Building 78, former RAF Barnham atomic bomb store, Barnham, Suffolk

Summary

Building 78 is a SECO hut constructed from a resin-bonded plywood frame.

Description

Building 78 is the former mess hut at RAF Barnham.

MATERIALS
Building 78 is constructed from a resin-bonded plywood frame, timber framed roof, and clad in flat asbestos cemented sheeting to both sides of the frame.

PLAN
Rectangular in plan, assembled on a grid pattern of 4' by 3'6".

EXTERIOR
The windows are standard steel single, double and tri-partite casements. At the west end is a double door. The hut has a shallow pitched roof.

INTERIOR
The structure remains intact internally with no introduced partitioning. Some of the original quarry tile flooring remains.

HISTORY
In the early 1950s, the Air Ministry had a continuing need for high explosive bombs and storage facilities for them and were looking ahead to 'future war in which atomic and thermo-nuclear weapons would be used by both sides.' It is within this historic context that the Special Storage Unit at RAF Barnham was constructed following the issuing of Blue Danube, Britain's first nuclear bomb, to the RAF in November 1953. The bombs were held in clutches in V bomber airfields such as RAF Scampton and RAF Wittering and the purpose of the store at RAF Barnham, and the almost identical site at RAF Faldingwoth in Lincolnshire, was to provide maintenance and refurbishment to support the airfields and hold spare warheads.

The Air Ministry plan for the Store is dated May 1953, although planning for the facility almost certainly had started before this, and it was fully operational by July 1954. In the first phase of works, the fences, earthworks, fissile core storage hutches, inspection buildings and gantries were built by August 1955. The small arms and pyrotechnics store, barrack accommodation, gymnasium, telephone exchange, meat preparation store and dog compound were erected shortly after to strengthen security. By mid 1955 the double fence was in place, later augmented by the current observation towers erected in early 1959 replacing smaller structures. The Special Storage Unit remained the main holding place for the Mark 1 atomic bomb, under control of Bomber Command until November 1956 when an independent Maintenance Unit was formed. During the operational life of the site, second and third generation British nuclear weapons such as Red Beard and Yellow Sun were introduced on the site. By 1962, the site was in decline and the Maintenance Unit ceased to exist on 31 July 1963. The closure of the station is probably linked to the operational deployment of Blue Steel from late 1962.

The site was sold to the current owners in 1966 and later let out for light industrial use.

History

Although the site was used for storage of Mustard Gas and explosives during World War II, it was not until after the end of hostilities that the depot was constructed in its current form. In the early 1950s, the Air Ministry had a continuing need for high explosive bombs and storage facilities in anticipation of a future war in which atomic and thermo-nuclear weapons would be used by both sides.' It is within this historic context that the Special Storage Unit at RAF Barnham was constructed following the issuing of Blue Danube, Britain's first nuclear bomb, to the RAF in November 1953. The bombs were held in clutches in V bomber airfields such as RAF Scampton and RAF Wittering and the purpose of the store at RAF Barnham, and the almost identical site at RAF Faldingwoth in Lincolnshire, was to provide maintenance and refurbishment to support the airfields and hold spare warheads.

The Air Ministry plan for the Store is dated May 1953, although planning for the facility almost certainly had started before this, and it was fully operational by July 1954. In the first phase of works, the fences, earthworks, fissile core storage hutches, inspection buildings and gantries were built by August 1955. The small arms and pyrotechnics store, barrack accommodation, gymnasium, telephone exchange, meat preparation store and dog compound were erected shortly after to strengthen security. By mid 1955 the double fence was in place, later augmented by the current observation towers erected in early 1959 replacing smaller structures. The Special Storage Unit remained the main holding place for the Mark 1 atomic bomb, under control of Bomber Command until November 1956 when an independent Maintenance Unit was formed. During the operational life of the site, second and third generation British nuclear weapons such as Red Beard and Yellow Sun were introduced and stored there. By 1962, the site was in decline and the Maintenance Unit ceased to exist on 31 July 1963. The closure of the station is probably linked to the operational deployment of Blue Steel from late 1962.

SECO buildings were a temporary, pre-fabricated building type designed and produced by the Selection Engineering Company Ltd, founded in 1940 to build huts and dwellings for the armed forces. The development and use of pre-fabricated buildings in the early C20 sprang from the loss of housing during the World Wars and a weakened economy. Coupled with the advances in material and manufacturing technology, the use of pre-fabricated structures met both housing and military needs. At least 30,000 SECO pre-fabricated buildings were manufactured, but it is uncertain how many were in military use and to date, it has not been possible to provide a firm estimate of the number remaining. However, it seems most likely that those which do survive typically have been subject to alteration with those substantially intact examples increasingly rare. This is represented at RAF Barnham, where most of the SECO buildings have been partially or entirely rebuilt. Only two substantially intact examples remain, the buildings in questions here and Building 80, both recommended for listing at Grade II.

The site was sold to the current owners in 1966 and later let out for light industrial use. Some of the buildings have been altered and most significantly, one of the non nuclear stores burnt down in the 1980s, but there has been an on-going maintenance and repair programme agreed with English Heritage resulting in the preservation of the site.

Reasons for Listing

Building 78, a SECO hut, is listed grade II for the following principal reasons:
* RARITY: Intact SECO buildings are increasingly rare. RAF Barnham is a unique military establishment.
* HISTORIC ASSOCIATION: direct association with the early development of innovative nationally and internationally significant nuclear weapon technology and Britain's first nuclear bombs.
* GROUP VALUE: Building 78 has strong group value with the other listed buildings at RAF Barnham and with the scheduled monument.
* INTACTNESS: Building 78 is largely intact.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.