Lancashire At War.co.uk
Exploring the hidden history of War sites in Lancashire
Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) - Standish
While looking at Google Earth one day, I saw a strange group of buildings and was intrigued. So began my research into ROF sites.
This one at Standish is under imminent threat from becoming a housing estate - so I think it is important to record what is still there (at least it is for now!).
The site was huge. And all that remains seems to be these storage buildings. Most of which are dug down into the ground with huge earth walls surrounding them - which, one would presume are to lessen the blast effects should anything go bang....
It is a strange feeling surrounded by these earth banks all the time, made even stranger by the site's current use - a paintball course.
Left: 1940's aerial view (courtesy of MarioMaps) showing the huge factory - now gone - which was North of these buildings. The railway runs to the East - ROF sites are often on railway lines. And there were once more bunkers to the North West.
Left: 1960's aerial view courtesy of MarioMaps. This one shows the bunkers even more clearly at the bottom of the photo. The factory to the North has now been demolished and the rest of the site is an industrial estate.
What are these strange imprints in the concrete all around the site for? There are channels in the middle of the rods and strange grooves at the edges. Is it for a mechanised system of vehicles to safely carry the armaments? (Above Left)
I found nine associated buildings on the site - many look the same as each other. Most seem to have been storage buildings, with one probably being a sentry box.
Left: the road on the edge of the site, with a broken lamp post. Probably contemporary with the site. The site is in the trees to the right.
To the left (not visible in the photo) is the demolished factory - now just flattened rubble.
Above: two views of the site today - under imminent threat of a new housing development in Standish. It is a strange and surreal place to wander around.
THIS SITE NOW HAS OUTLINE PLANNING PERMISSION FOR HOUSES - SO VERY SOON ALL OF THIS WILL BE GONE
As this site will soon be lost to housing - is there any sort of archaeological survey being done? Is this site recorded? What are we about to lose very soon?
THIS SITE WILL SOON BE HOUSING - IT NEEDS TO BE RECORDED NOW! - 02/02/15
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