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Summary

Former Second World War Ordnance Factory, used since the 1950s to produce and assemble Britain's nuclear weapons

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• National Monuments Record No.: SP 66 NE 37 - Should be SU
  SU 6805 6805
• Pastscape Mon No or Hob UID: 1077758
  SU6837868045

Monument Type(s):

• EXPLOSIVES FACTORY (Second World War to Unknown - 1942 AD)
• MUNITIONS FACTORY (Mid 20th century to Early 21st century - 1954 AD? to 2050 AD)

Full Description

Burghfield is listed in Cocroft's gazetteer as a filling factory from 1942 to the present day <1>. During the Second World War, the Royal Ordnance Factory was owned by the Ministry of Supply, but run by a government agent, the Imperial Tobacco Company <26>. Its function has been related to the nearby site of Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment since the 1950s. About the time that the British H bomb was introduced in 1960, two new warhead assembly buildings were constructed <2>.

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 but Burghfield continues to be closely linked to Britain's nuclear programme. Aldermaston is primarily involved in research and design, and Burghfield in the production and assembly of weapons, as well decommissioning.

Although Aldermaston AWE has been the focus of protest from the peace movement, 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 <6> highlights the important and unusual survival at Burghfield of an almost intact Royal Ordnance Factory. AWE Burghfield’s facilities have been used in the development, manufacture, maintenance and decommissioning of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and the so called 'Gravel Gerties' are the most significant buildings within the site. These tall landmark buildings with domed roofs are where the technical works are undertaken; their similarity of design to those of the American warhead assembly plant in Carson County, Texas, reflects the close co-operation between the United States and Britain in the development of nuclear weapons <6>.

Excavations in 2011 <15> prior to development produced scattered artefactual evidence for earlier prehistoric activity and two features of probable middle Bronze Age date. This was succeeded by a ditched primary enclosure of middle Iron Age date partly within the excavated area. Imported amphora sherds were excavated from late Iron Age contexts relating to this enclosure. Roman features were identified north and south of the primary enclosure. Medieval features were concentrated within the southern part of the excavation site <15>.

The Silchester Iron Age Environs Project recorded the Second World War Royal Ordnance Explosives Filling Factory No 18 from aerial photographs of the 1940s <17>. The ordnance factory covers an area measuring 1177 m by 1123 m. A railway spur leads off the north east corner of the site to join up with the Reading and Basingstoke Railway.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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