Site of Second World War temporary storage area or weapons testing site, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment Foulness, Foulness Island (EHER 82606)

Now destroyed. An area of disturbed ground is visible, on aerial photographs taken in 1946, to the east of the former site of Smallgains Farm (TQ 99 SE 28, 1454467), adjacent to The Fleet on Foulness Island. They are located 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 activity on Foulness Island, possibly associated with defence during the war and/or immediate post-war explosives testing. It is likely to be the site of a number of temporary buildings but does not have the areas of scarred ground found at other sites in the area. The site may therefore have functioned as a storage and/or ad-hoc testing area. The area is linked by a temporary access road to Churchend road and Smallgains Farm as well as other possible testing areas to the north east and south west (TQ 99 SE 28-34). The area was cleared and reverted to pasture during the construction of the buildings and infrastructure associated with the former AWRE.

NRHE data transfer, 1454478: An area of disturbed ground is visible, on aerial photographs taken in 1946, to the east of the former site of Smallgains Farm (EHER 82600), adjacent to The Fleet on Foulness Island. It is located 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 activity on Foulness Island, possibly associated with defence during the war and/or immediate post-war explosives testing. It is likely to be the site of a number of temporary buildings but does not have the areas of scarred ground found at other sites in the area. The site may therefore have functioned as a storage and/or ad-hoc testing area. The area is linked by a temporary access road to Churchend road and Smallgains Farm as well as other possible testing areas to the north east and south west (EHER 82600 - EHER 82606). The area was cleared and reverted to pasture during the construction of the buildings and infrastructure associated with the former AWRE. The site is centred at TQ 9903 9121 and extends over an area measuring at least 31m by 27m. <1> <2> See also <3>. Note: This site was also recorded in NRHE 1454492 which describes three areas of disturbed ground of this type. NRHE data transfer, 1454492: One of three areas of disturbed ground and groups of mid-twentieth century military building, including curved asbestos huts as well as other structures, 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 activity on Foulness Island, possibly associated with defence during the war and/or immediate post war explosives testing. The site may therefore have provided accommodation as well as storage and/or an ad-hoc testing area. The three areas are linked to together by tracks that run between the sites linking them to Churchend Road as well as the 1940s temporary access road (EHER 82607) which links Churchend Roadd with Smallgains (EHER 82600). A single building and an area of disturbed ground flank the track where it meets the 1940s temporary access road. The site is centred at TQ 9902 9117 and extends over an area measuring 40m by 16m. It is possible that this may once have controlled access to the other, much larger site, to the south. <4> <5> <6>