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This is a place I have known about for a long time, and a place I should have got to earlier. But my visits to Scotland don’t really involve much exploring. But the better half had to work, so I decided to give this place a look with my free time to see what’s left. Looking at various maps it looked like the housing estates were taking over the whole site. The weather was crap for my visit, very dark and grey with a steady drizzle. I took along walk along the fence line until I finally found a tiny gap to squeeze into. Making my way into the site I was wary of the fact that security use to be on it here., but wondered if maybe they did not bother with what little remains now. I started in the middle of what was left and decided to do one half first, then make my way back to the start and do the other half what gets nearer the live site, if it’s still even live. But as I was walking down the road, in the distance a dog ran around the corner barking. Luckily I was next to a building, so quickly dartedin the building, quickly having a wee whilst waiting. I went out back and peered around the corner. I see some guy walking down in hi viz with two females. I could hear him chatting to them, and what I could hear, they should not have been in either. I let them go past and around the corner and then quickly went up the road. I had decided to carry on regardless, and got to another building and did a few photos. As I then come out I crossed a road and see a JCB fast track parked up with a guy in. So quickly had to dart in the trees and bog land. I could hear the JCB moving around so then I thought best call it a day and somehow make my way out. I thought
it was all to relaxed haha. Anyway the place is nothing like what it was, all the good stuff has long gone. And I mainly did the World War Two buildings. But it was still nice to finally do even a small bit of this classic UK explore. And since surprisingly there has not been a report since 2014, despite a fair bit being there still up to a few years ago. I have managed enough to do a report. The lighting was terrible this day, it felt like night most of the day. I did mange to make it back in which I will continue. I won’t pretend that I know the whole procedure on how these places work. They are very complex and something I don’t have much knowledge on, I just find these places fascinating.
ROF Bishopton began life just before the Second World War when the need for these facilities were desperately needed. Two other sites were designated at Wrexham and Ranskill. The factory contained three self contained factories inside it and was used to produce propellant cordite for the army and airforce. And later on it produced cordite for the Royal Navy. There was also a bit called 0 factory, were the main explosive factories were numbered 1 to 3. O site was were most of the services were like the workshops, canteen, machine shops, fire brigade and so on. The site even had its own mortuary, grim indeed. Each factory had its own coal fired power station. The ministry of defence looked after the site and its own housing for the ministry of defence police. With two streets built just for the married officers. Bishopton was the biggest factory in the uk and some twenty thousand workers worked there at its height, many were women with the area suffering high unemployment. During the years the workforce number was dropped significantly with about three thousand working there in the seventies. This reduced to tow thousand when it was privatised in 1984 with the takeover by British Aerospace. In 1998 it was announced the factory would close due to a massive loss of a government contract. Most of the remaining four hundred and fifty workers would lose there jobs in 2002 when it finally closed. BAE Systems which own the site still had a small bit that houses a small environmental test facility and gas propulsion laboratory. The rest of the site was earmarked for four thousand houses with many now being built.
The first building is quite large with a few bits remaining.
The next building was my favourite with the old switch gear and control panel. But even this is in a sorry state since the early reports
This was the biggest building but was empty, dark and very wet and slippy.
Next up down a long road is a couple more buildings, these looked a bit more modern. This was where I had to hide coming back when I met the dog.
Lots of these old railway tunnels for the narrow gauge engines to pull supplies around the site.
I was originally going to give this small block a miss as it was in fairly wet ground. But decided to look as hate missing things. Glad I did as it turned out to be an old toilet block.
Getting near the housing development was a few more blocks. Empty of anything though.
And the final block before I see JCB man.
it was all to relaxed haha. Anyway the place is nothing like what it was, all the good stuff has long gone. And I mainly did the World War Two buildings. But it was still nice to finally do even a small bit of this classic UK explore. And since surprisingly there has not been a report since 2014, despite a fair bit being there still up to a few years ago. I have managed enough to do a report. The lighting was terrible this day, it felt like night most of the day. I did mange to make it back in which I will continue. I won’t pretend that I know the whole procedure on how these places work. They are very complex and something I don’t have much knowledge on, I just find these places fascinating.
ROF Bishopton began life just before the Second World War when the need for these facilities were desperately needed. Two other sites were designated at Wrexham and Ranskill. The factory contained three self contained factories inside it and was used to produce propellant cordite for the army and airforce. And later on it produced cordite for the Royal Navy. There was also a bit called 0 factory, were the main explosive factories were numbered 1 to 3. O site was were most of the services were like the workshops, canteen, machine shops, fire brigade and so on. The site even had its own mortuary, grim indeed. Each factory had its own coal fired power station. The ministry of defence looked after the site and its own housing for the ministry of defence police. With two streets built just for the married officers. Bishopton was the biggest factory in the uk and some twenty thousand workers worked there at its height, many were women with the area suffering high unemployment. During the years the workforce number was dropped significantly with about three thousand working there in the seventies. This reduced to tow thousand when it was privatised in 1984 with the takeover by British Aerospace. In 1998 it was announced the factory would close due to a massive loss of a government contract. Most of the remaining four hundred and fifty workers would lose there jobs in 2002 when it finally closed. BAE Systems which own the site still had a small bit that houses a small environmental test facility and gas propulsion laboratory. The rest of the site was earmarked for four thousand houses with many now being built.
The first building is quite large with a few bits remaining.
The next building was my favourite with the old switch gear and control panel. But even this is in a sorry state since the early reports
This was the biggest building but was empty, dark and very wet and slippy.
Next up down a long road is a couple more buildings, these looked a bit more modern. This was where I had to hide coming back when I met the dog.
Lots of these old railway tunnels for the narrow gauge engines to pull supplies around the site.
I was originally going to give this small block a miss as it was in fairly wet ground. But decided to look as hate missing things. Glad I did as it turned out to be an old toilet block.
Getting near the housing development was a few more blocks. Empty of anything though.
And the final block before I see JCB man.
