Suffolk Stories . .
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| Pagodas on the beach |
Having since 1930, provided successive War Ministries with
excellent proving grounds for all manner of weaponry, Orford Ness was an easy
choice for the hush-hush testing of cold-war confections.
The average nuclear missile is, in most part, packed with
conventional explosive. Proportionate to the actual nuclear bits, the amount
required to make sure the bomb does it job is considerable.
The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) was responsible for the
design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent.
Busy beavers, and from the 1950s through to 1970s huge laboratories where build
and used to scrupulously measure the efficiency of various explosive
formulations.
Laboratories 4 and 5 take on the appearance of pagodas. Concrete
pillars support their roofs. In the event of a REALLY BIG EXPLOSION, unplanned
for, the blast’s thrust would travel upward and easily lifting and escaping
through the roof!
We went inside Lab 4. And although stripped of all its
equipment (the MOD sold off everything for scrap) the place resembles a great
white tiled cathedral. The unceasing wind plays a chorale though its nave and
chancel.
FOOTNOTE We were exploring around Orford Ness and Aldeburgh,
with special friends Jane and Trevor, staying in a wonderful Martello Tower
which they had rented to celebrate T’s birthday.
Trevor appears several times in this blog in the ‘Travel’s
with my Architect’ posts.
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Thank you very much for your comments - Tim