Roydon Cold War Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Site

Cane! · Apr 18, 2008

This is nessled in amongst a ton of brambles an spread out over a large field just outside of Harlow in Essex.
The site is a heavy Anti-Aircraft position that was built around the 1950.
Subbrits site list one in Cheshire which is almost identical here,http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/p/penketh_haa/index.html
Heres some pics..

Some info found on the Parish Councils website:

Cold War Anti-Aircraft Gun Site; (TL4177008710; ECHR 19151 & 19152)
To the north of Epping Road, Halls Green. There are suriving emplacements of a four gun 3.7" or 4.5" heavy anti-aircraft gun site together with a Generator Block & Operations Block (in poor condition) Study of ariel photographs show the site was constructed between May 1952 & February 1955. There are four octagonal emplacements in a semi-circle facing north-east with ammunition recesses & external intergral shelters. No accommodation can be seen although there are two small huts to the west of the access track.
This site is thought to be one of only eight such sites to remain in such a complete condition from the total number of batteries in the 'igloo' deployment. It was scheduled in 2001 (SAM 29473)

Bishop · Apr 18, 2008

Ooh. I've always wanted to visit a proper post war anti aircraft gun site, that's very neat. As a sprog I used to play in an abandoned WW2 era Heavy Anti Aircraft site, awesome place in pristine condition, ever since I've had a bit of a thing for WW2 stuff.

The building in pics five, six and seven is unusual its very different to anything you get on a WW2 site.

Ta for posting this Cane!

Cane! · Apr 18, 2008

No problem!

This place backs onto the estate I grew up on as a kid, spent many a summer days up here.

Foxylady · Apr 19, 2008

Ah, I've not seen one of these sites before. That's very interesting and it's great to see the emplacements.
Like the 'flower box' in pic 4.

Cheers for that.

bradleigh1977 · Jun 26, 2009

roydon army barracks

LOL Roydon army barracks we called these. a lot of paintball used to go on over here. Its just off oldm house lane in roydon. I used to play here when i was a kid, me and chris severn, billy wilson. We never knew what it was for though....now i do!!!

the_historian · Jun 26, 2009

Nice. There's another one at Stockiemuir, just outside Bearsden in Glasgow, which has the 'L' shape emplacements for powered 5.5" guns. Unfortunately the landowner is less than friendly.

Newage · Jul 3, 2009

Hi

A little bit more info for you, the site name is in fact Halls green and was part of the north Thames gun defence area, the remote gun sites were under the control of the AAOR (anti aircraft ops room) at Lippitts Hill.

The Halls green gun site was built in about 1950 and housed four mark VI 3.7" AA guns.

The Lippitts Hill AAOR is still in great shape thought thats not that surprising as its inside the Essex police helicopter surport base, me and PhilB did a visit a year or so back.

We were only allowed to take pictures of the outside of the bunker.

But inside it is still as it was back in the 1950s it even has the perspex curved viewing window.

Cheers Newage

outkast · Jul 3, 2009

if you have transport get yourselves over to cuffley, there is a very good example of a post war HAA site sitting in a field behind a recent housing development, I think the road it is off is called silver lane, its much cleaner and far less chaved then the roydon battery,

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.702611&lon=-0.090893&z=17.2&r=0&src=msl

if you pan down and to the right on the above link you can just make out the remains of another battery next to the A10, unfortunately this has recently been capped over with earth.

Dave.

cptpies · Jul 7, 2009

outkast said:
if you have transport get yourselves over to cuffley, there is a very good example of a post war HAA site sitting in a field behind a recent housing development, I think the road it is off is called silver lane, its much cleaner and far less chaved then the roydon battery,

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.702611&lon=-0.090893&z=17.2&r=0&src=msl

if you pan down and to the right on the above link you can just make out the remains of another battery next to the A10, unfortunately this has recently been capped over with earth.

Dave.

Outkast

The batteries at Cuffley and Cheshunt are WWII era ones which were probably used into the cold war as many were.

Cheers

Steve

Cane! · Jul 9, 2009

bradleigh1977 said:
LOL Roydon army barracks we called these. a lot of paintball used to go on over here. Its just off oldm house lane in roydon. I used to play here when i was a kid, me and chris severn, billy wilson. We never knew what it was for though....now i do!!!

Oh my god, Chris Seven, If this is the same guy I used to go scouts with him, and I believe he lived round the corner to me on Katherines estate in Bynghams. Lol small world if it's the same guy.

bradleigh1977 · Jul 31, 2009

if you went scouts with him, you went to scouts with me! Bradleigh hancock. I lived in church end. was one of the naughty ones when i was younger, me and my best mate david marks

tommo · Jul 31, 2009

intersting find, great work i like this

Madaxe · Jan 11, 2010

I used to live down the end of Old House Lane. Used to play in these when I was younger, they were being used to keep horses in for a while. Pretty cool seeing it again after all these years. Totally forgot about it actually. Over the other side of the road at the end where I lived, behind the green houses there was a big weed bust whilst I was living there. There were a few empty old buildings either side of the road in and around the greenhouses back then, not sure what it is like now though, not been back in years.
Maybe worth a scout to see what's about down there now.
Thanks for reminding me about this. Good pictures and history!

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