hindged cases are flange covers from the water pipes if anyone was interested.


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## markymark1 (Aug 9, 2009)

bonecollector said:


> Yes mate no problems.
> I dont think this site will be used for anything for ages.
> Let us know when your coming down and we will sort it out.
> 
> ...



i was working there not to long ago that whole land and nearly all of holton heath is owned by a firm called birchmear group.we cleared a load of the trees and area around there. they spent loads of cash refurbing that building making it inhabitable for planing reasons.its going to be left like that for a while then its all getting knocked down for new factories. 1 of the guys there said hes got keys to a load of the underground tunnels there but said he can only get them during work hours and would not let me have them there's so much in that area too


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