Summary

Second World War Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement, circa 1941.

Description

MATERIALS Brick and reinforced concrete,steel gun mounting.DESCRIPTION
Low,circular,brick walled emplacement nearly 5m in diameter with a flat concrete roof with a central hole nearly 1.5m in diameter through which the mounting for the gun projects.The steel gun mounting is fixed onto a concrete pedestal that rises from the floor of the emplacement.In operation the gunner stood on the pedestal,with spare ammunition stored beneath the concrete roof.Access to the ammunition store was via a low open doorway on the west side,protected by an outer, brick blast wall.There is also a second access:a very low hatchway,retaining its timber door,through the base of the emplacement's wall on the south east side.

History

Thorp Arch was constructed as a Royal Ordnance Filling Factory in 1940-41. This extensive factory was spread over 642 acres (nearly 260 ha) and employed 18,000 workers. Its roll was to assemble and to fill with explosive a wide range of ordnance from 20mm rounds, through to larger artillery shells and bombs. Although the factory's defence against aerial attack was mainly passive (for instance by the buildings being well dispersed) it was also provided with a small number of Light Anti-Aircraft guns to deter low level intruder attacks by enemy aircraft. The gun emplacement at SE 4559 4671 is the last surviving example at Thorp Arch and retains its Motley Stork (also spelt Motley Stalk) mounting which, in this case, is believed to have been for a 20mm Polsten Cannon (a gun used principally by RAF fighters, the ammunition for which was produced at Thorp Arch).

Reasons for Listing

The Thorp Arch Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement at SE45594671 is listed grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity of survival: although large numbers of LAA guns were emplaced during the Second World War, very few still survive because of their relatively insubstantial construction, this example is particularly well preserved.
* Mounting: the Motley Stork mounting is an exceptionally rare survival.
* ROF Thorp Arch: as a marker for the historic interest of the Royal Ordnance Factory.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26675947

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)