History in Structure

Building No 316 (Hot, Cold & Ambient Building)

A Grade II Listed Building in Caerwent, Monmouthshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.6246 / 51°37'28"N

Longitude: -2.7536 / 2°45'13"W

OS Eastings: 347926

OS Northings: 192024

OS Grid: ST479920

Mapcode National: GBR JJ.8S1S

Mapcode Global: VH87S.7F3F

Plus Code: 9C3VJ6FW+RG

Entry Name: Building No 316 (Hot, Cold & Ambient Building)

Listing Date: 13 February 2008

Last Amended: 13 February 2008

Grade: II

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 87552

ID on this website: 300087552

Location: Near the N boundary of the site, to W of Sloughpool Wood; set partly within earthen bund

County: Monmouthshire

Community: Caerwent (Caer-went)

Community: Caerwent

Locality: MoD Caerwent Site

Built-Up Area: Caerwent

Traditional County: Monmouthshire

Tagged with: Architectural structure

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History

Built circa 1959. The building is part of a facility for testing the Gosling rocket booster engines which were used to power the Royal Navy's Sea Slug surface-to-air missiles. This building was the Hot, Cold & Ambient Building which conditioned the boosters before moving them to the Static Firing Bay (SAM MM341) about 150 metres to the NW, where engines were test fired for development and manufacturing control purposes. Test firing of the missiles as a whole took place at Aberporth where the Simulated Ship Firing Platform is a scheduled monument (CD213) . The development of the Sea Slug missile was a significant technical achievement, and the beginning of the change from ship-borne artillery to modern missile-bearing warships. At RNPF Caerwent, development work also took place on other motors for guided missiles before the factory closed in the mid 1960s, and functions were transferred to Royal Ordnance factory, Bishopton. Building No 316 contained three chambers with counterbalanced doors where the rocket moter charges could be conditioned into hot, cold, and ambient states. Consequently one chamber was fitted with refrigeration equipment, and one with a fan-heating unit.

Exterior

Single storey red brick building with gabled roof; lower flat-roofed annexe to the N. Openings now mainly bricked in. South elevation is gable end with nine blocked openings at ground level; 3 blocked openings in gable. West elevation has, to R, large doorway now reduced in size with double wooden doors; to L, single door below blocked light; between doors 6 blocked openings.
West elevation is similar to S. North (gabled) elevation has 3 blocked upper lights as S, and annexe.

Interior

Access not possible, but seems to comprise at least 5 rooms.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as part of a group of buildings at former RNPF Caewent which are of special historical interest as scarce examples of buildings in Wales associated with weapons development in the Cold war period. The associated Static Firing bay is scheduled as a monument of national importance. The buildings have mutual group value.

External Links

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.

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