Site of Second World War temporary storage area or weapons testing site, Foulness Island (EHER 82600)

Now destroyed. A cluster of mid twentieth century military buildings and disturbed ground is situated in the immediate vicinity of the former site of Smallgains Farm, adjacent to the river Fleet on the western side of 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 (AWRE) (EHER 46720). It is possible that the site relates to World War II activity on Foulness Island, possibly associated with defence during the war and/or immediate post-war weapons testing. The 1940s military structures were removed before or during the construction of buildings and infrastructure associated with the former AWRE. By the 1950s only the main large building at Smallgains Farm and one of the adjacent cottages survived, the latter being used as hostel accommodation until the 1970s. A temporary access road links the complex of buildings to Churchend Road, the main north-south access through Foulness Island, via a series of further areas of mid-1940s military activity (EHER 82600 - EHER 82606).

NRHE data transfer: A cluster of mid twentieth century military buildings and disturbed ground is situated in the immediate vicinity of the former site of Smallgains Farm, adjacent to the river Fleet on the western side of 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 (AWRE) (EHER 46720). It is possible that the site relates to World War II activity on Foulness Island, possibly associated with defence during the war and/or immediate post-war weapons testing. The 1940s military structures were removed before or during the construction of buildings and infrastructure associated with the former AWRE. By the 1950s only the main large building at Smallgains Farm and one of the adjacent cottages survived, the latter being used as hostel accommodation until the 1970s (<1>). A temporary access road links the complex of buildings to Churchend Road, the main north-south access through Foulness Island, via a series of further areas of mid-1940s military activity (EHER 82600 - EHER 82606). The site is centred at TQ 9770 9143 and extends over an area measuring 180m by 110m. <1> <2> <3>