Building record 1296/2/1 - Chelveston Nuclear Bomb Stores

WW2 Nissen huts, re-used in later decadesas stores.

{1} The Nuclear Bomb Stores at Chelveston are a well-preserved and relativley unaltered example of a distinctive early 1950's United States Air Force munitions storage area. The squadrons based at the airfield during the 1950's and early 1960's were assigned to USAF's Strategic Air Command, carriers of the West's principal nuclear deterrent until the introduction of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The munitions storage area comprises characteristic storage bunkers or 'Igloos', inspection buildings, and perimeter fencing.
The site was recommended for scheduling in the MPP Cold War assessment. Having visited the site, it was discovered that the stores are of an earlier design and are not therefore of national importance. However, should the site come up for redevelopment EH would recommend recording prior to demolition.

{2} Photos.

{3} The two surveyed huts are part of a group of four, two of which have recently been renovated and are being reused. The huts are separated by 1.8m high brick walls. The purpose of these walls is unclear as they do not appear to be substantial enough to act as blast walls and may just divide the huts from each other. Of the Nissen Huts in this part of the airfield these were the only group to have these walls between them.
All four of the huts in the group are six bay Nissen Huts, with brick walls blocking either end. No windows were present in the huts. The rear walls of the two surveyed examples had originally had a door, which had been subsequently
bricked up. The outside of the wall had been rendered in cement covering the bricked up doorway indicating that there was a change of function or need at some point in the use of the buildings. A stencilled panel on the wall of one of the huts indicates that they were rendered pre-1963. Four iron rungs were built into the back of the surveyed huts, the bottom pair were horizontal and the upper pair were placed vertically, the function of these was not clear.
The huts were clad in corrugated iron sheeting. The covering varied in its state of completeness and condition, allowing the various details of internal construction and fittings to be viewed.
The stencilling would suggest that the huts had been used for storage of electrical or electrically sensitive material during the second period that the airfield was under the tenure of the USAF at the time of the Cold War.

<1> Skinner C., 2005, Bomb Stores of Former RAF Chelveston, Northamptonshire: Letter and Attachments, Including Photos, (checked) (Correspondence). SNN105207.

<2> Dawson, M. & Leigh, D.J., 2012, A Programme of Archaeological Observation, Investigation and Recording on Land at Chelveston Renewable Energy Park, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN108659.

<3> Upson-Smith T., 2011, Archaeological building recording at former RAF Chelveston, Chelveston, Northamptonshire October 2011, (checked) (Report). SNN108152.

<4> Horne B. (Editor), 2012, South Midlands Archaeology (42), 42/29 (checked) (Journal). SNN108346.

<5> Upson-Smith T., 2012, Building Recording of Nissen Huts at Former RAF Chelveston (Article). SNN108369.

Record last edited

Nov 19 2020 11:57AM