Building record 6124/1/20 - Railway Control Bunker, Midland Railway

A WW2 building used to control rail movements. It comprises a long concrete building located adjacent to Nelson's Sidings.

{1} Only very limited numbers of these sites survive and Wellingborough site could be a rare survival.

{2} Photos of comparable site at Bletchley.

{3} 7th Wellingborough Battalion: "the railwaymen had their own special job which was to guard 'vulnerable points' for which the Battalion was responsible. Controlling, as it did, all the rail traffic from Luton to just south of Leicester."

{4} A long concrete building standing beside Nelson’s sidings on the railway line north of the Finedon Rd. bridge at Wellingborough at SP9046 6937.

{5} Shows a photograph of the same type of bunker at Bletchley with a pillbox on the roof. These bunkers co-ordinated the complex rail movements required to move men and materials and to re-route services around sections of track damaged by bombing.

{6} List of comparative examples, for example Chester, Orpington & Redhill, Metherington, Lincs which is a brick building with a number of windows.

{7} Site at cSP9045 6941 viewed from nearby public road where it crosses the railway. A rectangular concrete roofed building is present, in an area of neglected scrub along the eastern side of the railway. This located at the NGR provided above and may be the bunker. Closer site inspection required to confirm.

<1> Armishaw, A., 2005, Oral Report to SMR, (unchecked) (Oral Report). SNN107568.

<2> Nock, O.S., 1971, Britain's Railways at War 1939-45, (checked) (Book). SNN107051.

<3> Holloway B.G., 1949, The Northamptonshire Home Guard 1940-45, p.85 (unchecked) (Book). SNN55038.

<4> Armishaw, A., 2005, Letter, (unchecked) (Letter). SNN107569.

<5> Emmerson, A. & Beard, T., 2004, London's Secret Tubes, p.152 (unchecked) (Book). SNN107570.

<6> 2002, Subterranea Britannica Web Site, (checked) (Website). SNN101437.

<7> Cadman, G., 2006, Wellingborough Railway Control Bunker, (checked) (Note). SNN107571.

Record last edited

Apr 17 2023 2:28PM