Grade II listed pillboxes in the middle of a housing estate in Steeton! WebRoyal Ordnance Factory Pembrey was in fact the Countrys largest producer of TNT. Of the several thousand operatives and staff employed at Steeton there were only a handful who were experienced in ammunition manufacture. The photograph was supplied by Mr Michael Shearing, of High Spring Garden Lane, Keighley, whose aunt is standing fourth from the right. [1] The parish contains the villages of Steeton and Eastburn and the surrounding area. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to On a regular basis there would be entertainment on Fridays in the works canteen. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. The Royal Ordnance Factory at Steeton Dump was built from scratch in late 1940 and began production in early 1941. Royal Small Arms Factory Factory No 2. Most of the listed buildings are houses, cottages and associated structures, farmhouses and farm buildings. Books and journalsBrown, I et al, 20th Century Defences in Britain, (1996), 66-85Dobinson, C S, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England Volume II Anti Invasion Defences of WWII, (1996), 157-167. I remember one of the local regimental bands performing some stirring music and finishing with the trumpeters playing the Post Horn Gallop. The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority. I still have the case I made for my 10 in. WebPopularly known as The Dump, the Royal Ordnance Factory had started production earlier that year. WebTypes of Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs) 1. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites WebSteeton with Eastburn, Bradford, BD20 II Barn 15 Metres North East of Eastburn House Steeton with Eastburn, Bradford, BD20 II Eastburn House Steeton with Eastburn, Bradford, BD20 II WW2 Pillbox and 2 Fire Posts South of Former Royal Ordnance Factory Steeton with Eastburn, Bradford, BD20 II Milestone to Front of Number 52 My work in collaboration with the tool making shop provided me with vital insight into the production of press and cutting tools. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. read more about the individual pillboxes: read more about the staff who worked there between 1941 and 1945. Our Project researches local people from Keighley and the Worth Valley who served the country in wartime. Construction work on Thorp Arch began on 18 May 1940 and the completion date was scheduled for the end of July 1941. For any other issue or if you need help, please email: Our website works best with the latest version of the browsers below, unfortunately your browser is not supported. WebAt the factory we made .303 and .5 cases and caps, as well as bullets. This is a list of Royal Ordnance Factories . Royal Arsenal Factory No 1. Royal Small Arms Factory Factory No 2. Royal Powder Mill Factory No 31. ROF Birtley. ROF Bishopton; Explosive ROF (3 factories). ROF Blackburn. ROF Blackpool; SAA Factory. ROF Brackla; Filling Factory No. 11. ROF Bridgend; Filling Factory No. 2. The objective of the Steeton laboratory was to control the quality of the materials used in the manufacture of the various end products. in Alfs store. For each delivery, samples were taken and the quality checked. ALF, The Workforce and Working Conditions at Steeton. The Steeton pillbox is a variant of Type 24 which was designed for a garrison of eight. It is, The church is in stone with a stone slate roof, and is in, A large house in stone that has a stone slate roof with, The Sunday school is in stone, and has a stone slate roof with, A house, later a nursing home, in stone, with, There are two gateways flanked by walls. Glascoed (92 words) [view diff] exact match in snippet view article find links to There are a public. Entry Name: WW2 Pillbox and 2 Fire Posts South of Former Royal Ordnance Factory, Location: Steeton with Eastburn, Bradford, BD20, Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): West Yorkshire, Church of England Parish: Steeton St Stephen, Tagged with: The susceptibility of a particular batch to this kind of failure can be assessed by the mercurous nitrate test. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Bayonet practice was part of the training. The L30A1, officially designated Gun 120 mm Tk L30, [i] is a 120 mm rifled tank gun used by the British Army, Royal Army of Oman and the Ukrainian Army. b) Metallurgical and metallographic work. A pillbox and two fire posts, sited in a field to the south of a former Royal Ordnance Factory, the fire posts in the south-west (fire post 2) and south-east (fire post 1) corners of the field and the pillbox nearer to the factory to the east. The other listed buildings include a church, a Sunday school, a road bridge, a former textile mill, three milestones, a commemorative tower, and a pillbox and two fire posts surviving from the Second World War. Fortunately my hands were not wet! Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. June 1920 INTERIOR: Access is via the rear door on the ground floor, and there is a transverse anti-ricochet wall across the interior. Each wall of the first floor is pierced by a wide double splay embrasure, apart from the rear wall which has two embrasures. I originally applied to English Heritage to see if we could get protection for the three 'Steeton Dump' Royal Ordnance Factory pillboxes. This example includes some nice human details. Its workforce was brought in by special trains and buses from 62 towns and villages in Yorkshire and Lancashire. There were no weekends or days off. In spite of this and the loss of a cargo of automatic multi-spindle lathes from the USA, by the end of 1942 the plant was operating round the clock and production was high. standard. See why it was listed, view it on a map, see visitor comments and photos and share your own comments and photos of this building. It contains 25 listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. The Steeton pillbox is a variant of Type 24 which was designed for a garrison of eight. This resulted in my promotion to the rank of sergeant having the same responsibility for the Home Guard unit. (Northern Matriculation with six Credits in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, English, History, and Geography) WebSteeton with Eastburn is a civil parish in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Initial training started with foot drill, marching and handling rifles and bayonets. Production at Steeton was mainly concentrated on brass cartridge cases for 20 mm Oerlikon and Hispano Suiza ammunition for the armed forces and particularly the RAF. Recollections of Alec V. Lovell working at the Royal Ordnance Factory Steeton Nr. There were 16 such sites around the country and Risley was known as Filling Factory No. The first floor internal walls are daubed with paint and there is some graffiti, none of original date. WebBirtley is the home of the Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Birtley and the Komatsu Heavy Engineering Company, which operates from the previous premises of Birtley Iron Works (opened in 1827, which became premises of the Caterpillar Company in the mid-20th century). Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. The brass blanks were first annealed in a continuous rotary, electrically heated, Birlec furnace, followed by pickling in concentrated sulphuric acid, washing and drying. Archaeologist Dr David Neal discussing his illustration of the mosaic being excavated at Rutland Roman Villa with members of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services team, Bombed library in Holland House, Kensington. May include summary, reasons for designation and history. Our temporary home was a former rectory in Alsager, about 20 minutes walk from the plant. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. WebTypes of Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs) 1. Pillboxes were designed to house artillery or more rarely machine Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}535458N 11908W / 53.916N 1.319W / 53.916; -1.319 During the first few months the heat treatment room was only partially equipped for hardening and tempering of sophisticated high speed tool steels and yet there was a critical need for success. Former Royal Ordnance Factory GV II The blanks were then pressed into a shallow cup, annealed, cleaned and washed ready for the second stage of five drawing operations. The Home Guard Company at ROF Steeton formed an essential part of the security system and was under the command of a retired army major who was also head of the works security. Search over 1 million photographs and drawings from the 1850s to the present day using our images archive. The Depot, Weedon Bec, Northampton NN7 4PS. This operation was carried out in horizontal presses in which the thickness of the wall of the component was reduced to its specified thickness. 1 of Bullens Heat Treatment of Steel and I bought Vol. Aerial view of Ww2 Pillbox and 2 Fire Posts S of The bricks used were Phorpres bricks in English garden wall bond, 23" thick on the pillbox. The two-storey pillbox and two fire posts at Steeton, Keighley, are recommended for designation at Grade II for the following principal reasons: Read about our current news, projects and campaigns nationally and in your area. Behind the anti-ricochet wall is a hatch to the first floor, accessed by a steel ladder of which only the top 2 rungs survive with a portion of handrail and a guard rail. A skilled form grinding machine operator could take home 20 per week! The Howden Hall facilities included a hall with a stage where dances and amateur productions were held. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Statistics were released after the factory's closure stating that it had produced 204 million munition components, including 63 million shells and 120 million 20mm cases. They were placed at strategic locations, many along 'stop lines' intended to slow down the progress of an attacking force. This is a list of Royal Ordnance Factories . The success of the plant was vital to the war effort and operated round the clock for almost four years. Many thanks for taking the time to do this, it's great to see that just a little effort can bring fantastic results. For me the Home Guard experience was an excellent one. The examples had thin skiver linings and were held together by leather thongs. Only hit I get from the database is Royal Ordnance Factory Steeton, West Yorkshire. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's When we started researching in 2001, we found only names of men on local memorials and as we felt their sacrifice had worth and most of them lived around the river Worth we felt the name was apt. User contributions are not fact checked and do not represent the official position of Historic England. The pillbox and fire posts are of brick construction with reinforced concrete roofs and precast concrete embrasures, and the pillbox also has a shuttered concrete first floor. Hanson Junior School: 1930 -1931 Symptoms include bronzing on stems and petioles, curling and drying up of leave, Growing Tomatoes in Containers: Essential Tips for a Successful Harvest, Growing tomatoes in containers is a great way to enjoy homegrown fruits and vegetables without taking up too much space. This was Christmas of 1941, and the simple decorations and absence of festive cheer suggests the bleakness of the period. This was under the control of a Company Sergeant Major from the West Riding Regiment (Duke of Wellingtons) Halifax headquarters. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2023. WebIf you would be interested in volunteering to help run the Centre we would be delighted to hear from you. Most of the operatives were from local towns. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. They were placed at strategic locations, many along 'stop lines' intended to slow down the progress of an attacking force. These cookies do not store any personal information. © Crown Copyright and database right 2023. cast, consisting of four parts; sill, two jambs and lintel, and have a wider internal splay than the external. It is in stone and, The milestone is on the south side of Keighley Road (B6265 road). * Intactness: the pillbox and two fire posts are unaltered and complete They worked in the inspection department at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Steeton, where Mr Shore was taking advantage of a relaxing of photographic restrictions, outdoors at least, to record such groups. Working seven days a week continued for about two years and, gradually, it was possible to have Saturday afternoon and Sunday off. For those remaining it was chaos. This was in the form of a message pinned to the door. will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry. Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment. Listed on the National Heritage List for England. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Brown, Burridge, Clarke, Guy, Hellis, Lowry, Ruckley & Thomas: 20th Century Defences in Britain (1996), 66-85 Dobinson, C.S., Twentieth Century Fortifications in England: Vol II, Anti-Invasion This involved a trolley bus ride to Bradford, a bus journey to Keighley, and a transfer to a further bus to Steeton. The hardness of finished cartridge cases at intervals along their entire length was determined and the results plotted in graphical form against the control levels. 9).[1][2]. Beneath the embrasure on one side is the entrance, and extending from the wall alongside is a low brick wall with a right angle return facing the entrance. After attending a course on poison gas identification at Leeds University, my colleague and I were appointed Gas Identification Officers for the plant. Early in 1945 it was clear that invasion of Great Britain was unlikely and in May the unit was stood down and the uniforms and equipment were handed in. Small Arms Ammunition - This type of factory was, in essence, an Engineering factory which specialised in the production of small arms shell casings. The plant was designed to be defended and there was a system of Block Houses at strategic points around the perimeter At the centre of the site there was an armoury and a secure store for rifles and grenades. Stanley and I were hired as temporary civil servants with the title and rank of Experimental Assistant, Grade 3. Excellent. The woman fourth from the left at the front appears to have been squashed in at the last moment, and a girl perched at the top left is leaning forward because she thinks she may be off the edge of the picture. There is a third pillbox which I have yet * Group Value: the pillbox and two fire posts form a group of defensive structures guarding a Royal Ordnance Factory, identified in the national selection criteria as a valid claim to special interest. Our earliest records are of soldiers who fought before the Battle of Waterloo! Behind the anti-ricochet wall is a hatch to the first floor, accessed by a steel ladder of which only the top 2 rungs survive with a portion of handrail and a guard rail. During 1942 when peak production was reached some 700 tons of TNT., 1,000 tons of ammonium nitrate and 40 tons of Tetryl were produced every week. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The ground rises to the south towards the eastern end of the field.The pillbox and fire posts are of brick construction with reinforced concrete roofs and precast concrete embrasures, and the pillbox also has a shuttered concrete first floor. Comments have been closed on this article. Defences of WWII (1996), 157-67. The roof is c.9" thick. INTERIOR: Inside the western post (fire post 2), on the north wall is a wooden batten which would have supported a shelf for a telephone. This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. * Group Value: the pillbox and two fire posts form a group of defensive structures guarding a Royal Ordnance Factory. REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The empty cases were filled at specialized explosives plants. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Its products, so important at one time, were no longer needed. There is a wide, internally splayed embrasure on each wall, pre-cast in two pieces, an upper and a lower half. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The two-storey pillbox and two fire posts at Steeton, Keighley, are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: Has there been any developement with these pillboxes/ There has not been anything written on the keighley forum for some time. The anti-ricochet wall continues up through the first floor to the roof. Located where the Industrial Estate is today, Work on the new Royal Ordnance factory at Wrexham began soon after the outbreak of war in 1939. The supply had been wrongly connected. We have since expanded our research to include everyone from Keighley and the Worth Valley who served in wartime and are currently focussing on women in the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment who were mostly nurses. Tel: 01327 226 812. Inspection department workers at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Steeton KEIGHLEY photographer George A Shore had obviously told everybody to smile, but these WebRoyal Ordnance L30. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. Discover and use our high-quality applied research to support the protection and management of the historic environment. A contractor cutting bricks for the wall of the partially-restored wild and natural walled garden at Warley Place, Brentwood. Comments have been closed on this article. The starting salary was 150 p.a. DURING World War 2, many local women were sent to the Royal Ordnance Factory at Risley to fill and prime bombs that were needed for the war effort. WW2 PILLBOX AND 2 FIRE POSTS SOUTH OF FORMER ROYAL ORDNANCE FACTORY, PARKWAY, Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Please contact us through our Submit page form to add a person to the archive. By August, 1945, it was to have made 204 million munition components, including The pillbox and fire posts are of brick construction with reinforced concrete roofs and precast concrete embrasures, and the pillbox also has a shuttered concrete first floor. First, it is important to choose the right type of planter and support system for your plants. All site content is copyright to The Men of Worth Project Community Interest Company from 2007 to the present day, unless otherwise indicated. contact the editor here. People still came to work but the permanent civil servants were redirected. Steeton was close to Skipton and virtually in the Yorkshire Dales. I do not remember the total complement of the unit but it was quite large - 60 to 100 soldiers. The roof is c.9" thick. I was responsible for ensuring that the metal was free from inclusions which could cause failure during manufacture or use. Bradford Technical College This was designed, primarily for women workers, and was situated in Silsden, about two miles north of the plant. Dobinson, C.S., Twentieth Century Fortifications in England: Vol II, Anti-Invasion Defences of WWII (1996), 157-67.
