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Summary

Site selected in 1950 to manufacture radioactive components for Britain's atomic bomb and to carry out nuclear weapons research, continuing in 21st century

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000530: Aldermaston Court
• Scheduled Monument 1005375: GRIM'S BANK: SECTION EXTENDING 470YDS (430M) IN LITTLE HEATH

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• National Monuments Record No.: SU 56 SE 32
  SU 59358 63341

Monument Type(s):

• ATOMIC WEAPONS RESEARCH STATION (Mid 20th century - Present to Early 21st century - 1950 AD to 2050 AD)
• MUNITIONS FACTORY (Mid 20th century - Present to Early 21st century - 1950 AD to 2050 AD)

Full Description

Aldermaston's Second World War Airfield was chosen in the late 1940s to become a permanent home for Britain's nuclear weapons programme; the building firm W E Chivers started an intensive building programme in April 1950. Thousands of labourers were accommodated in nearby temporary camps, and in 1952 building A 1.1, necessary for the construction of the first nuclear test device, was completed <1>. Further buildings continued to be constructed through the 1950s and 1960s, and many of the former airfield buildings and hangars were also taken over as stores and workshops. A 12 mile pipeline was also constructed from Aldermaston to the Thames at Pangbourne. The village of Tadley, just across the county border from the airfield site in Hampshire, was greatly enlarged by the housing, shops, clubs and cinema constructed for the atom factory's thousands of staff.

The Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) appointed William Penney as its first Director in 1953; he had been involved in the development of the first atomic bombs in the United States during World War II. Both research and manufacturing have been carried out at the Aldermaston site, with further building programmes over the years. Pevsner describes the buildings erected between 1949 and 1961 as 'impressive and architecturally well-designed structures by the Ministry of Works architects' <10>. The revised Pevsner <15> also refers to 'some grimly utilitarian accelerator towers'.

In 1987 the two nuclear Ordnance Factories at Burghfield and Cardiff were placed under the direct management of Aldermaston, and the name was changed to the Atomic Weapons Establishment to reflect the creation of a single nuclear weapons industry for Britain. In 1993, AWE began a new era of commercial management. The Cardiff factory closed in 1997 and AWE also withdrew from a range facility at Foulness in Essex, but Burghfield continues to be closely linked to Britain's nuclear programme. Various different nuclear weapons have been developed at Aldermaston including Blue Danube (the United Kingdom's first), Yellow Sun and the Polaris system. AWE maintains Britain's sole nuclear deterrent in the 21st century, the Trident warhead, but the Government remains committed to keeping open options for a successor. Aldermaston is primarily involved in research and design, and Burghfield in the production and assembly of weapons.

Aldermaston AWE cover 880 acres and has around 1000 buildings, in several differing functional areas <3>. It has been the focus of protest from the peace movement, starting with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's march from London to Aldermaston in 1958, an event continued annually although with fewer protestors in the 21st century. During the early 1980s, the Aldermaston and Burghfield sites were publicly associated with Cruise Missiles by the women's peace camps at Greenham Common, and a rally in 1983 created a human chain connecting the three sites.

Work by Atkins on the characterisation of the three AWE sites of Aldermaston, Burghfield and Blacknest <11> highlights the major roles that Aldermaston has played in 20th century military history, and the elements of what is in effect an independent community or academic campus. Twenty nine character zones were identified at Aldermaston, and historic building recording has been carried out in several of these <12><13> prior to redevelopment of the site. This is allowing a more detailed understanding of the significance and evolution of the buildings and structures.

A building record <16> of building F12.5 was compiled during a wider programme of rationalisation of redundant structures and buildings as part of the redevelopment of facilities at Aldermaston. The building is a former WWII aircraft hanger. The report provides a detailed summary of the airfields design and construction. Building F12.5 is located in the A4 Characterisation Zone. Post-war it was used as a stores facility, the interior as dominated by a steel-framed open plan partial mezzanine floor that increase the hangar's floor area by 75%.

The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) abuts Aldermaston Park to the south within the former deer park, and only two buildings remain where once they were several. Oxford House is of a post-war appearance and is thought to have been built as part of the AWE occupation of the site in the 1950s <20>. British Pathe has a film of the AWE particle accelerator in 1959, one of the Duke of Edinburgh opening the Merlin reactor in 1959 and one of the sixth CND march from Aldermaston to London in 1963 <25><26><27>.

Many early photographs of the Aldermaston Weapons Establishment and its related infrastructure, some of which was in Hampshire, are included in a publication by the Tadley and District History Society <35>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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