Thor sites protected.
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Thor sites protected.
BBC News - Cold War missile sites get listed status
Fat chance here. 
Good to see though.
Two Cold War nuclear missile sites are to get listed status to mark the Cuban Missile crisis's 50th anniversary. The former RAF sites - in Harrington, Northamptonshire, and North Luffenham, Rutland, are the most intact examples of Thor missile bases in England.
Similarly, Heritage Minister Ed Vaizey said Cold War heritage was "often overlooked.."
Similarly, Heritage Minister Ed Vaizey said Cold War heritage was "often overlooked.."
Good to see though.
Living, as I do, some two miles from Harrington, I wonder when some money will appear to actually tidy up the site. The three launch pads are full of farmers junk and piles of old tyres despite the fact that their sheer strength of construction means they are still in pretty good shape. One at least could be tidied up and a couple of display boards erected to give visitors some idea of what they are viewing.
Incidentally, a visit to the 'Carpetbaggers' museum in the old Ops block is really worth a visit in season. It does not look a lot from the outside but it is a treasure trove of memorabilia inside and a decent cup of tea !
Incidentally, a visit to the 'Carpetbaggers' museum in the old Ops block is really worth a visit in season. It does not look a lot from the outside but it is a treasure trove of memorabilia inside and a decent cup of tea !
Last edited by beamer; 16th Oct 2012 at 07:31.
the things were designed to be proof against nuclear blasts. The few which have been destined for demolition are still around as they are so tough modern demolition machinery still can't touch them. They will still be around in tens of thousands of years time when Stonehenge will have crumbled into dust.
I don't think they need English Heritage's protection!
I don't think they need English Heritage's protection!
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I'm surprised that the Blue Streak testing facility at Spadeadam hasn't been put on the list. Visited there a couple of years ago and it's looking a mess.
Probably becuase it in the middle of nowhere and can simply rot to nothing
Probably becuase it in the middle of nowhere and can simply rot to nothing
THOR ICBM SITES
the things were designed to be proof against nuclear blasts.
The strong concrete pieces were - I thought - part of the launch protection for the ground/launching crews.
The USA kept their Thor ICBM missles in underground silos - we did not.
Aaron.
the things were designed to be proof against nuclear blasts.
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Suprised the satellite launch test facility on the IOW hasn't been covered too.
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Dan,
As kenperry says the instillations were relatively soft. Launching the 'Bird' would effectively destroy the pad; the books I’ve seen on the subject infer that the team were told to ‘Go Home’ once the Missile was away. Well at least for a few Mins untill the incoming arrived!
As kenperry says the instillations were relatively soft. Launching the 'Bird' would effectively destroy the pad; the books I’ve seen on the subject infer that the team were told to ‘Go Home’ once the Missile was away. Well at least for a few Mins untill the incoming arrived!
My understanding about Spadeadam is that it is protected, but the cost to refurbish it would be vast. The site is huge and crumbling to bits, and people don't actually know what many of the buildings did.
Instead it is now being left to crumble in graceful decline - a sad end but probably the right one. Better to see an original than a rebuild which would be essentially a 'fake' site.
Instead it is now being left to crumble in graceful decline - a sad end but probably the right one. Better to see an original than a rebuild which would be essentially a 'fake' site.
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There was a somewhat similar article on Anglia News the other day about the Nuclear Storage facility at Barnham, sorry I don't have the link but it is still on the Anglia website.
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My understanding about Spadeadam is that it is protected, but the cost to refurbish it would be vast. The site is huge and crumbling to bits, and people don't actually know what many of the buildings did.
Instead it is now being left to crumble in graceful decline - a sad end but probably the right one. Better to see an original than a rebuild which would be essentially a 'fake' site.
Instead it is now being left to crumble in graceful decline - a sad end but probably the right one. Better to see an original than a rebuild which would be essentially a 'fake' site.
Used to run quite often and was the thing that got me interested in all things airborne.
Last edited by NutLoose; 16th Oct 2012 at 13:41.
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There's a Thor in the Cold War Exhibition at Cosford, and a Thor Able (swords into ploughshares and all that) in the National Space Centre at Leicester.
Got to concur with TSR-2. His photo doesn't do the place justice as to the sheer scale of them and how solid they are. The blast channels (or whatever the technical name is) are all constructed from ceramic tiles and the photo doesn't show all the land side infrastructure that was used to get the stuff on the pad.
It's a pity they are so far inside the range - should be conserved and protected rather than used for guns practice.
It's a pity they are so far inside the range - should be conserved and protected rather than used for guns practice.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
the Thor presence in the UK lasted ony about 4 years - when there was an effective counter, they were withdrawn.
The Other Other Missiles of October: The Thor IRBMs and the Cuban Missile Crisis
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Despite the concrete pads being built like a brick outhouse some of them have disapeared over the years. Mepal is one of them. It was very visible from a C 172 for years. I think that it has disapeared under some new warehouse development.
The odd shaped pads were a good spotting feature for us PPL holders.
So yes a good thing they have been saved.
As a matter of interest does anybody think that the bloodhound sites that protected the Thor sites will survive ? Woolfox on the A1 just N of stamford is a good example. It still has some of the composite concrete buildings on it.
The odd shaped pads were a good spotting feature for us PPL holders.
So yes a good thing they have been saved.
As a matter of interest does anybody think that the bloodhound sites that protected the Thor sites will survive ? Woolfox on the A1 just N of stamford is a good example. It still has some of the composite concrete buildings on it.