# WW11 Oil Depot, Ripple , river Severn



## ricasso (Jan 2, 2009)

This storage depot is located just downstream from Upton on Severn near the village of Ripple, it covers quite a large site and borders a gravel extraction operation.
apparently oil was transported up the river on barges and unloaded into large underground tanks for storage and distribution.
interestingly this was the last large scale use of barge transport on the river.
it looks semi maintained but definitely not in use

pillbox on site


















Foam store

















main storage area









inside shed

















top reads "Russian oil products"





shower room













oil unloading area









unloading platforms









One of the storage compounds













PLEASE IGNORE THE SECOND THREAD, MY FAULT, COCKED UP!!!!!


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## Jimspeed13 (Jan 2, 2009)

Nice work looks good too a mix of military and industrial. There'll be storage tanks under ground as well!


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## Foxylady (Jan 2, 2009)

Very interesting site, ricasso. It looks pretty extensive too. Is that a T24 pillbox? It looks it from the front, but can't quite tell without seeing the sides. Excellent find. 

EDIT: I put front but that's actually the rear. Doh!


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## Engineer (Jan 2, 2009)

*Ripple store*

I think they are storing diesel there at the moment, used to be petrol in the mid1980,s.
There was also some tank cleaning going on in 2006 in the area 450 metres east of the loading jetty. (buried square tanks).

Just replied twice,lol.


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## ricasso (Jan 2, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> Very interesting site, ricasso. It looks pretty extensive too. Is that a T24 pillbox? It looks it from the front, but can't quite tell without seeing the sides. Excellent find.



afraid i dont know foxy, i dont know much if anything about pillboxs, i was hoping the expert (your good self ) would shed some light !


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## ricasso (Jan 2, 2009)

Engineer said:


> I think they are storing diesel there at the moment, used to be petrol in the mid1980,s.
> There was also some tank cleaning going on in 2006 in the area 450 metres east of the loading jetty. (buried square tanks).
> 
> Just replied twice,lol.



they must be roading it in,there's no sign of the area by the river being in use


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## Engineer (Jan 2, 2009)

*Ripple store.*



ricasso said:


> they must be roading it in,there's no sign of the area by the river being in use



It's piped in through this lot.


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## Foxylady (Jan 2, 2009)

ricasso said:


> ... i was hoping the expert (your good self ) would shed some light !



 I'm not such an expert as Krela, but it does look like a T24. If you remember it having 6 sides and looking slightly quirky, with the rear longer than the other sides, then it definitely is.


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## Engineer (Jan 2, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> Very interesting site, ricasso. It looks pretty extensive too. Is that a T24 pillbox? It looks it from the front, but can't quite tell without seeing the sides. Excellent find.
> 
> EDIT: I put front but that's actually the rear. Doh!



Foxy, if it's any help it looks square in sat pics. (If I have the right one).


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## Earth Worm Jim (Jan 2, 2009)

Groovy.


I was checking out a similar structure the other day











Anybody got any ideas as to what they are for. I have my own theory as to there purpose. I have been wrong before.


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## Foxylady (Jan 2, 2009)

Engineer said:


> Foxy, if it's any help it looks square in sat pics. (If I have the right one).



They often do for some strange reason...well, oblongish, at any rate.  I just had a check on the link below and the only square one doesn't fit at all (T26, I think...I can never remember that one!  ). I'll stick my neck out and stay with T24. 

http://s134542708.websitehome.co.uk/pillboxes/


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## ricasso (Jan 2, 2009)

foxylady said:


> they often do for some strange reason...well, oblongish, at any rate.  I just had a check on the link below and the only square one doesn't fit at all (t26, i think...i can never remember that one!  ). I'll stick my neck out and stay with t24.
> 
> http://s134542708.websitehome.co.uk/pillboxes/



if its any help foxy, it is square with two embrasures in the front and back walls each.
One embrasure in each side wall,brick pillar in the centre of room


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## ricasso (Jan 2, 2009)

Engineer said:


> It's piped in through this lot.



Wow,thats impressive !!!


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## Engineer (Jan 2, 2009)

Earth Worm Jim said:


> Groovy.
> 
> 
> I was checking out a similar structure the other day
> ...



The one in the pic was next to the railway that ran through there, may have been some sort of platform?


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## kernowexpeditionary (Jan 3, 2009)

myself and engineer are hugely interested in these sites...interesting stuff


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## Engineer (Jan 3, 2009)

*Ripple store.*



kernowexpeditionary said:


> myself and engineer are hugely interested in these sites...interesting stuff



Hi Kernow, you read your PM's lately?


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## kernowexpeditionary (Jan 3, 2009)

will check them out.....


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## ricasso (Jan 3, 2009)

Engineer said:


> The one in the pic was next to the railway that ran through there, may have been some sort of platform?



highly likely,would have been ideal for distributing the fuel around the area before bloody Beeching got his hands on the network (dont get me started on THAT particular subject)


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## sqwasher (Jan 3, 2009)

Very interesting & always good to see these sort of sites.


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## goodeavens (Jan 3, 2009)

Very intersting site ricasso, great pictures. Particularly like that outer fence & loading platforms


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## smileysal (Jan 3, 2009)

This looks excellent and in good condition too. Wouldn't mind a nosey at this when we're down that way again.

Excellent pics mate, I do like this,

 Sal


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## krela (Jan 3, 2009)

It looks like a T24 from the back, but if the next 2 photos are from the inside that's not a normal pillbox interior.


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## Foxylady (Jan 3, 2009)

krela said:


> It looks like a T24 from the back, but if the next 2 photos are from the inside that's not a normal pillbox interior.



We were talking about this as it seemed a real puzzle, and when ricasso checked the DoB it was labelled as a 'square pillbox'.  I was wondering if it was one of those situations when the builder chucked away the instructions and just used whatever materials and skills were available at the time!


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## ricasso (Jan 3, 2009)

If its any help i could go back and get some more photos, mesurements, ect


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## Engineer (Jan 3, 2009)

*Ripple store.*



Foxylady said:


> I was wondering if it was one of those situations when the builder chucked away the instructions and just used whatever materials and skills were available at the time!



I assumed that these places were built from a very detailed and highly specified plan, leave you pillbox experts to it.( Notice it does not have MG embrasures)?

Last visit I took a pic of the old rail bridge abutment, now used as part of the river gauging station.


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## ricasso (Jan 3, 2009)

Engineer said:


> I assumed that these places were built from a very detailed and highly specified plan, leave you pillbox experts to it.( Notice it does not have MG embrasures)?
> 
> Last visit I took a pic of the old rail bridge abutment, now used as part of the river gauging station.



how about this


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## Engineer (Jan 3, 2009)

*Ripple store.*

Ricasso, we have both stood in the same places taking almost identical pics, lol.
I have a few more but I would not post without your approval.


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## Foxylady (Jan 3, 2009)

Engineer said:


> I assumed that these places were built from a very detailed and highly specified plan...( Notice it does not have MG embrasures)?



There were, but one of the many things I enjoy about pillboxes is that they vary slightly according to the area and materials available (different kinds of shuttering, etc). And now and then you get a real curved ball like the 'square pillbox'. 

Enjoy seeing the extra pics guys.


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## Engineer (Jan 3, 2009)

*Ripple store.*



Foxylady said:


> And now and then you get a real curved ball like the 'square pillbox'.



Yes, Ive just taken a crash course on pillbox design on numerous websites, there does seem to be scope for non-standard types.


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## ricasso (Jan 3, 2009)

Engineer said:


> Ricasso, we have both stood in the same places taking almost identical pics, lol.
> I have a few more but I would not post without your approval.



Spooky!  , Hey,post em, i only stopped cos the batteries wimped out


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## Engineer (Jan 3, 2009)

*Ripple store.*

Vent fans.










Tank level gauge.





Hydrants from fire pump.





Upper/lower walkway.





Gas decontamination block, I think.





Pumphouse access.





The rest of my pics look like yours, no pics of the square tank area yet.

Almost forgot this one, wasps ripping piling apart to build a nest.


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## ricasso (Jan 3, 2009)

A welcome addition,it looks a damn sight warmer than my visit  , i didnt get a chance to check out the buildings the other side of the square tanks' got to go back sometime


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## Engineer (Jan 3, 2009)

*Ripple store.*



ricasso said:


> A welcome addition,it looks a damn sight warmer than my visit  , i didnt get a chance to check out the buildings the other side of the square tanks' got to go back sometime



Bit too warm, nettles and bug central!


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