Finally i got out to this site after it was recommended by Outkast. (top man). The car is currently off the road sick so i decided to stay in the area after work and make an early train ride out to Cuffley and walk to the site.
It was a damp but clear start to the morning and gradually the sun burnt the damp and chill off into what turned out to be a hot day. Walking up the hill into Goffs Oak and then attempting to find a gap in the hedges proved fairly difficult until i walked back on myself and headed down a muddy track towards Woodgreen Farm. Then it was just a simple case of cutting across two fields which bought me out behind the privately gated housing estate.
Firstly a little history of the site and then onto the photos:
The monument includes a World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite located some 250m south of Silver Street, at Burnt Farm Camp. Contemporary records now held at the Public Record Office list the site as `ZW3 Burnt Farm' and document the equipment and number of personnel on site at various times during the war. In 1940 the emplacements were armed with three inch mobile guns; these were replaced during the latter part of the war with a mixture of 3.7 inch and 4.5 inch guns. In 1943 the guns were manned by a mixed battery of men and ATS women.
During the period of use Burnt Farm Camp was divided into two parts. The domestic area to the north (alongside Silver Street) contained the accommodation and general administration buildings. This area is not included in the scheduling. The operational area, the subject of the scheduling, lies to the south. This formed the fighting element of the site, including the gun emplacements and the structures which housed the gunners and their command staff, ammunition, the power supply and the communications equipment and targeting devices.
The operational site is approached along a short concrete access road leading from the accommodation site, a section of which (the final 10m length leading to the gun site) is included in the scheduling. The gunsite is dominated by an array of six gun emplacements arranged around a loop at the end of the access track, which also encircles the central command post. The gun emplacements are of two types: four octagonal emplacements of the `March 1938 pattern' form an arc to the north of the command post, whilst two later square plan additions sit at either end of the array.
Type L emplacement
The emplacements are octagonal with all sides being the same length. There are four ready use shelters, presently (2008) open at both ends but pictures of an English site show that they all had steel doors fitted. Closer examination of the Larkfield Battery revealed that there are retainers on the walls allowing doors to be hooked in the open position. On some sites the outer ends of some are bricked up. There are two shelters that differ, and are open at both ends but are slightly deeper to allow a short wall with brick sized ventilators on all four corners. It has been suggested that they were used for pre-primed shells or for the fuses. On some sites there are holes in the walls for ammunition racking. Only every second emplacement has the brick-built magazine attached although the same internet source suggests that they are actually air raid shelters for the crew. They have one door on the end facing the entrance to the emplacement.
Construction of the emplacements is reinforced concrete except for the attached magazines or air raid shelters which are brick. The shelters in the emplacements are lined with brick to allow supports for ammunition storage.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...i/h1/haa-l.jpg
The octagonal emplacements each have six internal rendered brick ammunition lockers (some retaining original wooden racking) built against the 1.5m high concrete walls which surrounded the guns. Concrete `holdfasts' retaining patterns of metal fixtures mark the positions of the guns, which were manoeuvred into place via a single access gateway in each emplacement linked to the inner access road by a short area of hardstanding. Some of these gateways retain their original steel clad gates. The octagonal emplacements are also equipped with six external ammunition/equipment stores, as well as a larger external crew shelter positioned on the opposite side to the gateway. Many of these lockers and shelters retain original wooden racking and steel doors.
The square emplacements for the 4.5 inch guns are similarly enclosed by concrete block walls with a single gateway at the corner linked to the inner access road. External crew shelters are attached to the outside of both emplacements, positioned to the right of the gateways. Internal ammunition lockers are built against the centre of each wall, except along the southern wall of the western emplacement which is fitted with an unusual feature - a full-length magazine with concrete shelves and dividing walls providing twenty alcoves for shells.
The command post, situated in the centre of the semi-circle of gun emplacements, is unusually large and contains a number of rooms including the Plotting Room, telephonists' quarters, offices, rest rooms and stores. Built into the top are three protected positions where the Predictor, Heightfinder and Spotting equipment would have been located.
To the south of the emplacements and command post are a number of associated structures. The Generator Block or Engine Room, located some 50m south of the gun array and connected by a concrete track, is of a standard design, 8 sq m, and would have held the diesel engines for powering the site. Standing in two similar pairs west and east of the Generator Block are four structures. The larger structure (14m by 9m) in each pair is a concrete blast shelter, open at each end. The smaller of each pair is a roofed concrete shelter, open at the front and flanked by blast walls. These buildings would have housed vehicles and equipment serving the emplacements, including the mobile radar systems. A further small concrete shelter some 15m to the east of the Generator Block would also have been for storage. The final associated structure stands alone, a further 35m east and is connected to the accommodation site by a separate concrete track. This is a large `Nissen- type' hut, built of double-skinned corrugated iron sheeting with brick-built end walls, which most probably functioned as the on-site magazine. Only a small section of concrete roadway connecting this building to the acccommodation huts to the north survives above ground, although the course of this trackway can be traced as a slight depression.
http://gisservices.english-heritage....3L_NoGrade.pdf
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.7...src=6&t=h&z=19
The perimeter fencing
The access road into the site.
The Command Centre(external shots)
Looking down the ramp to the remains of a steel double door entrance. The outer doors appear to be wooden and the inner doors reinforced - the additional protection for the main bulk of the command centre.
Externals of the Command Centre - finer details
The remains of a light fitting.
Internal shots of the command centre
The first of two adjoining rooms on the left of the command center (east to west)
The remains of the single door entry. (metal plated on the reverse of the door)
View looking into the second of the rooms
Down the ramp on the opposite side and into the first room
The detritus of doors and ducting
The largest room running off from the main entrance. All in all there were four rooms varying in size running off from the main entrance. Room 2
Room 3
Room 4
Miscellaneous
View on the circuit leading into an emplacement
I shall post up the remainder of the trip out to this site soon. This report will cover the outlying buildings/ emplacements. Again - pic heavy but i hope you all feel it is worth the look.
It was a damp but clear start to the morning and gradually the sun burnt the damp and chill off into what turned out to be a hot day. Walking up the hill into Goffs Oak and then attempting to find a gap in the hedges proved fairly difficult until i walked back on myself and headed down a muddy track towards Woodgreen Farm. Then it was just a simple case of cutting across two fields which bought me out behind the privately gated housing estate.
Firstly a little history of the site and then onto the photos:
The monument includes a World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite located some 250m south of Silver Street, at Burnt Farm Camp. Contemporary records now held at the Public Record Office list the site as `ZW3 Burnt Farm' and document the equipment and number of personnel on site at various times during the war. In 1940 the emplacements were armed with three inch mobile guns; these were replaced during the latter part of the war with a mixture of 3.7 inch and 4.5 inch guns. In 1943 the guns were manned by a mixed battery of men and ATS women.
During the period of use Burnt Farm Camp was divided into two parts. The domestic area to the north (alongside Silver Street) contained the accommodation and general administration buildings. This area is not included in the scheduling. The operational area, the subject of the scheduling, lies to the south. This formed the fighting element of the site, including the gun emplacements and the structures which housed the gunners and their command staff, ammunition, the power supply and the communications equipment and targeting devices.
The operational site is approached along a short concrete access road leading from the accommodation site, a section of which (the final 10m length leading to the gun site) is included in the scheduling. The gunsite is dominated by an array of six gun emplacements arranged around a loop at the end of the access track, which also encircles the central command post. The gun emplacements are of two types: four octagonal emplacements of the `March 1938 pattern' form an arc to the north of the command post, whilst two later square plan additions sit at either end of the array.
Type L emplacement
The emplacements are octagonal with all sides being the same length. There are four ready use shelters, presently (2008) open at both ends but pictures of an English site show that they all had steel doors fitted. Closer examination of the Larkfield Battery revealed that there are retainers on the walls allowing doors to be hooked in the open position. On some sites the outer ends of some are bricked up. There are two shelters that differ, and are open at both ends but are slightly deeper to allow a short wall with brick sized ventilators on all four corners. It has been suggested that they were used for pre-primed shells or for the fuses. On some sites there are holes in the walls for ammunition racking. Only every second emplacement has the brick-built magazine attached although the same internet source suggests that they are actually air raid shelters for the crew. They have one door on the end facing the entrance to the emplacement.
Construction of the emplacements is reinforced concrete except for the attached magazines or air raid shelters which are brick. The shelters in the emplacements are lined with brick to allow supports for ammunition storage.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...i/h1/haa-l.jpg
The octagonal emplacements each have six internal rendered brick ammunition lockers (some retaining original wooden racking) built against the 1.5m high concrete walls which surrounded the guns. Concrete `holdfasts' retaining patterns of metal fixtures mark the positions of the guns, which were manoeuvred into place via a single access gateway in each emplacement linked to the inner access road by a short area of hardstanding. Some of these gateways retain their original steel clad gates. The octagonal emplacements are also equipped with six external ammunition/equipment stores, as well as a larger external crew shelter positioned on the opposite side to the gateway. Many of these lockers and shelters retain original wooden racking and steel doors.
The square emplacements for the 4.5 inch guns are similarly enclosed by concrete block walls with a single gateway at the corner linked to the inner access road. External crew shelters are attached to the outside of both emplacements, positioned to the right of the gateways. Internal ammunition lockers are built against the centre of each wall, except along the southern wall of the western emplacement which is fitted with an unusual feature - a full-length magazine with concrete shelves and dividing walls providing twenty alcoves for shells.
The command post, situated in the centre of the semi-circle of gun emplacements, is unusually large and contains a number of rooms including the Plotting Room, telephonists' quarters, offices, rest rooms and stores. Built into the top are three protected positions where the Predictor, Heightfinder and Spotting equipment would have been located.
To the south of the emplacements and command post are a number of associated structures. The Generator Block or Engine Room, located some 50m south of the gun array and connected by a concrete track, is of a standard design, 8 sq m, and would have held the diesel engines for powering the site. Standing in two similar pairs west and east of the Generator Block are four structures. The larger structure (14m by 9m) in each pair is a concrete blast shelter, open at each end. The smaller of each pair is a roofed concrete shelter, open at the front and flanked by blast walls. These buildings would have housed vehicles and equipment serving the emplacements, including the mobile radar systems. A further small concrete shelter some 15m to the east of the Generator Block would also have been for storage. The final associated structure stands alone, a further 35m east and is connected to the accommodation site by a separate concrete track. This is a large `Nissen- type' hut, built of double-skinned corrugated iron sheeting with brick-built end walls, which most probably functioned as the on-site magazine. Only a small section of concrete roadway connecting this building to the acccommodation huts to the north survives above ground, although the course of this trackway can be traced as a slight depression.
http://gisservices.english-heritage....3L_NoGrade.pdf
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.7...src=6&t=h&z=19
The perimeter fencing
The access road into the site.
The Command Centre(external shots)
Looking down the ramp to the remains of a steel double door entrance. The outer doors appear to be wooden and the inner doors reinforced - the additional protection for the main bulk of the command centre.
Externals of the Command Centre - finer details
The remains of a light fitting.
Internal shots of the command centre
The first of two adjoining rooms on the left of the command center (east to west)
The remains of the single door entry. (metal plated on the reverse of the door)
View looking into the second of the rooms
Down the ramp on the opposite side and into the first room
The detritus of doors and ducting
The largest room running off from the main entrance. All in all there were four rooms varying in size running off from the main entrance. Room 2
Room 3
Room 4
Miscellaneous
View on the circuit leading into an emplacement
I shall post up the remainder of the trip out to this site soon. This report will cover the outlying buildings/ emplacements. Again - pic heavy but i hope you all feel it is worth the look.
__________________
Nettles, bloody nettles, cow muck and thorns.
Nettles, bloody nettles, cow muck and thorns.
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