Post-medieval farm and Second World War accommodation site, New Marsh, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment Foulness, Foulness Island (EHER 82610)

Partially destroyed. The remains of three post-medieval farm buildings and associated garden plots, identified on 1840, 1873 and modern mapping as 'New Marsh'. Surrounding the farm is an extensive area of disturbed ground and groups of mid-twentieth century military buildings, including curved asbestos huts as well as other structures, all of which are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. They are located on the western side of Foulness Island in an area owned by the government and used during World War II by the Armament Research Department and subsequently by the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (EHER 46720). All military structures appear to have been cleared and the area reverted to pasture during the construction of the buildings and infrastructure associated with the former AWRE. Parts of only one of the building complexes associated with New Marsh Farm appear to have survived and to be utilised as part of the AWRE. It is likely that the site relates to World War II, or immediate post-war, activity on Foulness Island. The site appears to have a number of phases of use, as parts appear to have been abandoned by the time of the 1946 photographs. The site may therefore have provided accommodation as well as storage and/or an ad-hoc testing area in the post-war period as well as possibly having a different function late in the war.

NRHE data transfer: The remains of three post-medieval farm buildings and associated garden plots, identified on a map of 1840, 1873 and modern mapping as New Marsh. Surrounding these are an extensive area of disturbed ground and groups of mid-twentieth century military buildings, including curved asbestos huts as well as other structures, all of which are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. They are located on the western side of Foulness Island in an area owned by the government and used during World War II by the Armament Research Department and subsequently by the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (EHER 46720). It is likely that the site relates to World War II, or immediate post-war, activity on Foulness Island. The site appears to have a number of phases of use, as parts appear to have been abandoned by the time of the 1946 photographs. The site may therefore have provided accommodation as well as storage and/or an ad-hoc testing area in the post-war period as well as possibly having a different function late in the war. The area is linked by a temporary access road to Churchend Road. The three farm buildings, surrounded by temporary wartime structures, are located at the eastern end of the complex at TQ 9943 9160, TQ 9933 9157 and TQ 9932 9151. New Marsh farm was apparently occupied until the later 1940s when the occupants moved out for security and safety reasons (<3>). Temporary roads link this area to numerous groups of buildings and structures of varying sizes and design. There are two further clusters of buildings, one at the western end of the site (extending over 150m by 110m and centred at TQ 9900 9154) and one in the centre of the site (extending over 160m by 140m and centred at TQ 9914 9153). This central area has more dispersed and unusual structures and appears to be out of use at the time of the 1946 photographs. It has the appearance of an earlier, possibly wartime, defence complex. All military structures appear to have been cleared and the area reverted to pasture during the construction of the buildings and infrastructure associated with the former AWRE. Parts of only one of the building complexes associated with New Marsh Farm appear to have survived and to be utilised as part of the AWRE. <1> <2> <3> Note: The mapped location is that provided by the NRHE record. New Marsh farm was approximately 200m to the east, but the point may indicate that the associated WWII structures extended into the land to the west of the farm. It has not been possible to view the aerial photographs to confirm this, but this is suggested by the comments above which describe further clusters of buildings at TQ 9900 9154 and TQ 9914 9153.